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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
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
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
chingona_solo's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Cancer and Incest
lexcellent'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
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
jnorwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and War
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Colonisation
leahkarge'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: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
nataliaah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, Genocide, Sexual assault, Torture, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
laurennicole98'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, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Colonisation, and Classism
kathrynclaire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism