meemawreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked my first Claudia Piñeiro so much, I tried another! This was another hit, although I enjoyed the concept and execution of Elena Knows more.
In this story, Marilé (now Mary) is coming back to Buenos Aires for the first time since fleeing to Boston 20 years ago. As the story unfolds we learn why she left and what happens when she returns. I guessed most of what I think was supposed to be a reveal later in the book, but it held my attention anyway. It's a book about trauma, accident vs tragedy, punishment, strained family bonds, and insular communities. Check the content warnings before you dive in. Four taters 🥔🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
In this story, Marilé (now Mary) is coming back to Buenos Aires for the first time since fleeing to Boston 20 years ago. As the story unfolds we learn why she left and what happens when she returns. I guessed most of what I think was supposed to be a reveal later in the book, but it held my attention anyway. It's a book about trauma, accident vs tragedy, punishment, strained family bonds, and insular communities. Check the content warnings before you dive in. Four taters 🥔🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Car accident
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A Little Luck opens with Mary Lohan preparing to travel from Boston to Buenos Aires for work. It soon becomes clear that Mary has some history in Buenos Aires, history she’s not keen to revisit.
This book explores what happens when you make a decision, a slight error of judgement, one that you and plenty of others have made previously to no ill effect, except this time it has tragic consequences. Would you, could you carry on after the worst day of your life? And what might you have to sacrifice along the way? Could you forgive yourself for your choices and could others forgive you?
I love the issues this book explores and I really love the suspenseful way the first half unfolds. Interspersed with Mary’s present timeline are small snippets that hint at her past. At first this is just a short basic paragraph, but each time a few sentences are added to the previous version, slowly revealing more and more details as to exactly what happened that terrible day. This really builds a suspense and made for a propulsive reading experience as I frantically turned the pages in search of further details.
This is in many ways a book of two parts. Although each has a different feel I enjoyed them both equally and was never less than 100 % engaged. The storytelling was simply fabulous. And the ending was perfection - hopeful but restrained, just what I needed.
This is a book that had me asking all the “what ifs” and “what would I dos”. It left me thankful for the kindness of strangers and much more aware of all the small moments and small decisions that have the potential to alter the trajectory of our lives. Highly recommend.
This book explores what happens when you make a decision, a slight error of judgement, one that you and plenty of others have made previously to no ill effect, except this time it has tragic consequences. Would you, could you carry on after the worst day of your life? And what might you have to sacrifice along the way? Could you forgive yourself for your choices and could others forgive you?
I love the issues this book explores and I really love the suspenseful way the first half unfolds. Interspersed with Mary’s present timeline are small snippets that hint at her past. At first this is just a short basic paragraph, but each time a few sentences are added to the previous version, slowly revealing more and more details as to exactly what happened that terrible day. This really builds a suspense and made for a propulsive reading experience as I frantically turned the pages in search of further details.
This is in many ways a book of two parts. Although each has a different feel I enjoyed them both equally and was never less than 100 % engaged. The storytelling was simply fabulous. And the ending was perfection - hopeful but restrained, just what I needed.
This is a book that had me asking all the “what ifs” and “what would I dos”. It left me thankful for the kindness of strangers and much more aware of all the small moments and small decisions that have the potential to alter the trajectory of our lives. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, and Car accident
nataliamb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer and Suicidal thoughts
happyknitter2020's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Best book I have read this year. My Top book for 2022 was Elena Knows by the same author, Claudia Piñeiro. Claudia is definitely one of my favourite authors now & will read everything she writes. She captures thoughts & emotions like nobody else...
'As if I were some electronic device that needed 220 volts to function properly, but they'd plugged me into 110...
Maybe some people simply aren't wired for happiness. Some of us, when we feel joy circling close, fly into a state of panic. And we'll do whatever it takes to avoid it, to push it out of our path before it decends in us...
Because we'd have no idea what to do with that happiness, how to make it fit inside our bodies so that we can continue moving forward.
For some of us, unease, not happiness, is the only habitat in which we can feel we can survive.'
'Maybe that's all happiness is, an instant inhabitated, a random moment in which words are unnecessary because it would take too many of them to describe it'.
Tragic, yet also sublime... nobody else writes like Claudia. You feel so secure in her hands, as she takes you deep into others' thoughts & feelings.
'As if I were some electronic device that needed 220 volts to function properly, but they'd plugged me into 110...
Maybe some people simply aren't wired for happiness. Some of us, when we feel joy circling close, fly into a state of panic. And we'll do whatever it takes to avoid it, to push it out of our path before it decends in us...
Because we'd have no idea what to do with that happiness, how to make it fit inside our bodies so that we can continue moving forward.
For some of us, unease, not happiness, is the only habitat in which we can feel we can survive.'
'Maybe that's all happiness is, an instant inhabitated, a random moment in which words are unnecessary because it would take too many of them to describe it'.
Tragic, yet also sublime... nobody else writes like Claudia. You feel so secure in her hands, as she takes you deep into others' thoughts & feelings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Cancer
linguaphile412's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Child death, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
pickashelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Suicidal thoughts
bookishcori's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, and Grief
Minor: Child death and Mental illness
coles14_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Child death
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