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lowercase_a's review against another edition
4.5
O brilhantismo de Fernanda Melchor floresce em meio aos canaviais e o sol impiedoso de La Matosa, pedaço de terra e de gente esquecida pelo resto do mundo, pelos oito capítulos mais atordoantes que já li, um testemunho da desgraça alheia que é nossa, e o que torna esse romace assombração não é a perpétua condenação das mulheres entre si ou as cenas gráficas do fatídico assassinato ou sentir o desfazer dos personagens na palma de nossas mãos pela falta de dinheiro, pela vergonha, pelo ódio, pelas drogas, pela faca, pelo abandono, pelos punhos, pela culpa, pela ostrisização, pelo abuso, pela ignorância mas, o que torna o horror latente, é a compreensão visceral de que por traz (senão pela frente) de toda cidade latino-americana existe La Matosa e que essa desgraça nunca foi alheia, essa desgraça toda é nossa e por traz de toda garganta colonizada guarda um grito igual a voz deste livro: atroz e sanguinária.
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Homophobia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Rape, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Police brutality
unboxedjack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Rape, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Abortion, Death, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
torismazarine's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Child death, Excrement, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Outing, Sexual assault, Torture, Abandonment, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Gun violence, Infertility, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism, Rape, Racism, Death, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
readingwithsierra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Transphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Rape, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Gore, Addiction, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Racism, Homophobia, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Incest, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Animal cruelty
motherofbears's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I would say this is a challenging read, especially for someone not used to the writing style, but also because of the subject matter. All the trigger warnings, really.
It will stay with me for a while.
Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Pregnancy
elchivovivo'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
5.0
Each chapter is a single paragraph with little or no room for breathing.
Melchor changes narrative voices like a boxer delivers his punches. And yet, the story flows like water.
The language is pure, and i am curious to see how anyone could translate this dense, boiling, gulf- Mexican dialect into another language. Or even to see how a non-mexican spanish speaker would absorb all the local slang.
What wrenches the heart is that the story, the darkness, the characters, are all realistic (if not based on true people). It reflects the hopeless trajectory of our country, which in spite of its beauty and depth seems to be cosmically, cosmogonically thirsting for blood drawn with violence.
Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Confinement, Abandonment, Murder, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Outing, Infertility, Addiction, Abortion, Rape, Cursing, Racial slurs, Deadnaming, Child death, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Gore, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Misogyny
sas_lk's review
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I don't really have much else to say - not because it was nothing, but because I am still trying to understand how I feel. I have no idea what to say, no idea what to think. It's just heavy and sad.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Cursing, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Murder, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Child death, Violence, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Car accident, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Death
gillian_aftanas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Cursing, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Medical content, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Medical trauma, Outing, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Classism
greghw's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Gore, Pregnancy, Blood, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Ableism, Cursing, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Bullying, Excrement, Incest, Police brutality, and Trafficking
moss_martii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Abortion, Police brutality, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexism, Drug use, Incest, Kidnapping, Rape, and Animal cruelty