Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Violeta by Isabel Allende

17 reviews

sholtie's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.0

Your grandma sits you down and tells you about every beef shes ever had and every man she ever slept with

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, and Domestic abuse

eveningreverie's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective 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

Expansive and thematically strong, though there are certain aspects to the frame that—at least for me—make some of Violeta’s inclusions a bit confusingly placed. I’m not saying we don’t need to hear

about her getting some good good

, but does her grandson? The choice to leave the country of residence unnamed was strong. 

Will update review after book club discussion.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, and War

fireinherveinzz's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Violeta was very unlikable to me but she was relatable . Also just wow . This really reminds of wild swans but instead of a 3 generation story it’s just hers . 
Everything from the depression , to genocide, to domestic and financial abuse to addiction . And learning how to really live again at a mature age. Just wow.

if would’ve been interesting to see her grandsons reaction to reading this letter .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

jnorwood's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Colonisation

jamieclower's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kwahl's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This was my book club's choice for March.  I love historical fiction, and this didn't disappoint.  I was also happy to read another Allende book that held my interest.  After reading The Long Petal of the Sea, I wasn't too sure about the author's work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jennazim's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Torture, Death of parent, and Murder

beyreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

3.0

There’s a time to live and a time to die. In between there’s time to remember.

All I can think about is, it must be tiring to live that long.

I would recommend this book to hisfic enjoyers because in no way it is bad, but I can’t say I actually enjoyed reading this. I suspect it was because it is written in first person, but it can also be the writing.

I was not looking forward to what will happen next in the story because I am… afraid??? An understatement. Terrified??? Of what things will a character do to escalate the story because boy, do they escalated quickly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, and Police brutality

sofipitch's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This book holds a lot of similarities to The House of the Spirits, and a lot of Allende's other books tbh. She doesn't name the country the MC is in but it is very clearly Chile, so we get the history of Childe in the 20th century from a european descendended once wealthy family. The book even suggests that Violeta is related to the family from Allende's first book. But the characters aren't well developed, the story isn't as interesting, it's overall a mediocre book from an author who I know has written better and more interesting works. Additionally while I could tolerate the occasional socially unconcious phrase or word or sentiment in her older works, in a book published in 2022 I feel like Allende should know better, or that at least her editor or publisher would have said something, since Allende is considered to be liberal and willing to learn/update her beliefs (Although maybe not, I read the synopsis of Ines of my soul and went 😬 and put it back)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, and War