thelibrarymouse_64's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book because of the way it was narrated by a child, and how many of her passions are like my own. I loved the simple style of writing which made everything much easier to understand. The way Celest describes her life, her feelings, and the people around her is splendid. In the past I have read many books about the Nazi. I really enjoyed reading about what different people felt. I never really thought about the war in Chile even though I new it existed. However I adored this book, and wish to read more about this dictatorship.
smphillips's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
At the beginning of the novel, eleven-year-old Celeste Marconi’s country of Chile is thrown into turmoil after the overthrowing and murder of President Alarcón. With the military taking control of the government, fear spreads throughout the people of Child as former supporters of Alarcón begin disappearing. Once Celeste’s parents are forced to go into hiding, Celeste is shipped off to the United States, to live in Maine with her Tía Graciela. I Lived on Butterfly Hill tells the story of Celeste’s two-year-long journey from Chile to the northern climate of Maine and back again to Chile as she seeks to find peace, safety, and happiness, as she seeks to reunite her family and friends after order is restored in Chile.
On the inside flap of the book, the publishers note that this book is best for readers ages 10-14 years old. Given the short chapters and beautiful illustrations done by Lee White, I would agree with the age recommendation given by the publishers. On a quantitative scale, I Lived on Butterfly Hill was given a Lexile score of 770L meaning that it would be best for students in grades 2-5. When it comes to text complexity, I would argue that the structure and meaning of the story are easy to understand, given the chronological order with very few flashbacks, and very surface-level meanings throughout the story. However, given the measures of complexity based on language conventionally and clarity and the knowledge on demand, I would say that this book is a little more demanding than other books in the same age range because of the use of the Spanish language strewn throughout the novel-- sometimes with translations and others without and the need for a surface level background of Chile and it’s political history. When considering our readers, I think this would be best for early middle schoolers who may still be developing their reading skills because of the shorter chapters and helpful illustrations; however, I would be careful to give this book to late elementary students because of the length of the text-- 464 pages-- might be daunting, especially as an independent read.
I picked up this book partially because I have never read any books set in Chile or that incorporate Chilean politics into the plot line, and also partially because I loved Lee White’s illustrations that are peppered throughout the book. I found the pacing of the novel quick to get into; however, in the last one hundred pages of the novel, I felt like I was being dragged through plot points that could have been condensed. I enjoyed Marjorie Agosín’s writing and found it to be poetic at times but very ‘on the nose’ at others. As a future teacher, I think this would be a good choice for a read-aloud in a 5th or 6th-grade classroom-- albeit a bit long, and a good option to have for readers in my classroom library. I probably won’t read this book again because I enjoy working for the meaning and themes within a novel instead of being directly given them.
xxselenaj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I was rooting to love this book, since I’m not that knowledge about the dictatorship that occurred in Chile. I wanted to challenge myself to learn more. However, I was never hooked and at times I wish I had the physical book as I felt this book just seemed never-ending! I loved the narration, esp with giving a voice to the words that would’ve been hard for me to say on my own. But there were many times I wished that it would go faster. The prose is beautiful and Kyla Garcia really brought the characters to life and musically delivered the authors words, and yet I couldn’t seem to get into it more. There were also times when things seemed to happen that was almost fantastical ? In a way that I wouldn’t consider this to be a historical fiction, and I gravitated to this for that reason.
Celeste is a wonderful character and she reminds me a lot of the protagonist in Kelly Yangs Front Desk series. There are a lot of similarities — both young immigrant girls, both dreamers who want to be writers, both who find acceptance and courage in the face of adversary.
With that in mind I was rooting for this book but it never quite caught my attention. It took me quite some time to finish reading. I am grateful for what I learned but I think the experience would’ve been different had I had a physical copy
Celeste is a wonderful character and she reminds me a lot of the protagonist in Kelly Yangs Front Desk series. There are a lot of similarities — both young immigrant girls, both dreamers who want to be writers, both who find acceptance and courage in the face of adversary.
