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A review by chaptersofmads
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
slow-paced
4.0
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Immersive and magical, this was a delightful book - albeit suffering from a slow start.
It took me a bit to find my rhythm with the story, but once I did, I found that I didn't want to put it down. It was unique and yet familiar at once, in a way that reminded me of watching VHS on the floor of my bedroom in the dark as a child. Which is such a highly specific memory and yet there it is. Despite the fact that I knew exactly how the story was going to unfold from the beginning, it didn't feel predictable; rather, I felt excited to guess things (and satisfied when I was correct.)
I did - however - struggle with certain characterization a bit. It felt very... inconsistent. And while I understand the deeper implications from some characters, it sometimes felt like they couldn't decide what they wanted to be. Maybe I wish they had been fleshed out a bit more or that they had been more present in the book, such as Tío Ricardo.
As for the comparison to the Mummy, I have actually never seen the films (an absolute oversight on my part, I'm aware) but I could definitely feel a similarity to the little I know about the film series and the book (specifically that one scene everyone shares where Brendan Fraser tosses the woman over his shoulder.)
Overall, as I said, this was delightful and the cliffhanger! I already need book two, which is unfortunate since book 1 isn't even out yet. I'm so grateful I got the chance to read this as an ARC and it's definitely going to be one I recommend.
Immersive and magical, this was a delightful book - albeit suffering from a slow start.
It took me a bit to find my rhythm with the story, but once I did, I found that I didn't want to put it down. It was unique and yet familiar at once, in a way that reminded me of watching VHS on the floor of my bedroom in the dark as a child. Which is such a highly specific memory and yet there it is. Despite the fact that I knew exactly how the story was going to unfold from the beginning, it didn't feel predictable; rather, I felt excited to guess things (and satisfied when I was correct.)
I did - however - struggle with certain characterization a bit. It felt very... inconsistent. And while I understand the deeper implications from some characters, it sometimes felt like they couldn't decide what they wanted to be. Maybe I wish they had been fleshed out a bit more or that they had been more present in the book, such as Tío Ricardo.
As for the comparison to the Mummy, I have actually never seen the films (an absolute oversight on my part, I'm aware) but I could definitely feel a similarity to the little I know about the film series and the book (specifically that one scene everyone shares where Brendan Fraser tosses the woman over his shoulder.)
Overall, as I said, this was delightful and the cliffhanger! I already need book two, which is unfortunate since book 1 isn't even out yet. I'm so grateful I got the chance to read this as an ARC and it's definitely going to be one I recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Gun violence, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Sexism and Emotional abuse