Scan barcode
amyford's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and War
Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death
laureneg11's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War
frogglin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.5
In her early life, Augusta Hope is an insufferable brat but she grows into herself. The threads of tragedy are laid out early with parallel stories from Augusta in England and Parfait who is living through a civil war and genocide in Burundi. His long path to escape to Spain draws against Augusta's own plans to leave behind her dull sedate life in a suburban street. Only her twin sister Julia is keeping her around her family home.
The story draws you gently along toward conclusions that you know are coming, and will be tragic, but there is an inevitability to them. They cannot be stopped, only glimpsed in advance. Family secrets, and family heartbreaks roll on but never with a sense of shock value or throwing something in for the sake of making the reader gasp.
The three worlds of Burundi, England and Spain are each filled with a cast of characters who all bring something to the story, even if only fleetingly.
Not entirely a "joy" to read, for many reasons, it is still a pleasure to spend time with Augusta and Parfait and their collection of friends and family.
The story draws you gently along toward conclusions that you know are coming, and will be tragic, but there is an inevitability to them. They cannot be stopped, only glimpsed in advance. Family secrets, and family heartbreaks roll on but never with a sense of shock value or throwing something in for the sake of making the reader gasp.
The three worlds of Burundi, England and Spain are each filled with a cast of characters who all bring something to the story, even if only fleetingly.
Not entirely a "joy" to read, for many reasons, it is still a pleasure to spend time with Augusta and Parfait and their collection of friends and family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Suicide
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Animal death, Racism, and Rape