With that in mind I was rooting for this book but it never quite caught my attention. It took me quite some time to finish reading. I am grateful for what I learned but I think the experience would’ve been different had I had a physical copy
misspentdays's review against another edition
5.0
Young adult, historical fiction,1970s, Chile
While the “disappearances” are addressed in language suitable for middle school readers, this was an excellent read as an adult. Pair it with THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS and you may either never leave the house again (because crying a river makes you tired) or immediately book a trip to Chile. (Side note: "The Dictator" in this book only lasts a handful of years, rather than the 17 Pinochet actually lasted.)
Beautiful language and thoughtful discussion of what it means to be an exile. Several passages reminded me of statements by an ex-pat friend and really brought home that feeling of always missing home- because you truly have more than one.
While the book may be a bit long for many middle schoolers, there are some parts that would work really as excerpts.
While the “disappearances” are addressed in language suitable for middle school readers, this was an excellent read as an adult. Pair it with THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS and you may either never leave the house again (because crying a river makes you tired) or immediately book a trip to Chile. (Side note: "The Dictator" in this book only lasts a handful of years, rather than the 17 Pinochet actually lasted.)
Beautiful language and thoughtful discussion of what it means to be an exile. Several passages reminded me of statements by an ex-pat friend and really brought home that feeling of always missing home- because you truly have more than one.
While the book may be a bit long for many middle schoolers, there are some parts that would work really as excerpts.
phenixsnow's review against another edition
3.0
mixed feelings. 2.5 stars. It does cover a 3 year period but it felt like it dragged on forever. I absolutely never would have finished this if i wasn't listening to the audio version. It seemed more like a book a teacher would require students to read than something a kid would choose on their own for fun.
Not sure when this takes place, but a dictator takes over Chile and then 11 year old Celeste and her family and friend have to figure out how to stay alive, some going into hiding others are made to disappear. It starts off happy, but the whole thing is tinged with sadness because its such a serious topic. Most of the book is fairly realistic but there is magical realism throughout like communicating with birds and the sea and magical pendants.
Not sure when this takes place, but a dictator takes over Chile and then 11 year old Celeste and her family and friend have to figure out how to stay alive, some going into hiding others are made to disappear. It starts off happy, but the whole thing is tinged with sadness because its such a serious topic. Most of the book is fairly realistic but there is magical realism throughout like communicating with birds and the sea and magical pendants.
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
This book about life in Valparaiso, Chile before, during and after the military coup is written for 10-14 year olds. This is tricky ground. How can an author portray violent events in a measured way. The author fictionalizes events to an extent that the book is not historical fiction. The president of Chile who dies at the beginning of the coup is renamed, and the General behind the coup is referred to as the Dictator. The main character, Celeste, is 11 years old, and live on top of one of Valparaiso's many hills with her parents, who are doctors, her grandmother, an Austrian Jewish World War II refugee, and her nanny housekeeper, a Mapuche Indian. As the coup progresses, Celeste is sent to Maine to live with her aunt and her parents go into hiding. In this novel, the timeline of historical events is greatly shortened and altered. There is a bit of magical realism thrown in at the end, but perhaps even Celeste's escape to Maine is magical realism. How does an 11-year-old girl fly to the United States during a coup, gain entrance to the country and attend school with an aunt her supports herself as a tarot card reader? Her stay in Maine does provide readers an opportunity to consider the lives of refugee children. Celeste befriends a brother and sister from Korea in her school, also refugees, it seems (though unexplained).
What I appreciated the most were the details of life in Valparaiso, Chilean culture, and constant references to one of my favorite poets Pablo Neruda. Agosín and her family moved to the US just before the Chilean coup. Like Celeste, her family is Jewish. I imagine she chose Valparaiso as a setting because the port was the staging ground for Naval battleships, and because Valparaiso is a beautiful city, and a Unesco World Heritage site.
