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asourceoffiction's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
2.0
I'm glad I finished this book. But I'm not sure if I actually enjoyed it. I was interested enough to want to know what happened, and the last third was a little more pacy and interesting. But it wasn't remotely memorable.
On paper, the mystery surrounding Alvaro's death is intriguing. And certainly the drama and emotion ramp up towards the end. But I never connected with the characters (even Manuel), and although I appreciated the rich back stories and side plots, I just never fully engaged with it.
The pace is really slow for most of the book, and I'm not sure if it wanted to market itself as a poetic portrayal of grief or a gripping murder mystery. Ultimately it feels like it was a little of both, or a lot of neither.
On paper, the mystery surrounding Alvaro's death is intriguing. And certainly the drama and emotion ramp up towards the end. But I never connected with the characters (even Manuel), and although I appreciated the rich back stories and side plots, I just never fully engaged with it.
The pace is really slow for most of the book, and I'm not sure if it wanted to market itself as a poetic portrayal of grief or a gripping murder mystery. Ultimately it feels like it was a little of both, or a lot of neither.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Miscarriage
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Clergy abuse is a topic. There are also instances depicting sex work and mentions of blackmail.
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