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kelligan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Violence
Minor: Child death and Suicide
eve81's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
bendercath's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Certainly many of the images and situations the characters experience will not soon leave my mind … and I feel this is Ms. Allende’s intention: to deepen our understanding of people who face unimaginable challenges due to forces beyond their control: governments, economic structures, and pure evil in others. It’s dark and Ms. Allende makes it real.
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder
a_alves00's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Deportation
natashaball's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence
gabster21's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
lenny9987'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? It's complicated
4.0
Richard’s day is off to a bad start when one of his cats needs medical attention in the midst of a massive snow storm. It gets worse when he accidentally rear-ends a young woman who doesn’t speak English. He gives her his card so she can get his insurance information later and he thinks that’s the end of it. Except the young woman shows up on his doorstep later that night, beside herself and he doesn’t know what to do. Calling on his colleague and tenant, Lucia, the two learn that the young woman, Evelyn is undocumented and she’s terrified the accident will lead to her being returned to Guatemala. Refugee status happens to be something Lucia knows about personally, having escaped Chile in the 1970s. The three begin sharing their tragedies with one another, bonding and building an understanding as they work through the predicament unexpectedly threatening Evelyn’s safety.
For my full review, please visit my blog: https://wp.me/pUEx4-1dj
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
crlpedigo's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Rape
spinesinaline's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I have to say, I went into this book expecting a much lighter story. This is not that and while I did enjoy the book, it took some time to adjust my expectations.
I’ve heard a lot about Allende and I would really like to read more of her work, even if this one wasn’t stellar for me. That said, I learned a lot about Chile and Guatemala’s history and I appreciated this first-person perspective on the experience of refugees and immigrants coming to America. There’s a lot of trauma in these pages, mostly reflective as this cast of characters share their histories with each other, but it can get quite graphic.
I really liked each of the three characters we get to spend time with and though it’s a traumatic recollection in part, the mystery and intrigue was a humorous addition to the story. By the latter half, it becomes clear that the book is aiming to be a love story but that felt like an odd addition, sticking out from the tone we’d had thus far, so the ending was a bit awkward for me.
I listened to this one on audio and while I enjoyed each narrator, one for the three characters, it was a bit difficult to follow dialogue. Each chapter is from the perspective of one of these characters and so for example the ‘Lucia’ narrator would read the Lucia chapter. However, the Richard and Evelyn’s dialogue within that chapter would also be read by the ‘Lucia’ narrator. I would’ve preferred if the character’s narrator for each could’ve stepped in for their respective dialogue to make it clear who was speaking.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and War
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
beaglebooknerd's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Sexual violence