A review by ana_reads
The Bitch by Pilar Quintana

dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This story is really brutal and sad. The writing is quite good, very straightforward and direct which adds a lot to the harshness of all the scenes. Definitely not for animal lovers, the brutality with which the dogs are treated is really abhorent. Even with thematic relevance, it's still hard to read.

I was quite sad for Damaris and Rogelio's relationship, there are little moments were you can see glimmers of a happier relationship for them and it's sad that it's never realized. Watching Damaris succum to jealously and saddness and the butter grief of her infertiy was also quite hard. She goes from being somewhat sympathetic to just. definitely not that so quickly it's almost startling.


Overall, despite the good writing, the story left me feeling mostly empty. That was probably the point, to just explore the violence and harshness of life in Damaris' town, but it was unsatifying. Maybe with a more definitive ending, there could be a bit more closure that could maybe make it a more satisfying story. It felt like something more should happen at the end if the book and without that final confrontation, the harshness of the rest of the novel was just sad and nothing else. 
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