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beaulij_17'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Abortion
jordan_m_hansen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: War
susan2424'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
brookdorff'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Abortion, and War
debbitomsk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Death of parent, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
read_n_wright'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? Yes
4.75
I absolutely adored this book. It’s a sweeping, epic story told in the form of letters written by 100-year-old Violeta on her deathbed to her grandson. Spanning her life from being born during the Spanish flu pandemic to her death during the COVID-19 pandemic, it captures her achievements, loves, losses, growth, triumphs, and the political upheavals she endured.
I specifically sought out a book by this author after seeing her name mentioned often, curious to understand why her writing is so beloved. Now, I completely understand—and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
What stood out to me most was the open, hospitable nature of the characters. Despite being shaped by their time and culture, their relationships felt timeless and deeply inspiring. Strangers became family through small acts of kindness, loyalty, and protection, remaining fiercely devoted to one another until the end. This portrayal of community made me reflect on our increasingly individualistic society. It saddened me to think how much we’ve drifted from such connections, but it also inspired me to seek and nurture relationships as meaningful and enriching as those in Violeta’s life.
Violeta’s richness wasn’t just in her remarkable achievements but in the depth of her relationships. Her story made me want to live a life as full and connected as hers.
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and War
thatsssorachael'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? Yes
3.0
I didn’t dislike it, but I was ready for it to end.
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Abortion
j9wan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism
the_clueless_tourist'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
gracescanlon's review against another edition
That's the trouble, actually. It's fine. I could only read this before bed, because it kept putting me to sleep. That is, in a small way, also a compliment - Allende's prose, its rhythm, is soothing. But the book is also boring boring boring.
I've been trying to read more diverse books. Even so, Allende in general has been on my TBR, as a renowned female South American author. However, leaving the country where the book is set unnamed was frustrating to me. I've learned since abandoning this book that it's set in Chile, but as I read it, the vagueness of the location irked me. I want to know more about other places. Leaving Violeta's setting unspecified was counterproductive to that - it just wasn't a choice I liked or appreciated. I'm quite aware that that's a personal problem, and that Allende's choice was purposeful and valid, but I don't have to like it.
The amount of people in the reviews who were at all surprised as to Camilo's identity is baffling to me. It's so blatantly obvious to me that he's her grandson, or at the very least a grandson-like person in her life. Y'all need to work on reading comprehension.
Violeta seems, to me, aimless - an odd sensation, given it's the story of a woman's life that spanned throughout tumultuous times. But even 35% through the book, Violeta has only been "involved" with contemporary world events tangentially, if at all.
Also, the older Violeta telling the story has a little personality, but her younger self has very little. Honestly, the side characters were all more interesting than she was, from Torito and the Rivases to her aunts and Miss Taylor.
So, ultimately, I didn't care, don't care, can't care. I'll be donating or selling this book.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War