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liaannee's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
A book about hopeless romance- from the guérillas and the hostages alike- and how love persists in captivity and in grief.
Patchett writes as if completely removed from the situation, as if we’re watching a telenova and doing housework at the same time, which balances out how sentimental everything might feel otherwise. It’s slowly paced with a million vignettes. There’s even the sliiiightest hint of magical realism here, if we consider opera and music to be magic. In the end, I didn’t feel as much of an emotional gut punch as I expected. It was a bit more like waking up from a dream, or a nightmare, and everything blurring together as I forget reality, as the characters all do.
Patchett writes as if completely removed from the situation, as if we’re watching a telenova and doing housework at the same time, which balances out how sentimental everything might feel otherwise. It’s slowly paced with a million vignettes. There’s even the sliiiightest hint of magical realism here, if we consider opera and music to be magic. In the end, I didn’t feel as much of an emotional gut punch as I expected. It was a bit more like waking up from a dream, or a nightmare, and everything blurring together as I forget reality, as the characters all do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, and Gun violence
constructism's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
I did love this book, anyone who begrudges the descriptions of the life changing magic of opera has not listened to enough opera!! I can't wait to read the annotated version because girl that epilogue...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty and Infidelity
hurricaneherder's review against another edition
dark
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
lizzym126's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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: Confinement, Death, and Gun violence
Minor: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Violence
nialiversuch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, and War
linda48's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Death, and Gun violence
dua_liepard's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Mass/school shootings
maiahhtratchh's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There are aspects of this book I liked but I didn’t think they were fully realized. I did not feel like the characters were flushed out in their entirety and they seemed to all exist in a 2-dimensional vacuum. There was no sense of who they were before to compare to who they were in this situation which made it fall flat for me. As much as I like the ending pre-Epilogue (there truly was no other way to end it and I feel like if it got a happily ever after it would defeat the purpose of what it meant to be human and share this experience) I HATED the epilogue… that came out of left field and it was just so upsetting and out of character? It felt shock for the sake of shock. There was no time depth too between the end and epilogue making it seem like it was quite recent which further confused and upset me because of how absurd it was. As much as I like the premise it just wasn’t there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Gun violence
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is one of those books that unfolds slowly, and you spend so much time with it that you feel a little loss after it's over. Like your mind keeps wandering back to these fully formed characters that you've grown to care about, just to arrive at the conclusion that they're gone from your life forever. I felt such tenderness toward almost every character. And I think it was intentional, but the only bit for me that kept me from a 5-star review was that the ending was so abrupt that I thought I had missed pages. But the whole playing with tragicomedy was incredible, and I really enjoyed the writing.
*bought from the library book sales at Citizens Library in downtown Washington, PA.
*bought from the library book sales at Citizens Library in downtown Washington, PA.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Blood, and Alcohol
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
This was a tricky book for me. At first I wasn't sure I was connecting with it the way I expected, which I think was because I was reading several other books at the same time. Once I gave it my full attention (and once I'd got to know the wonderful characters) I was much more engaged.
It's odd that there seems to be very little tension in the opening, despite what should be a harrowing story. But although it took some getting used to, I came to like the meandering pace that was set instead.
This book shines in the simple things the hostages learn about themselves, each other and their captors; and the way relationships are borne out of this entirely abnormal scenario. The writing is absolutely stunning, and deserves the patience to get lost in it.
In the end the story really grew on me, and I think I'll be processing the suddenness of the ending for a while to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Death
Moderate: Gun violence