moonchildjuli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
mcviana26's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 stars.
i really enjoyed the point of view switches. the way that the author handled the two viewpoints and the intertwining of both stories made a lot of sense to me. the story as a whole felt a lot like traditional latin american lit, especially like coelho. i loved the five siblings as characters, especially maria. even though it confused me, i liked the ending.
i did find the book boring at times, but not overall. i do think you need to be used to latin american literature traditions to understand the book, but i enjoyed it as a whole. i would like to read it in the original spanish at some point to see if that gives me stronger feelings about the story and the writing.
i really enjoyed the point of view switches. the way that the author handled the two viewpoints and the intertwining of both stories made a lot of sense to me. the story as a whole felt a lot like traditional latin american lit, especially like coelho. i loved the five siblings as characters, especially maria. even though it confused me, i liked the ending.
i did find the book boring at times, but not overall. i do think you need to be used to latin american literature traditions to understand the book, but i enjoyed it as a whole. i would like to read it in the original spanish at some point to see if that gives me stronger feelings about the story and the writing.
ani_a_1's review against another edition
3.5
It's kinda a hit or miss. But it's short enough for you to reread it to get it. I remember enjoying it but I'm writing this review a while after I read it so I barley remember. It's just people who were dealt with different cards and had to deal with them. Some are less unfortunate than others. But they should get a chance to live.
alice_hesse's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, and Death
clarkso6's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Quick read. A girl in an orphanage I trying to be friends with a boy who is deemed "immortal." We see the story unfold from his life before the orphanage and her quest to get to know him.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Death, and Abandonment
readmoreyall's review against another edition
4.0
Disturbing and heartbreaking and confusing — but I don’t think it’s meant to be linear or easy to understand. It will stick with you.
krissyronan's review against another edition
3.0
Heartbreaking story and there’s a part that made me feel sick to my stomach.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Libro.fm for the audiobook and to Levine Querido for the print copy.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Libro.fm for the audiobook and to Levine Querido for the print copy.
caylieratzlaff's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 60% - received a physical ARC from the publisher from attending NCTE.
I tried...really hard to like this book. I love that it has the Spanish (original version) included and the diverse characters...but I could not get into the book. At all. There were no indications of the POV shifting. No background building. No character building.
I normally do not DNF books, but I did this one. I don't know if it was a translation mishap or what, but to echo another reviewer: "I'm not sure if it was trouble with following the switching perspectives or something that got lost in translation, but something about the narration that I still can't quite put my finger on made it really hard to connect to or even fully follow the narrative."
I think the book has merit, but I simply could not get into it to truly appreciate the complexities of human life it apparently presents.
I tried...really hard to like this book. I love that it has the Spanish (original version) included and the diverse characters...but I could not get into the book. At all. There were no indications of the POV shifting. No background building. No character building.
I normally do not DNF books, but I did this one. I don't know if it was a translation mishap or what, but to echo another reviewer: "I'm not sure if it was trouble with following the switching perspectives or something that got lost in translation, but something about the narration that I still can't quite put my finger on made it really hard to connect to or even fully follow the narrative."
I think the book has merit, but I simply could not get into it to truly appreciate the complexities of human life it apparently presents.