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ericj32's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.75
This novel opens with the mystery of Elena’s daughter’s suspicious death - she’s found hanging in the belfry of the local church. The death is ruled a suicide by the police, but that doesn’t make any sense to Elena, so she’s determined to figure out what really happened. The chapters alternate between Elena’s current search for answers and flashbacks that provide context. The whole narrative encompasses just one day, following Elena’s excruciatingly slow journey via multiple modes of transportation to ask an old acquaintance for assistance in investigating her daughter’s death. The identity of this acquaintance and Elena’s connection to her is kept a secret from the reader until the end of the novel, when Elena finally arrives on her doorstep. The ending is somewhat surprising and emotionally heavy. In some ways, it seemed to introduce new themes that didn’t feel very connected to the rest of the narrative. But overall, the story was engaging and the characters felt frustratingly lifelike in their flaws and contradictions. It also gives you an intimate insight into the experiences of living with Parkinson’s disease and also the rationale of why a woman may want and need access to abortion services.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Excrement
hmmitsvenus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've never really read a book quite like this one before.
First of all, Elena Knows is a story about a grieving mother searching for answers. After Elena, an elderly widow suffering from Parkinson's disease is told that her daughter Rita has committed suicide, she knows that can't be true, that Rita must have been murdered, and sets out on a trip to call in a twenty year old debt to help her in her investigation.
While the synopsis reads like a crime story, let me assure you that this is anything but. This book's central themes of mother-daughter relationships, religious doctrine, bodily autonomy, and most notably abortion, paired with this story's setting and unique perspective come together to create a haunting and interesting atmosphere. There is just something so deeply tragic hanging over every page and every scene of this book like a dark cloud - right up until the very end, the climax and resolution, where everything (which is to say, Elena) changes.
There is not a single good person in this book. Rita is especially wretched to everyone around her, although when you take into account her circumstances by the end of the book, it's understandable. Notably, the plot revolves around three women - Elena, our heroine with her failing body, Rita, Elena's uptight and snappy daughter and caregiver, and Isabel, who owes Elena and Rita a debt. Or at least Elena thinks she does. It's hard to get into it without venturing into spoiler territory, but I loved how this book wove in its central themes, especially of bodily autonomy, alongside the narrative. None of these women's bodies are theirs, their bodies do not belong to them. The main course of events is spread out over one day, but we jump back and forth through time to see Elena and Rita's strained relationship and the events that led up to that fateful day, and the writing handles this shift impeccably.
Speaking of the writing - the writing was what truly held up this entire book. Paragraph breaks are practically nonexistent, and we get pages and pages of text block before a new paragraph begins, but even so, the writing feels fluid and natural. It would be incredibly hard for most writers to pull this off well, but Piñeiro is clearly a master at her craft.
A short but wonderful read.
First of all, Elena Knows is a story about a grieving mother searching for answers. After Elena, an elderly widow suffering from Parkinson's disease is told that her daughter Rita has committed suicide, she knows that can't be true, that Rita must have been murdered, and sets out on a trip to call in a twenty year old debt to help her in her investigation.
While the synopsis reads like a crime story, let me assure you that this is anything but. This book's central themes of mother-daughter relationships, religious doctrine, bodily autonomy, and most notably abortion, paired with this story's setting and unique perspective come together to create a haunting and interesting atmosphere. There is just something so deeply tragic hanging over every page and every scene of this book like a dark cloud - right up until the very end, the climax and resolution, where everything (which is to say, Elena) changes.
There is not a single good person in this book. Rita is especially wretched to everyone around her, although when you take into account her circumstances by the end of the book, it's understandable. Notably, the plot revolves around three women - Elena, our heroine with her failing body, Rita, Elena's uptight and snappy daughter and caregiver, and Isabel, who owes Elena and Rita a debt. Or at least Elena thinks she does. It's hard to get into it without venturing into spoiler territory, but I loved how this book wove in its central themes, especially of bodily autonomy, alongside the narrative. None of these women's bodies are theirs, their bodies do not belong to them. The main course of events is spread out over one day, but we jump back and forth through time to see Elena and Rita's strained relationship and the events that led up to that fateful day, and the writing handles this shift impeccably.
Speaking of the writing - the writing was what truly held up this entire book. Paragraph breaks are practically nonexistent, and we get pages and pages of text block before a new paragraph begins, but even so, the writing feels fluid and natural. It would be incredibly hard for most writers to pull this off well, but Piñeiro is clearly a master at her craft.
A short but wonderful read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Pregnancy
klabardee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, and Abortion
Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Vomit, Dementia, and Murder
Ageismdjbobthegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Medical content
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
ajdenson's review against another edition
I can tell this is going to be way to sad for me. DNF at 26%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Medical content, and Medical trauma
ccerpa's review against another edition
4.25
very interesting, but very heavy (though short) reflection on the challenges and lack of support that caregivers of people (old & young) with chronic illness and children. when the big parallel was drawn at the end, I had to sit with it for a while, it was rough!! but so good!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy
jesselopod's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I don’t think I have ever read anything like this. Very complex characters, an unlikely protagonist for a crime novel both in age and physical state, and ultimately an incredible commentary on bodily autonomy, societal expectations and motherhood, but the less spoken about aspects of motherhood beyond the rose-tinted version we’re comfortable with. The writing style really helped the story match the struggles of the protagonist, but without the standard disability tropes and inspiration porn, she was tenacious and determined, hard and unlikeable, but with some cutting moments of vulnerability.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Moderate: Infertility, Rape, Suicide, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism
ohlittleowl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Medical content
Moderate: Abortion
mylastbraincell's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Rape, Suicide, Excrement, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, Vomit, Abortion, and Pregnancy
frozenheartv's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
4.75 stars
I'm so emotional now after reading that i don't know where to start...
The first 40 pages were very slow. Throughout the book, the author dropped hints and clues here and there for us to guess. This is more of a descriptive and slow-built book rather than a thriller. I started thinking that this is a crime, mystery, thriller novella but i was wrong. This is more of a mysterious, deeply-meaningful book that makes us think, analyze and wreck us from inside out.
I give 4.75 stars because it's a bit annoying to read dialogues that are all on the same lines. There's no new line for each of the character's speeches and it's hard to follow for me. Other than that, this is a short but very powerful novella about the complexity of human psychology, complicated mother-daughter relationship, different perceptions onabortion , caregiving, individual freedom... Reading this makes me think and not sure what is right and wrong, what to do and not to do and it's a good thing to think.
I'm so emotional now after reading that i don't know where to start...
The first 40 pages were very slow. Throughout the book, the author dropped hints and clues here and there for us to guess. This is more of a descriptive and slow-built book rather than a thriller. I started thinking that this is a crime, mystery, thriller novella but i was wrong. This is more of a mysterious, deeply-meaningful book that makes us think, analyze and wreck us from inside out.
I give 4.75 stars because it's a bit annoying to read dialogues that are all on the same lines. There's no new line for each of the character's speeches and it's hard to follow for me. Other than that, this is a short but very powerful novella about the complexity of human psychology, complicated mother-daughter relationship, different perceptions on
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Medical content, and Grief