Reviews tagging 'Racism'

La isla bajo el mar by Isabel Allende

9 reviews

nia_readsalot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Sexual content, and Slavery

Moderate: Death and Sexual assault

dhernandez's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

eddalyd's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse, Incest, and War

taylorlanxon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racism, and Colonisation

jmitchell20's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Medical trauma, Colonisation, and War

annavk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Colonisation

Moderate: Mental illness

marabender's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War

sofipitch's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective slow-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? No

4.25

I really enjoyed this book till the end half. In some parts it can be unclear what Allende's position on things are. She dedicates so much time to Valmorian I thought she was going to have Tete forgive him (she didn't) and she includes the half-siblings getting married which I can see as a symbolic consequence of Valmorian never claiming Rosette but she doesn't seem to outright condemn them. Like in some parts she's heavy handed on how racism and slavery are bad and some parts it's not so it made me feel worried.
Another criticism is that while Tete is the main character, it doesn't really feel like it. I've read some of Allende's novels so I know she never focuses on the perspective of one character but like I said, giving so much time to the slave owner is exhausting because I only care about what goes on in his life as it affects Tete.
I also wouldn't file this book under magical realism. Just because Allende is known for that genre it doesn't mean all her books are. This is historical fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility and Abortion

gbushong's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery