efalcom15's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
ana_reads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This story is really brutal and sad. The writing is quite good, very straightforward and direct which adds a lot to the harshness of all the scenes. Definitely not for animal lovers, the brutality with which the dogs are treated is really abhorent. Even with thematic relevance, it's still hard to read.
Overall, despite the good writing, the story left me feeling mostly empty. That was probably the point, to just explore the violence and harshness of life in Damaris' town, but it was unsatifying. Maybe with a more definitive ending, there could be a bit more closure that could maybe make it a more satisfying story. It felt like something more should happen at the end if the book and without that final confrontation, the harshness of the rest of the novel was just sad and nothing else.
Spoiler
I was quite sad for Damaris and Rogelio's relationship, there are little moments were you can see glimmers of a happier relationship for them and it's sad that it's never realized. Watching Damaris succum to jealously and saddness and the butter grief of her infertiy was also quite hard. She goes from being somewhat sympathetic to just. definitely not that so quickly it's almost startling.Overall, despite the good writing, the story left me feeling mostly empty. That was probably the point, to just explore the violence and harshness of life in Damaris' town, but it was unsatifying. Maybe with a more definitive ending, there could be a bit more closure that could maybe make it a more satisfying story. It felt like something more should happen at the end if the book and without that final confrontation, the harshness of the rest of the novel was just sad and nothing else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Infertility
isabellatl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
2.0
sophiainbookland's review against another edition
4.0
Damaris não consegue ter filhos, mas será que está mesmo preparada para os ter?
A certa altura na sua vida, adopta uma cadela e nem tudo correr como ela planeava.
No final de ler o livro surgiu-me o que talvez seja a mensagem principal da história: os filhos têm as suas próprias vontades, a sua maneira de ser, os seus seus gostos, as suas ideias.
Não os podemos "amarrar" como a um cão (isso também não se faz!).
Nesta história em específico, ficou claro que a frustração da protagonista por não conseguir controlar a cadela foi decisiva para um desfecho trágico.
A certa altura na sua vida, adopta uma cadela e nem tudo correr como ela planeava.
No final de ler o livro surgiu-me o que talvez seja a mensagem principal da história: os filhos têm as suas próprias vontades, a sua maneira de ser, os seus seus gostos, as suas ideias.
Não os podemos "amarrar" como a um cão (isso também não se faz!).
Nesta história em específico, ficou claro que a frustração da protagonista por não conseguir controlar a cadela foi decisiva para um desfecho trágico.
duimalot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.75
halibut's review against another edition
4.0
The story is told in a very terse style, which I felt coupled well with the pervasive, impassive natural world which formed an important part of the story. There's feelings of being trapped and pushed to an edge in lots of ways throughout; trapped by nature on a ribbon of land between the hungry ocean and jungle, trapped economically in the caretaker's room of a collapsing abandoned 'grand' house. The main relationships between Damaris and the dog and Damaris and her husband share the same kind of plausible ambiguity, they never seem truly happy but there are enough moments where they seem to express care for each other. I enjoy this kind of novella, though I can see whats present rather than suggested being a bit too slight for others.