robinheat 's review for:

City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende

2.0

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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This wasn't my cup of tea, but I still want to read more from Allende because this was her first time writing for younger readers. Maybe I shouldn't expect a ton of nuance from a middle grade novel, but this one seemed especially clunky. I was enjoying the first part, the relationship with his grandmother, and some of the humor, but about halfway through it started to get repetitive and obvious. I also think the depictions of the local indigenous people include a lot of stereotypes along the lines of the "noble savage". It's patronizing and ultimately leads to a lot of white savior moments. On the other hand, it does have a good cautionary message about treating the Amazon (and other ecological areas) with respect. Oh, and the English translation is just clunky, awkward, and kinda annoying.