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auroralovesbooks 's review for:
Beasts of Carnaval
by Rosália Rodrigo
adventurous
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I honestly don't even know where to start with this book. It was phenomenal.
Sofía decides to travel Isla Bestia with her friend, and former owner, Adelina. Now that Sofía is a freedwoman, she wants to find her missing brother. It has been 5 years since he disappeared on the island. Isla Bestia is known for Carnaval, where rich folks get lost in the wine, music, ambiance, and revelry. Upon arrival, Sofía and Adelina explore the island and start to get pulled into its allure surrounded by the rich folk who would have once been her enslavers. As the time goes by Sofía starts to hear whisperings in her native tongue and realizing there is something else happening in the island.
You get this almost fever-dream like experience as the reader going through the experience and observations of Sofía. The writing is so immersive, you can almost picture the island. There is an exploration that takes place as Sofía reminds herself of the reason she traveled to the island. On the search for her brother, she finds other things are lurking in the dark. Sofía is forced to face her experiences, feelings, and dream of the future while fighting the allure of Carnaval.
There themes around colonialism were interweaved into this book so well. I felt all of the emotions. The way Rosália expressed the hurt and anger towards colonizers and all the hurt they caused was so relatable. While I loved all the magical realism, I will say that the conversation around what the Taíno people faced was my favorite part of the book. The feelings and conversations were put together exceptionally.
The audiobook was also fantastic. The narrator was a great choice and I really enjoyed listening and reading the ebook.
Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Harlequin Audio for the eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are completely my own.
Sofía decides to travel Isla Bestia with her friend, and former owner, Adelina. Now that Sofía is a freedwoman, she wants to find her missing brother. It has been 5 years since he disappeared on the island. Isla Bestia is known for Carnaval, where rich folks get lost in the wine, music, ambiance, and revelry. Upon arrival, Sofía and Adelina explore the island and start to get pulled into its allure surrounded by the rich folk who would have once been her enslavers. As the time goes by Sofía starts to hear whisperings in her native tongue and realizing there is something else happening in the island.
You get this almost fever-dream like experience as the reader going through the experience and observations of Sofía. The writing is so immersive, you can almost picture the island. There is an exploration that takes place as Sofía reminds herself of the reason she traveled to the island. On the search for her brother, she finds other things are lurking in the dark. Sofía is forced to face her experiences, feelings, and dream of the future while fighting the allure of Carnaval.
There themes around colonialism were interweaved into this book so well. I felt all of the emotions. The way Rosália expressed the hurt and anger towards colonizers and all the hurt they caused was so relatable. While I loved all the magical realism, I will say that the conversation around what the Taíno people faced was my favorite part of the book. The feelings and conversations were put together exceptionally.
The audiobook was also fantastic. The narrator was a great choice and I really enjoyed listening and reading the ebook.
Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Harlequin Audio for the eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are completely my own.