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ailiscr32's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
madmantha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve now reread it multiple times and enjoy it more and more each reading. It’s such a poetic and circular story.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, Stalking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
foreverinastory'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
4.0
Rep: Mainly Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian-American cast of characters. Two cishet female MCs, one gay male MC.
CWs: Abandonment, alcohol consumption, blood, child death, death, death of parent, emotional abuse, fire, grief, infidelity, pregnancy, sexism, sexual content, toxic relationship, violence, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, misogyny, stalking, body horror, gaslighting, child abuse, racism/colorism.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Orquídea Divina swept into Four Rivers and erected a family home. The townspeople learned that there was a dash of magic surrounding the house in the valley and they learned to steer clear. Over the years, Orquídea has many husbands and many children but she never tells her family much about her past. But after her family has moved out and as she reaches the end of her life, she calls them back home to learn the truth about her life.
Córdova creates a lush family saga that explores how a single matriarch impacts the rest of her family and the magic that follows her. Córdova's writing is evocative and does a great job of bringing the reader into the world of the story. The reader is brought along with the family as they learn more about their grandmother and the magic that seems to follow her. Telling the story through the eyes of family members works really well in that they only know so much so we as the reader are discovering much right alongside the family.
Orquídea is an interesting heroine and her life unravels in intriguing ways. Ultimately, I did enjoy the portions of the story with her grandchildren more than the sections with her. I think this is in part because so much of her life is told over relatively few chapters and thus has to go quite quickly. The story with the family takes place over less time which allows Córdova to delve more fully into their emotions and dwell on the details of their world.
I have long been meaning to pick up books by Córdova and I think this was a great place to start. I will definitely be reading more of her works and I look forward to what she puts out next.
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
apworden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment