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A review by aksmith92
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What a ride! We have a little bit mystery, a little bit historical fiction, a little bit horror, and a little bit of a love story, with a dash of gothic vibes and scenery.
I honestly had a blast with this book. The main story is told from two perspectives: Beatriz and Andrés. Beatriz recently married Rodolfo Solorzano, mostly to get out of a tough situation after her father died. She moves with Rodolfo to Hacienda San Isidro, where things are just not as they seem. Andrés is a local priest who is much more than what he seems and begins to help Beatriz with the house that seems to whisper names, and that terrorizes Beatriz nightly.
There is a lot going on in this book, but I think Isabel Cañas did a fantastic job of integrating a lot of subplot points together. While the pacing is interesting - we have some chapters that date back a couple of years to help paint a picture for the reader - I enjoyed the overall concept.
I will say that some of this was somewhat predictable (but not entirely), and the main characters of Beatriz and Andrés didn't seem all that different development-wise except for their current professions. However, this novel was so interesting, and I really, really liked it. I especially loved the exploration of socio-economic factors in mid-1800s Mexico that were woven into this book quite nicely. It was also a bit scary at times! I really felt like I was in the hacienda, which gave me some goosebumps. All around, I thought it was a fantastic story, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Cañas.
I honestly had a blast with this book. The main story is told from two perspectives: Beatriz and Andrés. Beatriz recently married Rodolfo Solorzano, mostly to get out of a tough situation after her father died. She moves with Rodolfo to Hacienda San Isidro, where things are just not as they seem. Andrés is a local priest who is much more than what he seems and begins to help Beatriz with the house that seems to whisper names, and that terrorizes Beatriz nightly.
There is a lot going on in this book, but I think Isabel Cañas did a fantastic job of integrating a lot of subplot points together. While the pacing is interesting - we have some chapters that date back a couple of years to help paint a picture for the reader - I enjoyed the overall concept.
I will say that some of this was somewhat predictable (but not entirely), and the main characters of Beatriz and Andrés didn't seem all that different development-wise except for their current professions. However, this novel was so interesting, and I really, really liked it. I especially loved the exploration of socio-economic factors in mid-1800s Mexico that were woven into this book quite nicely. It was also a bit scary at times! I really felt like I was in the hacienda, which gave me some goosebumps. All around, I thought it was a fantastic story, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Cañas.