year23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For a very short book, it felt way longer. I usually love a character study, but this was a very different kind and the execution didn't work for me. Delia's mother dies (right at the beginning, it's in the description, not a spoiler), and she goes on a journey to learn more about her life and loves, etc. Along the way she reflects on her own fraught relationship with her mother, father, and sisters (to a much lesser extent) while also learning more about her mother.
What's interesting to me is that the MC talks about how their family didn't speak of the drama (or trauma) growing up - and so the book is sort of the unlearning to not speak as she starts to articulate the violence of her upbringing. I think this is a very interesting concept - but at the same time, she doesn't fully break free of that practice so the writing (keeping with the characterization) can still feel very removed, like the whole story isn't being shared, only bits and pieces. She is also learning bits and pieces about her mother - but again, you don't get the whole story - and even the characters she interacts with are also speaking in passive-aggression or "hinting". A few angry people interactions, some shouting, but rarely do you learn why. In the end, I walked away with a ton of questions and not ever really connecting with the MC who kept herself hidden from herself if that makes sense.
I'll give an example - the narrator isn't named for quite a few pages. The only reason you know they are a woman is because of the blurb. The things she says about her mom and their relationship at the start - could easily be a man (though there's some domestic type language that I think would then play on biases to say, oh, this is a woman speaking). But her job (drawing cartoon strips) doesn't say man or woman to me - wanting things in their place in your home, again, doesn't say man or woman. Not that the gender of the character needs to be named at all - but it points to how little is described or known about the MC. You as the reader have to fill in a lot of blanks.
Another example - the financial aspect of the family doesn't really track or begs a lot of questions. How does she make so much money from being a cartoonist? Why is her father somehow living not well but also has plenty of money to give? Same for her mother - did that play into their relationship at all? Finances, gender, etc. - all these impact family relationships and the challenges people face, social pressures, etc. - but there's not clarity or background around it. I know this is just one aspect that can impact relationships but I think points to how little you know or understand about this entire family by the end. So when you get to the complicated relationships and trying to understand what's going on - it's all mysterious vibes but no real substance.
I think worth reading if you like this kind of character exploration in a story - particularly around themes of complex mother/daughter relationships. My guess is if you like Mona Awad's Rouge but wanted less eerie and more realistic themes, this would be your jam.
What's interesting to me is that the MC talks about how their family didn't speak of the drama (or trauma) growing up - and so the book is sort of the unlearning to not speak as she starts to articulate the violence of her upbringing. I think this is a very interesting concept - but at the same time, she doesn't fully break free of that practice so the writing (keeping with the characterization) can still feel very removed, like the whole story isn't being shared, only bits and pieces. She is also learning bits and pieces about her mother - but again, you don't get the whole story - and even the characters she interacts with are also speaking in passive-aggression or "hinting". A few angry people interactions, some shouting, but rarely do you learn why. In the end, I walked away with a ton of questions and not ever really connecting with the MC who kept herself hidden from herself if that makes sense.
I'll give an example - the narrator isn't named for quite a few pages. The only reason you know they are a woman is because of the blurb. The things she says about her mom and their relationship at the start - could easily be a man (though there's some domestic type language that I think would then play on biases to say, oh, this is a woman speaking). But her job (drawing cartoon strips) doesn't say man or woman to me - wanting things in their place in your home, again, doesn't say man or woman. Not that the gender of the character needs to be named at all - but it points to how little is described or known about the MC. You as the reader have to fill in a lot of blanks.
Another example - the financial aspect of the family doesn't really track or begs a lot of questions. How does she make so much money from being a cartoonist? Why is her father somehow living not well but also has plenty of money to give? Same for her mother - did that play into their relationship at all? Finances, gender, etc. - all these impact family relationships and the challenges people face, social pressures, etc. - but there's not clarity or background around it. I know this is just one aspect that can impact relationships but I think points to how little you know or understand about this entire family by the end. So when you get to the complicated relationships and trying to understand what's going on - it's all mysterious vibes but no real substance.
I think worth reading if you like this kind of character exploration in a story - particularly around themes of complex mother/daughter relationships. My guess is if you like Mona Awad's Rouge but wanted less eerie and more realistic themes, this would be your jam.
gingher77's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
simplycelestial's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
mia_48419's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
_maddsharks_'s review against another edition
3.0
Fast read, though very strange. Beautifully written, though some of the word choices were odd for pacing- a translation issue. Not sure I understand the ending either, but overall very good and troubling (as the title suggests).
bodegacatreads's review against another edition
Couldn't get into it. Didn't want to DNF such a short book but my time on Earth is finite.
jsx27's review against another edition
1.0
The language is clunky and the story is confusing. There's a way to narratively interlace memory, the senses, the past and the present, and I don't know if the translation here is the issue or not, but the story just doesn't work. It doesn't help that I don't really care about any of the characters. Frustrating to get through.
julianam's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
hongjoongie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0