rosa_inverno's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
5.0
This book left me breathless. I lost count of the number of times I said to my roommate, "I hate this book. It's just so good. I will never write anything even approaching this good."
I try to avoid a lot of historical fiction books set during WWII. I find that they are often overly romanticized depictions of how people would like to believe they would have acted if lived then. This story on the other hand, seems to be more of a portrayal of people just trying to survive and in that way it naturally becomes more realistically human than any other historical fiction I've read recently. I'm not sure that makes sense, but read it, you'll understand what I mean.
If that's not reason enough, read it for the pov shifts between characters and time that flow like water. It's rule breaking to be sure, but it's done in such a way that you'll say to yourself "rules are made to be broken." I know the literary rules that run over my own manuscripts in red pen: only one pov per section, it can be a memory or a flashback but it can't be both, etc. But this book breaks all those rules, and the way it's written...it's too good. Honestly.
I try to avoid a lot of historical fiction books set during WWII. I find that they are often overly romanticized depictions of how people would like to believe they would have acted if lived then. This story on the other hand, seems to be more of a portrayal of people just trying to survive and in that way it naturally becomes more realistically human than any other historical fiction I've read recently. I'm not sure that makes sense, but read it, you'll understand what I mean.
If that's not reason enough, read it for the pov shifts between characters and time that flow like water. It's rule breaking to be sure, but it's done in such a way that you'll say to yourself "rules are made to be broken." I know the literary rules that run over my own manuscripts in red pen: only one pov per section, it can be a memory or a flashback but it can't be both, etc. But this book breaks all those rules, and the way it's written...it's too good. Honestly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Death
Moderate: War
Minor: Suicide and Homophobia
laura_is_fae's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.75
This was so much more than just Maria's story. This was a story of people struggling to find their way during the turbulent time that was WWII. This was a story of immigrants seeking safety and freedom only to find cages in new shapes, and a story of the film industry interacting with this time and these people. This book was heartfelt, and I felt like I saw the stories and struggles of so many characters, while still maintaining Maria as a starting point and circling back to her as a main character. It was funny and beautiful, despite be so far out of my reading comfort zone.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War, Infidelity, Racism, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
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