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A review by maliha_reads
My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Emilia del Valle is the kind of heroine who kicks down doors, writes under a fake name, and covers civil wars like it’s just another Tuesday. Isabel Allende gives us a whirlwind of historical fiction, feminist rebellion, and romantic tension but sometimes it feels like she’s trying to fit three novels into one corset.
The good? Emilia’s voice is fierce, the prose is lush, and the backdrop of 19th-century Chile is gorgeously chaotic. The bad? The character development occasionally takes a backseat to the plot’s need for speed. It’s giving “girlboss in a war zone” with a side of “wait, what just happened?”
Still, the emotional payoff lands. Emilia’s journey of self-discovery, her complicated family legacy, and her slow-burn romance with Eric Whelan all add depth to the drama. It’s not perfect, but it’s bold and sometimes bold is enough.
The good? Emilia’s voice is fierce, the prose is lush, and the backdrop of 19th-century Chile is gorgeously chaotic. The bad? The character development occasionally takes a backseat to the plot’s need for speed. It’s giving “girlboss in a war zone” with a side of “wait, what just happened?”
Still, the emotional payoff lands. Emilia’s journey of self-discovery, her complicated family legacy, and her slow-burn romance with Eric Whelan all add depth to the drama. It’s not perfect, but it’s bold and sometimes bold is enough.