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jentidders's review against another edition
5.0
Deservedly longlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize, this short novel which combines magic realism, folklore and flash fiction, is set in 1970s Romania during Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime.
Alina and her husband Liviu are teachers in their twenties, whose marriage begins to deteriorate when Liviu's brother defects and they fall under suspicion and surveillance.
Struggling also with a manipulative mother, accusations from a student, and a menacing Secret Services age, Alina turns to her superstitious and mystical Aunt Theresa for a solution to reduce her problems to a manageable size.
Bottled Goods was completely different from what I expected, and I absolutely LOVED it. It's an inventive, peculiar and absorbing read, that is at once funny and bleak, haunting and memorable.
Alina and her husband Liviu are teachers in their twenties, whose marriage begins to deteriorate when Liviu's brother defects and they fall under suspicion and surveillance.
Struggling also with a manipulative mother, accusations from a student, and a menacing Secret Services age, Alina turns to her superstitious and mystical Aunt Theresa for a solution to reduce her problems to a manageable size.
Bottled Goods was completely different from what I expected, and I absolutely LOVED it. It's an inventive, peculiar and absorbing read, that is at once funny and bleak, haunting and memorable.
caynasharp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
emcorkill_05's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kate_cunningham's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zips777's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emilystartsbooks's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nicnicblue's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
roachymcgee's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Police brutality, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol