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jtlars7's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The writing was mediocre and the characters, especially in the 1990s section of this dual-timeline historical fiction novel, felt flat. The overall story was engaging though. I was aware that people were “disappeared” in Argentina in the 1970s, but I didn’t know much about it; the novel brings home how awful and senseless the government’s violence against its own people was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality and Torture
Minor: Infidelity and Infertility
colourfulthreads's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a good introduction to the history of the military dictatorship in Argentina in the 1970's. I did find the love story plotlines to be overly simplified.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Death of parent, Confinement, Infidelity, War, Genocide, Police brutality, and Death
Minor: Infertility
____emily____'s review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Death of parent, and Genocide
Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, Infertility, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Minor: Police brutality and Colonisation
ashleysbookthoughts's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
I don’t read enough books set in South America, and aside from having seen Evita, I know embarrassingly little about Argentina. Obviously I need to remedy that, so I was delighted when Grand Central sent me this gorgeous historical fiction set during Argentina’s Dirty War.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is my favorite type of historical fiction. It has a dual timeline, lots of characters, and a bit of a mystery that unravels slowly. While the mystery piece was fairly predictable, it was compelling to see how that inevitable conclusion would be reached.
I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that many of the characters (particularly Valentina) are almost too perfect. I would have appreciated more complexity. Stantiago is really the only “gray” character in the book, with everyone else seeming to be saint or villain. Still, a compelling read about an underrepresented historical era. It’s a fantastic debut and I’ll be sure to check out whatever Andrea Clark does next.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is my favorite type of historical fiction. It has a dual timeline, lots of characters, and a bit of a mystery that unravels slowly. While the mystery piece was fairly predictable, it was compelling to see how that inevitable conclusion would be reached.
I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that many of the characters (particularly Valentina) are almost too perfect. I would have appreciated more complexity. Stantiago is really the only “gray” character in the book, with everyone else seeming to be saint or villain. Still, a compelling read about an underrepresented historical era. It’s a fantastic debut and I’ll be sure to check out whatever Andrea Clark does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, Stalking, and Torture
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage
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