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A review by sierra_color
The Wind That Lays Waste by Selva Almada
5.0
This was a really quick read, I read it within a few hours.
The story is very.. it’s not too slow, nor too fast, and I quite like that. While reading, I compared it a lot to The witch of Portobello, by Paulo Coelho. Both share religious themes (but in this book they’re more subdued, which I like) and have main characters who take a mythical sort of aura.
There isn’t much I have wrong with it, but I wish that the daughter, Leni, would have bonded with the Gringo more in the book. I thought that would have been an interesting sort of conflict and a great foil to the relationship the father and Tapioca develop. Other than that, I have no problems! The writing is wonderful, well done, and knows when to be descriptive and use figurative language, but also knows when it’s time to just lay out the emotions on the table.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes books such as Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, since these books both dive into the lives of other people, and use similar writing techniques, shifting narratives and diving into people’s thoughts.
That’s all I have to say about it really! It’s a great book, kept me captivated (couldn’t put it down for less than thirty seconds, honestly) and was well written. It felt like I was a mere guest in these peoples lives! And I honestly wanted to know more, I only wish there had been more time with Leni! She was such an interesting character and didn’t get enough time with me, which is unfortunate. It would’ve been nice if Almada could have dived into her skeptical nature and how that was because of her childhood with her father. Other than that, it’s a wonderful, light read with some great writing! Definitely give it a go! It’s wonderful to see some Latina authors! And if you’re looking for a great book by a Latina, I’d recommend this one!
The story is very.. it’s not too slow, nor too fast, and I quite like that. While reading, I compared it a lot to The witch of Portobello, by Paulo Coelho. Both share religious themes (but in this book they’re more subdued, which I like) and have main characters who take a mythical sort of aura.
There isn’t much I have wrong with it, but I wish that the daughter, Leni, would have bonded with the Gringo more in the book. I thought that would have been an interesting sort of conflict and a great foil to the relationship the father and Tapioca develop. Other than that, I have no problems! The writing is wonderful, well done, and knows when to be descriptive and use figurative language, but also knows when it’s time to just lay out the emotions on the table.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes books such as Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, since these books both dive into the lives of other people, and use similar writing techniques, shifting narratives and diving into people’s thoughts.
That’s all I have to say about it really! It’s a great book, kept me captivated (couldn’t put it down for less than thirty seconds, honestly) and was well written. It felt like I was a mere guest in these peoples lives! And I honestly wanted to know more, I only wish there had been more time with Leni! She was such an interesting character and didn’t get enough time with me, which is unfortunate. It would’ve been nice if Almada could have dived into her skeptical nature and how that was because of her childhood with her father. Other than that, it’s a wonderful, light read with some great writing! Definitely give it a go! It’s wonderful to see some Latina authors! And if you’re looking for a great book by a Latina, I’d recommend this one!