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A review by lit_laugh_luv
Space Invaders by Nona Fernández
4.0
Space Invaders invokes dreams to portray childhood trauma and the loss of innocence. The book chronicles the overlapping dreams of a group of friends as they reflect on their childhood under Pinochet's regime. In particular, they're captivated by their enigmatic friend Estrella; she represents so much of their childhood bliss and ignorance from the political upheaval around them. Despite their inability to even agree on her physical characteristics, they are unable to forget her and her sudden disappearance. Ultimately, she is a common symbol of their bygone innocence.
This reads much more like a short story than a true novella (there's a ton of whitespace and page breaks), but is still an excellent read nonetheless. It tackles how children are often used as pawns within politics and become collateral damage for the actions of those around them. As the children reflect on their childhood, they realize the world they are destined to inherit is wholly unjust yet they feel helpless to make any impact.
While this is specific to the events in Chile in the 1980s, it is a straightforward read that you would appreciate even without historical context. It's a super quick book and explores authoritarian regimes and corruption from a lens you don't see as often. Highly recommend!
This reads much more like a short story than a true novella (there's a ton of whitespace and page breaks), but is still an excellent read nonetheless. It tackles how children are often used as pawns within politics and become collateral damage for the actions of those around them. As the children reflect on their childhood, they realize the world they are destined to inherit is wholly unjust yet they feel helpless to make any impact.
While this is specific to the events in Chile in the 1980s, it is a straightforward read that you would appreciate even without historical context. It's a super quick book and explores authoritarian regimes and corruption from a lens you don't see as often. Highly recommend!