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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
We read this book for English and I loved it. The ending killed me (not literally) and the characters were so well written.
The way Catalina betrayed Estrella has my entire class on the edge of their seats and protesting what she was doing.
The way Catalina betrayed Estrella has my entire class on the edge of their seats and protesting what she was doing.
Although this book didn’t quite do it for me right now, I think I would have really enjoyed it had I read it when I was younger as it is obviously geared towards a middle school/early high school audience. However, the Estrella’s story is powerful and it was interesting to read about a Jewish character during the Spanish Inquisition. I didn’t know much about how Jews were treated during this time period, but this book was educational and was still a good story.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Death, Blood, Toxic friendship, War
This is the heartbreaking story of Estella told as if she was old and remembering what had happened. Estella's family lived in Spain during the time of the inquisition. One day Estella discovers that her family is actually Jewish living as Christians. Her best friend,she discovers, is jealous of her and her family and turns them in to the judges. Estella witnesses the horrors that only man can inflict on man simply due to differences in race and religion. This is a very candid, very heartbreaking story based on what happened during this time in history. And the story is wonderfully told, as if Estella is sitting there telling you about something that happened in her life.
Read my review on my blog, Behind the Secret Bookshelf.
Set up -- A young woman in Spain during the Reformation sees that her best friend is not such a good person, her family has secrets and in the first few pages you understand that the best friend will without compunction ensure the neighbor is charged as a hidden Jew.
If you didn't see the jealousy by page 3 and the "hidden" family religious secrets on page 4, this might've been interesting. It has the feel of having been written under a deadline where the author was just typing to get the story out without pausing to explore much.
Good for a quick beach read but not much else.
If you didn't see the jealousy by page 3 and the "hidden" family religious secrets on page 4, this might've been interesting. It has the feel of having been written under a deadline where the author was just typing to get the story out without pausing to explore much.
Good for a quick beach read but not much else.
For whatever reason (I didn't do my research, that's the reason), I did not realize how short and young this book reads, though if I had picked this up fifteen years ago I would have loved it. Estrella is a good character - she's not great. I wish there had been just a bit more 'magic', a bit more history, maybe even a bit more about the main character's father.