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A review by amy_joy
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
3.25
There is just something with books about books that I cannot resist! Additionally, the title and cover are so intriguing that I had very high hopes for this book.
The main character, Alma, is an accomplished author who decides she is ready to stop writing. She has so many stories that she began but didn't finish. How can she put these untold stories to rest but give them the honor they deserve? A cemetery.
The book flows between different character narratives with their own "untold" stories which weave together with Alma's buried storylines.
It took me a while to get in to this book. In the beginning, I couldn't figure out the purpose of Alma's author friend - a writer who worked so hard to finish a book that it impacted her mental health. I had some trouble keeping track of the two writers and figuring out which was which as Alma's author friend is unnamed (I think; I hope I'm not misremembering and there was a name given!). Regardless, the storyline felt unimportant and somewhat boring at the time. Now I understand that this provides the foundation for Alma's decision to create a cemetery for her stories - but it felt choppy and random.
Once the book moved into other characters, and the cemetery was finally built - I became invested and finished the book quickly.
There were many Spanish phrases throughout the book that weren't translated that I wish would have been. Most of the time, context clues were enough to get the gist, but I felt frustrated when I couldn't read the exact text.
After finishing the book, I thought a lot about my own "untold" stories and those of my parents, grandparents, etc. In my opinion, a great book keeps you thinking long after you've read it - and this was the case for me. However, when I look back, I don't know how much I actually enjoyed reading this book. I had some difficulty keeping track of storylines and characters. I also felt that some characters weren't explored enough to justify their actions.
I also feel that it wouldn't be a bad idea to review the trigger warnings for this book prior to reading. There was one violent scene that I was completely shocked and unprepared for.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.
The main character, Alma, is an accomplished author who decides she is ready to stop writing. She has so many stories that she began but didn't finish. How can she put these untold stories to rest but give them the honor they deserve? A cemetery.
The book flows between different character narratives with their own "untold" stories which weave together with Alma's buried storylines.
It took me a while to get in to this book. In the beginning, I couldn't figure out the purpose of Alma's author friend - a writer who worked so hard to finish a book that it impacted her mental health. I had some trouble keeping track of the two writers and figuring out which was which as Alma's author friend is unnamed (I think; I hope I'm not misremembering and there was a name given!). Regardless, the storyline felt unimportant and somewhat boring at the time. Now I understand that this provides the foundation for Alma's decision to create a cemetery for her stories - but it felt choppy and random.
Once the book moved into other characters, and the cemetery was finally built - I became invested and finished the book quickly.
There were many Spanish phrases throughout the book that weren't translated that I wish would have been. Most of the time, context clues were enough to get the gist, but I felt frustrated when I couldn't read the exact text.
After finishing the book, I thought a lot about my own "untold" stories and those of my parents, grandparents, etc. In my opinion, a great book keeps you thinking long after you've read it - and this was the case for me. However, when I look back, I don't know how much I actually enjoyed reading this book. I had some difficulty keeping track of storylines and characters. I also felt that some characters weren't explored enough to justify their actions.
I also feel that it wouldn't be a bad idea to review the trigger warnings for this book prior to reading. There was one violent scene that I was completely shocked and unprepared for.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder