Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

1 review

bibliocinephile's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was interesting. The style started off very beautiful, and drew me into the unique story--the characters felt like people but also felt detached at the same time, which I don't always dislike! However, as the book went on, it felt...boring. There was so much telling and almost no showing, giving no room to interpret and forcing you to connect with the character in specific way. The style also grew quite bland--people talking normally is fun, but it felt like it was trying to be poetry too, and so it felt like it was on the precipice of pretentiousness. I do love the book for the story it tells--femininity, power, and loyalty are revealed in subtle and glaring ways all at once. Overall I didn't dislike, but it certainly wasn't a standout in my reading history.
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