Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

3 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad slow-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

3.75

In some ways, a very different kind of story for Allende, and in others, still so clearly her voice writing about the issues important to her through multiple generations. An important story that needed to be told.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

hagen69's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

Deeply emotional and thought-provoking. Pretty on-the-nose with little space for ambiguity. No thinking of your own required.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Dementia, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

creativerunnings's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

I read this book in Spanish and found it to be a page turner at the same time as it feeling tedious in parts. 

I think the issue could be that somewhere between 60 and 80 percent it feels very drawn out, followed by a hastier end.

It feels a little odd to draw parallels between the holocaust and the situation at the Mexican border, but this may be because I'm Austrian and pretty traumatized by what happened in my country of birth (I have lived in North America for decades now.). The way these two stories met at the end just didn't seem important enough to base a whole book on its premise.

Overall, the book is very engaging, and I'd recommend it - I enjoyed the character driven approach. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, and Alcohol