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serendipitysbooks's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is the story of Paloma, daughter of an Argentinian diplomat. Comments from an unexpected party guest pique her curiosity about her father’s background and a trip back to Argentina gives her the opportunity to investigate further. Along the way she learns a lot about Argentina’s “Dirty War”, the period of military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, when up to 30,000 people were forcibly disappeared, her father’s role in helping some people flee the country, plus a really big family secret. The story unfolded via dual timelines and the family storyline was well integrated with the historical facts. The story also highlighted the way the events of the Dirty War continued to impact the country and its citizens nearly twenty years later. A solid read for those who enjoy historical fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Torture
bekkasbookclub's review
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This historical fiction set during the 1970s & 1990s in Argentina 🇦🇷. It tells of the political uprisings during the 70s and a young women is trying to figure out the role her father played during that time.
This book was so informative of what happened during the “Dirty War” of Argentina. I loved how dual timelines flowed and complemented each other. The past was able to build the present while also building suspense. The beginning does a great job at building up the story and then it begins to unfold in an unexpected way. I really felt the tension and uneasiness of that time. I really feel like I learned a lot about Argentina and really want to learn more. This was an amazing debut by the author and I look forward to her next book.
This book was so informative of what happened during the “Dirty War” of Argentina. I loved how dual timelines flowed and complemented each other. The past was able to build the present while also building suspense. The beginning does a great job at building up the story and then it begins to unfold in an unexpected way. I really felt the tension and uneasiness of that time. I really feel like I learned a lot about Argentina and really want to learn more. This was an amazing debut by the author and I look forward to her next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, and Mass/school shootings
antonio_suave's review
adventurous
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
This quick read is a perfect atmospheric book of Buenos Aires. I had only learned about the Dirty War in college and I think this is an excellent medium to inform more people about this important piece of history. Especially since Las Madres are still very much present to date. I’m glad I found this book because I’ve been missing Argentina since the last time I visited (preface, Buenos Aires is different from the rest of the country just fyi…even the locals say so).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
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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