A review by ashleymg99
Eartheater by Dolores Reyes

dark mysterious tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Read for 2023 Read the World Challenge - Argentina.

This is a story that is so specific to the country and the region, and it was a nice change of settings from what I am used to. It is 100% a tone that I really enjoy (dark, tense, mysterious and a little bit magical/mystical). 

I really appreciated this quote from the translator, Julia Sanches: 

“Something has been lost in this translation. Or rather, it was never there to begin with…there is no English-language equivalent of the hyperlocal variant of Spanish in which Eartheater was originally written.”

It really put into perspective that I would never be able to appreciate the story as-written, and all the rich context that the native language brings to it.  All that being said, I don’t want that to deter you from reading - by all means, the story is great. 

Some of the local expressions and way of speaking are sometimes a bit awkward sounding in English, and the story’s conclusion feels a bit unfinished. Overall, it leaves you with more questions than answers, but that was almost undoubtedly the author’s intent. 
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