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aggie2010's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death, Incest, Death of parent, Violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
hacthoun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i really enjoyed the nonlinear approach and how disorienting and unclear the boundaries between the living and the dead were. however, it’s another novel that is horrible to every single female character and doesn’t mince words about it. pretty rough read in that sense
Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Murder, Sexual violence, and War
eliss02'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Abandonment, Violence, Death of parent, Incest, and Domestic abuse
vita_ayala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The format is almost dream-like, which is onteresting to read and adds to the tension I think.
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Gun violence, Torture, Rape, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Murder, Terminal illness, Stalking, Violence, Classism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Blood, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Death, and Chronic illness
We lose the thread of the son somewhere in the middle, which I think ultimately makes this too loose of a story.trinidad_gondi's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Minor: War
morning_sky'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, and War
adelledauz'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexism, and Violence
heyitsnic_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Minor: Death, Violence, and Sexual assault
claravalente'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, and Violence
Moderate: Blood and Infertility
ohlhauc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This was an absolutely disorienting read and yet so memorable, visceral, and inescapable. I couldn't put it down. It is a book that needs to be read by anyone with an interest in ghost stories, magic realism, spirit worlds, town collapse, boss stories, classics, post-revolutionary stories, or Mexican literature.
What you need to know, though, is to just go with the flow. Read it without trying to figure out who all the characters are or trying to piece together the timeline of what's happening. While there are strings in the plot to tie moments together, the story jumps between different timelines and different voices, and it's not always clear who's speaking. The author left gaps and asks the reader to actively engage with the text and fill in the rest of the story as they see fit. Usually I'm not a huge fan of that style but here it works. The author gives you just enough to feel bonded with the characters and to want to find out why Comala is a ghost town, but the exercise in your own imagination makes each read and re-read a new and exciting experience. This is definitely a book to re-read, each time learning things you missed or finding new ways to understand what happened.
You will be confused at points but embrace it. You will be frustrated at some of the characters but embrace it. You will feel creeped out and torn and stomped on but embrace it.
This is a classic and deservedly so. I recommend it without reservation.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Terminal illness