Reviews

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

ajezio's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

brunogcarr's review against another edition

4.0

Num livro de relações essencialmente familiares, mas não só, acaba por marcar todas as páginas a sensação de proximidade que a distância pode ditar e o afastamento que a proximidade pode provocar. Pode soar com estranheza, mas sente-se com facilidade.
Procurarei outras obras da autora.

oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition

I was so very absorbed in this story from the beginning, but my interest wasn't sustained beyond the change in perspective. It was a slog; moving, yes. Very well written on the sentence level. Imaginative and unique, but I just could not focus on the story once we switched over to the boy's perspective. I skimmed, tried to get back to it when the woman was back, but I couldn't rally. Repetititve and... long.

sidharthvardhan's review

3.0

It might be better called Lost Children's Archivers as the book really spends very little time with the lost children themselves ( a few minor chapters from an imagined book within this book which uses phrases from a number of established authors) but stays with the Archivers a lot. The Archivers are a family - a husband and wife and their children get interested in it because of them during the story.

There are a few amazing passages here and there and book is really informative about sufferings of migrant children. It is really powerful when it talks about migrant children but that doesn't happen a lot. I wish they were given more of direct attention.

zosia's review

3.0

3.5 stars, I really liked the first part.

meegan's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

cathyw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A powerful evocation of the horrors of migration and its tragic impact on young lives, an endictment of US history. 

k101's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

sanjubee's review against another edition

3.0

The last section was certainly more engaging than the rest, but overall I think this book makes important observations about academic/archival approaches to political violence.

moeax83's review against another edition

2.0

The inside book cover pretty much covered the book. Easy to read, just never really drew me into the story or characters.