Scan barcode
dreamingandendless's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A flash from the past. I was born after the time the book describes but every Colombian my age knows of the 80s and 90s. Guerrilla and Narcos and assassinations and car bombs and kidnappings.
The book captures Colombians' relationship with violence. An eternal Civil war with changing factions that have left millions upon millions without a home. The narrator is a child which is by far the best way to try and explain to people how it was, how it feels the first time you turn on the news and something horrible happened near to you.
Written from a priveledged perspective, it is nonetheless powerful and emotionally charged. The book hits very close to home, since I too left Colombia for more hopeful horizons. The protagonist's older sister acts pretty much as I have these last year's in expatriation, trying to forget, trying to excel and overcome. The feeling of smallness you have. People don't understand where you've come from.
I am distraught. The writing is very good and I don't know if I can say anything too damning of the book. Unsure what non-colombian US/European audiences will get out of this book. Some sick sense of voyeuristic smugness?
The book captures Colombians' relationship with violence. An eternal Civil war with changing factions that have left millions upon millions without a home. The narrator is a child which is by far the best way to try and explain to people how it was, how it feels the first time you turn on the news and something horrible happened near to you.
Written from a priveledged perspective, it is nonetheless powerful and emotionally charged. The book hits very close to home, since I too left Colombia for more hopeful horizons. The protagonist's older sister acts pretty much as I have these last year's in expatriation, trying to forget, trying to excel and overcome. The feeling of smallness you have. People don't understand where you've come from.
I am distraught. The writing is very good and I don't know if I can say anything too damning of the book. Unsure what non-colombian US/European audiences will get out of this book. Some sick sense of voyeuristic smugness?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Drug abuse
zarrazine's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Rape
spaghettireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
CW: Rape, Domestic Abuse
This has been on my TBR for over a year now, but I was nudged to pick it up again for @internationalreads’ buddy read. I definitely didn’t finish the book in time for the discussion 😬 but I really wish I had, because there is a lot going on in this story.
The novel is set in the late 80s/early 90s in Colombia, during the time while Pablo Escobar was active in the country. It is a coming of age story of two young girls, and how small decisions and actions can add up over time. The story is based on the author’s experiences growing up in Colombia. The story explores the differences in class and race between the two girls, as well as the experience of growing up surrounded by trauma.
I don’t think I’m alone in being sceptical about child narrators, however I thought that it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed how by reading from the perspective of a child, you know that you aren’t getting a full understanding of what is going on in her world. You feel the sense of thinking that you understand what is going on, but still being confused about what is going on. Some of this becomes clear later in the story when you hear about events from an adults perspective.
If this story sounds interesting to you, I would highly recommend picking it up. The writing really worked for me, and I am looking forward to what Ingrid Rojas Contreras writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Domestic abuse
More...