Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

8 reviews

tctimlin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Set in an unnamed Latin American country, in contemporary times (written in 1987j) Eva Luna tells her story, from her mother’s start in the jungle, conceived while her servant mother was nursing a strange red-haired gardener back to life.  She makes her own way out of poverty and travels through a world of characters epitomizing the colorful diversity of her nation.  As Eva is narrating her fantastical life story, the novel paints a counterpoint in the biography (told in third person) of German immigrant Rolf, fleeing his own nation’s and father’s cruelty to a small town in Latin America where German immigrants create almost a Disneyfied version of their homeland, with chalets and dogs and candle making.  As their tales intersect, Eva Luna tries to “live my life as I would like it … like a novel.” 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, and War

jinmichae's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I really loved the writing of this book. It made for a very compelling story, and as soon as I was finished, I put several more of the books by the same author on my "to read" list.

The ups and downs of Eva's life, and the way she interacts with the people in her life, are the main focus. And she's such an interesting character in an interesting setting that it was hard to put down: I was always wanting to see what would happen next, and how the plot would resolve.

It's definitely dark in places: much of the story is set against corruption and political takeovers.

But there's a happy ending, which felt almost impossible with the odds placed against the characters, but I was glad for it. I don't need everything to be cold hard reality, and it was set up enough to feel like a satisfying payoff: even if it only exists because of a sometimes unreliable narrator. It's just a story, so why not let Eva tell it how she wants to?

Also, I adore Mimí. Her success and happiness might have been the best part of the whole book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and War

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

bessadams's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Death of parent, and Classism

kalmia31's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Islamophobia and Death of parent

sofipitch's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This was the kind of Allende's work that was a pleasure to return to. There is a trans character who is occasionally get's some out of date language/thinking when they are referred to but I was actually very surprised and pleased by how lovingly created she was. I only mention it bc this may not be the best read during great bouts of gender dysphoria

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Violence

r_zoner's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment

lenaricharz's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Incest, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Dementia

beauvisseau's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

This story is dense. It spans years and years filled with magical adventures, but combined with a slow pace, it was difficult to get through. The writing is stunning and I loved the diverse cast of characters, the look into differing prespectives and lives. I saved many quotes from Eva Luna, but I would suggest reading something fast-paced alongside it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism