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hannahleewhite's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence and Torture
stindex's review
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, and Torture
joja_zch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
El hilo conductor es lo que cuenta este “hombre que torturaba” por quien la protagonista demuestra simpatía desde el primer momento; razón por la cual, el último capítulo,
La forma de escribir, el tema del libro, las historias que cuenta me parecieron interesantes, pero no siento que deba ponerle 4⭐️. Quizás porque siento que se pudo ahondar más. El libro no despertó sentimientos fuertes en mí.
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, War, Murder, Police brutality, Torture, and Violence
pennyforyourthoughts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Violence, and War
sarahweyand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think I made a mistake by listening to this book on audio, which isn't something I say often. This book has a lot of timelines and listening to the audiobook was a little confusing in this regard. I also got the impression that there were quotes or excerpts throughout the book (maybe just at the beginning of chapters), but I didn't recognize this until over halfway through the book. I think this confusion didn't help with my comprehension and made things more muddled than they needed to be.
I probably wouldn't have picked this book up were it not for the literary awards reading challenge I created on StoryGraph. I'm always interested in being exposed to fiction outside of my comfort zone, even if it isn't my all-time favorite. Overall, I thought this was an engaging read and I'm glad I came across it.
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Torture
readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I do want ti give a heads up while I do not believe the book was ever condoning racism to Romani in Chile, it is present in the book and I think the wha it’s depicted by a more passive narrator who exists more as witness to her country then active may bother others, I did prefer his Fernandez wrote about the Mapuche.
I am familiar with this part of Chilean history but I don’t know everyone’s names so I am curious if every named character was a real person because it definitely was deliberate who is a named character and who is not. Something to check out on a reread.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, Torture, Colonisation, Sexism, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
cpbindel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book conveys the irreality that comes from living under a state that regularly disappears family and friends, living in a neighborhood where the house next door could be a torture center, or living a “normal life” only by betraying friends by reporting their organizing to the police. Popular media from the Avengers to Frankenstein to Back to the Future to The Twilight Zone are woven in and around the narrator’s tale in a way that heightens the feeling of confusion and dismay at the omissions and violence of a military dictatorship.
This book is particularly powerful in its focus on one character, “The Man Who Tortured People,” and his complex moral position throughout his confession his flight out of the country and his quiet lifelong witness to his participation in his country’s crimes against its own citizens.
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Torture
anpen's review against another edition
Graphic: Torture, Murder, and Violence
abbie_'s review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and War
subdue_provide75's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Violence and Torture
Minor: Sexual violence