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sib_reads'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
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Infertility, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder and Abortion
sundayray'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
daniellekat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Genocide, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use
kroegs711'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, and War
franklola'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Police brutality, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Torture
wellreadjill_'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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
booksonadventures's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Violeta follows the 100-year life of the titular woman through a letter she is writing to her grandson, Camilo. From the heels of the Spanish Flu to the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Violeta's life spans a period of extraordinary historical events and upheaval.
There's no denying that Allende is a storyteller, and reading her work conjures the exact feeling of listening to my grandmother share her life story, down to the dry humor and matter-of-fact approach to historical events. While I can respect this style, much of this book fell flat in its execution. Overall, Violeta lacked emotional depth and left me grasping for any sort of connection to her character or her life.
Violeta dryly recounts everything from her father's death to her sexual escapades throughout the course of the novel, but never gives me a reason to care about her story. The novel struggled to grab my attention until nearly Chapter 20, when she began to outline the events leading up to the 1973 military coup and following Pinochet dictatorship. Even here, these events primarily hooked me due to my prior reading in the time period, because Allende moves quickly through details and declines the opportunity to expand on topics like Operation Condor and Colonia Dignidad (that could truthfully be entire books on their own).
Ultimately, Violeta does both too much and not enough, with a 100-year storyline that lacks the central themes and magical realism that make Allende's other works memorable. There are a few notable ways Allende has grown as a writer (with more respectful references to difference issues of class and race), but in the end, this book lacks heart.
Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault
wylovat'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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Lesbophobia
amandas_bookshelf'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
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Police brutality, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy