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charleys_bookshelf's Reviews (252)

Mad Honey

Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

DID NOT FINISH

Did not like the the merging timelines

The C*ck Down the Block

Amy Award

3.5

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

On the Plus Side

Jenny L. Howe

4.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

Sarah Hawley

4.0

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Next to You

Hannah Bonam-Young

4.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

End Game

Yasmine Hayes

2.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Volcano Daughters

Gina María Balibrera

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The Volcano Daughters by Gina María Balibrera is a beautifully written magical realism book that are set in the past. This book is set in El Salvador in 1923. Graciela and Consuelo are sisters and are the main characters of the book.

Graciela grew up on the side of a volcano in a community of Indigenous women indentured to coffee plantations, that is until the president capital claimed she was the new oracle and needed to be in the capital alongside him. This is where she meets her older sister Consuelo, who was taken as a baby by their father (the previous oracle).

I will say that his book may not be for me; it is outside my normal genes, but it sounded so good that I couldn't resist. However, I was confused for a good bit of the book. It has a unique narration perspective woven into the character's story they are telling, which I really liked. It took me a few chapters to understand who the main characters were and what the story was about, so that may be where most of my confusion lay. This book has such vivid imagery and beautiful descriptions of the world in which it takes place. It is based on both new ideas and El Salvadoran mythology. Gina María Balibrera truly has a way with words. Even when I was confused as to what was going on, I was compelled to continue reading and listening to this book. I would highly recommend giving this book a read or listen.