What I appreciated the most were the details of life in Valparaiso, Chilean culture, and constant references to one of my favorite poets Pablo Neruda. Agosín and her family moved to the US just before the Chilean coup. Like Celeste, her family is Jewish. I imagine she chose Valparaiso as a setting because the port was the staging ground for Naval battleships, and because Valparaiso is a beautiful city, and a Unesco World Heritage site.
clapoz's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a little while to start the book. I read and reread the first two pages several times, and for some reason, I didn’t get hooked. However, one day I decided it was time to keep on reading and I couldn’t put the book down.
The narrative is beautiful and pleasant, (I want to say “light like a butterfly”), even when she was describing the horrors thet people lived during the dictatorship. It was a bit hard for me to read because it reminded me a lot of what I lived before coming here, what my family are still living… Also, because I know what happened in Chile for real during those years, how there are people who went missing and no one ever knew what happened to them, ever. Furthermore, her descriptions of living abroad, the nostalgia both the narrator, her aunt and her grandmother felt is a feeling I understand perfectly, even if I have lived here only for 10 months or so. I saw my sister on the Tía Graciela character. My sister has lived abroad for about 15 years and misses a country that does not exist anymore (that is true nostalgia!).
The descriptions of Valparaíso and Chile are truly wonderful, even if I have never been there I could imagine the streets, the harbor, the people. The whole book reminded me of how different but at the same time, how much we Latin americans have in common.
I really liked the book, because she showed how hard being an exile can be, even if she changed the names of the politicians, and made Pinochet’s dictatorship last only 2 or 3 years instead of 16. For young readers, it is the perfect introduction to the beautiful but complicated society that is Latin America. I also enjoyed how the translator left many words and phrases in Spanish, which is something I normally don’t like, but in this case, I felt kept the essence of the narrator, her identity wouldn’t have been right if Spanish had been left out of the story.
To be honest, I thought the protagonist was going to live more tragic experiences, and I am glad I was wrong.
The narrative is beautiful and pleasant, (I want to say “light like a butterfly”), even when she was describing the horrors thet people lived during the dictatorship. It was a bit hard for me to read because it reminded me a lot of what I lived before coming here, what my family are still living… Also, because I know what happened in Chile for real during those years, how there are people who went missing and no one ever knew what happened to them, ever. Furthermore, her descriptions of living abroad, the nostalgia both the narrator, her aunt and her grandmother felt is a feeling I understand perfectly, even if I have lived here only for 10 months or so. I saw my sister on the Tía Graciela character. My sister has lived abroad for about 15 years and misses a country that does not exist anymore (that is true nostalgia!).
The descriptions of Valparaíso and Chile are truly wonderful, even if I have never been there I could imagine the streets, the harbor, the people. The whole book reminded me of how different but at the same time, how much we Latin americans have in common.
I really liked the book, because she showed how hard being an exile can be, even if she changed the names of the politicians, and made Pinochet’s dictatorship last only 2 or 3 years instead of 16. For young readers, it is the perfect introduction to the beautiful but complicated society that is Latin America. I also enjoyed how the translator left many words and phrases in Spanish, which is something I normally don’t like, but in this case, I felt kept the essence of the narrator, her identity wouldn’t have been right if Spanish had been left out of the story.
To be honest, I thought the protagonist was going to live more tragic experiences, and I am glad I was wrong.
prachidayal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? No
4.25
- Long read (12+ hours)
- The last part seemed overly fantastical and rushed, it was honestly painful to read.
- I loved this book. The imagery was refreshing and made for reading. I loved how the main character described every sunset and every flower, and how she behaved like a real character. I loved all the culture and growth. This book holds a special place in my heart.
mslibrarynerd's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully written story of a young girl whose parents must go into hiding when a dictator takes over the government of Chile. Soon after she is sent to live with her Tia in Maine. The 1st part of this book was gripping and hard, but it lost me in the middle, with what felt more like a traditional middle school narrative. I think it is to be recommended, though daunting at 450 pages.