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dreadspawn's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death and Alcohol
rebb003's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
sydneynorman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, and Sexual content
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
"Time does not move forward. It circles, spirals, pivots, and repeats. Echoes of another's memories live within us, impelling us around and around, ensuring that the story closes itself, that the pattern resounds, that the picture from up high is a shape infinitely repeating."
REVIEW
[Family sagas can go both ways for me, but I couldn't help but adding The Bullet Swallower after reading the blurb. Western meets magical realism; such an intriguing combination! I've seen this story being compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez... A dangerous comparison, but I think in this case it's justified as it does have that same lyrical prose and magical feel about it all. The magical realism itself isn't too overpowering though, and instead The Bullet Swallower is mainly a mix of a family saga spanning generations, a proper western including your bandit anti-hero and a story about revenge and redemption. The story uses a dual timeline structure, switching between 1895 featuring Antonio Sonoro (El Tragabalas) and 1964 with his grandson Jaime Sonoro. Dual timelines can also go both ways for me, and I did prefer Antonio's POV as it was simply more riveting, but I liked how the two completemented each other. The switches between the timelines were a bit abrupt at times and the pace itself was slower than expected, but as a whole there is no doubt that the story was still able to keep me under its spell until the very end. The writing itself was beautiful, and one to be savoured instead of rushed through in order to fully appreciate it. I know this isn't my usual read, but I'm so glad I gave The Bullet Swallower a chance!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jomicoop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death
judassilver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Suicide and Religious bigotry
autonomous_lass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
gabi_tron's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
crows_in_a_trenchcoat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Alcohol, and Colonisation
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the advance reader copy of The Bullet Swallower in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation