Reviews with content warning for War - Next Year in Havana

Reviews tagging 'War'

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

18 reviews

trisha_clay's review

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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passionatereader78's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

What a beautifully told story! I planned to split this book up over a week, but I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed this historical fiction. It is an emotional read, but so well written. This is written with dual timelines. You are introduced to Marisol who's grandmother has died and has charged her with laying her to rest in Cuba. Marisol has never stepped foot in Cuba. Her family were exiled before she was born. When Marisol receives lost letters of her grandmother, she realizes there was more to the woman who took great care of her. We learn Elsa's story and the past of the Cuban revolution through her letters and reflections. We learn about present day Cuba through Marisol's eyes. Great historical fiction!

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itsjadenbaby's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Since it’s fiction, I know to take it with a grain of salt, but I appreciated hearing about the history and cultural background of Cuba. However, I found it hard to care deeply about what was happening since there were quite a few people involved in the story and the setup was hard to follow at times with the changing perspectives/timelines.

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paigedent's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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amandalorianxo's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I didn’t care about the romances that were sort of a subplot in this book. I think my feelings about this mirror exactly how I felt about The Lost Apothecary when it came to dual timelines. I enjoyed the past Cuban storyline, the explanations of Batista / Che & Castro in addition to the privileged Perez’s realizing that they weren’t safe once Castro was in power. I didn’t care that much for Marisol / her pov because… as much as she claims Cuba is home, it really isn’t. She is an American through and through & grew up with a lot of privilege. I feel like a lot of the side characters called her out but as someone whose age matches my own, I’m not sure if Marisol ever fully understood that.

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seforana's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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mada_m's review

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adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is the start of a family saga, written brilliantly in a dual timeline. We have the present represented by a young woman traveling to Cuba to reconnect with her roots and to fulfil her grandmother's last wish (to spread her ashes in the country she had fled after the revolution), as well as her grandmother's voice telling us her story. The style is descriptive, immersive in the Cuban culture, places and politics. The characters are complex and although the stories are love stories, the focus is more on the complexities of Cuban life and freedoms within a changing country, both during the revolution and in the present.
I felt that the past love story was much more believable and important to the flow of this book, while the present love story was a bit superfluous. Both love stories are fade-to black, but the genuinely interesting setting of this book makes up for the lack of spice.

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magdalena_rose's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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marioosa517's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

I enjoy the storyline, family, relationships, and romances in both the past and present timelines. There are many nuanced discussions about Cuba’s history and recent politics throughout the book.

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chlorophyll's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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