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kjulie's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting little novella, a narration of the life of a child raised in a drug ring. It's dark, yet filled with childish innocence. I enjoyed how the story followed the boy's train of thought and his awkwardly used words.
booksnbrains's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
stefieereads's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
hosseinmoazzeni's review against another edition
4.0
کوتاه، بامزه، داستان آمریکای لاتین و در قطعی جذاب!
richardwells's review against another edition
3.0
Why, at 70 pages, this is being called a "novel" rather than a novelette is beyond me. Some kind of literary hyperbole, or a way to sell books, maybe. Anyway, it had gotten raves from the NY Times, and the Guardian, and not having checked its length, I ordered it.
Down the Rabbit Hole is fun in a macabre sort of way. Our hero and narrator is a pampered seven year old, who either has a bad stomach or worse, stomach cancer. He lives in a castle in Mexico surrounded by luxury and is granted his every wish. He's hoping for the arrival of a Liberian pygmy hippopotamus to supplement the evidence eating tiger in his personal zoo. His father is a drug lord, and his playmates are murderers and torturers who do their best to normalize the horrors that occur in the castle.
It's probably an allegory. This child is probably all Mexicans, innocent but jaded, and ill, and coping with a world gone completely haywire but perceived for survival's sake as normal.
sigh
Down the Rabbit Hole is fun in a macabre sort of way. Our hero and narrator is a pampered seven year old, who either has a bad stomach or worse, stomach cancer. He lives in a castle in Mexico surrounded by luxury and is granted his every wish. He's hoping for the arrival of a Liberian pygmy hippopotamus to supplement the evidence eating tiger in his personal zoo. His father is a drug lord, and his playmates are murderers and torturers who do their best to normalize the horrors that occur in the castle.
It's probably an allegory. This child is probably all Mexicans, innocent but jaded, and ill, and coping with a world gone completely haywire but perceived for survival's sake as normal.
sigh
quech87's review against another edition
3.0
More of a short story than a novel, Down the Rabbit Hole is first person narration by Tochtli, a child, who lives with his drug lord father. This is a story of solitude, innocence as well as loss of it without knowing it.
Looking at the world from Tochtli eyes is heart rending for he talks innocently & openly about subjects such as death but like a philosopher about other aspects of his world which is restricted to the boundaries of their house which he calls a palace. He knows that this place is too good for a house and not good enough for a palace and people around him don`t understand. Tochtli & his father form a gang, based on solidarity & trust, which is the best in 8 KMs and not the entire world because they have to realistic.
Its dark & funny and eventually tragic.
Looking at the world from Tochtli eyes is heart rending for he talks innocently & openly about subjects such as death but like a philosopher about other aspects of his world which is restricted to the boundaries of their house which he calls a palace. He knows that this place is too good for a house and not good enough for a palace and people around him don`t understand. Tochtli & his father form a gang, based on solidarity & trust, which is the best in 8 KMs and not the entire world because they have to realistic.
Its dark & funny and eventually tragic.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
5.0
If you have seen Narcos on Netflix, then you should read this book. Seriously.
Villalobos' book is at once both horrifying and brilliant. Told from the viewpoint of a young boy who reveals far more than he believes, the book looks at not only the drug trade but also people's responses to it.
And the names are important.
Villalobos' book is at once both horrifying and brilliant. Told from the viewpoint of a young boy who reveals far more than he believes, the book looks at not only the drug trade but also people's responses to it.
And the names are important.