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leafblade's review
2.0
Hello my name's Serena and I'm from Argentina.
And this novella was a fucking mess.
First, all of the other institutes are in NYC and LC and London and Bangkok and Shangai. How is this one NOT in Buenos Aires capital, but in a 20k inhabitants small town instead??? What are the argentinian shadowhunters protecting? The cows? The soy fields?
And then, the setting wasn't really faithful to absolutely anything that would happen here. There were way too many Europeans from countries that didn't have big immigration waves to Argentina. No one uses two last names, but Joaquín somehow did. The two power figures shown here aren't from Argentina, not even latinxs. There was misogyny regarding women in positions of power that just aren't true here, much less in the first 4 years of having a female president (2008-2012). The architecture was WAY off, having a nice scene of Alec teaching Rafe how to walk on an inclined roof that idk where he'd find bc roofs here are flat. Jacarandás that should've been lapachos. I haven't seen a single person named Rafael in my whole life, let alone a 5yo orphan kid. He's most likely a Franco. Or a Kevin. Agustín, if he's lucky. And it's statistically impossible to find a 5yo argentinian kid that understands native-level English in 2012, unless he was raised in a bilingual household. But we know he wasn't raised in a household, period, so idk what that whole shit was about.
Overall, she didn't give Buenos Aires the same treatment she gave LA or NYC or London. We don't know where the warlock's apartment is (probably Palermo if they were in capital, but since they're in a small useless town idek). We don't know where the shadow market is, even though she even tells us the street the others are in. We don't get to see the customs and colors and things the shadow markets (allegedly) take from the place they're in, because the Buenos Aires one wasn't described AT ALL. We just know about its (European, somehow) merchants.
Argentina has a long, long story of stolen babies and torture and military governments. So uuuhhh maybe speak about that when you're telling me downworlder kids are being abandoned? Like, I get that it's terrible that that's happening, but if these people were argentinian they would be absolutely terrified. We don't take orphans and lost kids lightly.
Also how fucked up is to take a kid away from his culture to adopt him, no matter how much he wants to go with you??? I sure hope to see malec do better in introducing this kid to argentinian culture, bc Alec didn't even know what boludo meant and the only thing we're shown Magnus do is speak Spanish. And I'm guessing he speaks either neutro or Spanish, which are not even CLOSE to argentino.
If I don't see this poor child drinking mate in QOAAD I'll call social services
And this novella was a fucking mess.
First, all of the other institutes are in NYC and LC and London and Bangkok and Shangai. How is this one NOT in Buenos Aires capital, but in a 20k inhabitants small town instead??? What are the argentinian shadowhunters protecting? The cows? The soy fields?
And then, the setting wasn't really faithful to absolutely anything that would happen here. There were way too many Europeans from countries that didn't have big immigration waves to Argentina. No one uses two last names, but Joaquín somehow did. The two power figures shown here aren't from Argentina, not even latinxs. There was misogyny regarding women in positions of power that just aren't true here, much less in the first 4 years of having a female president (2008-2012). The architecture was WAY off, having a nice scene of Alec teaching Rafe how to walk on an inclined roof that idk where he'd find bc roofs here are flat. Jacarandás that should've been lapachos. I haven't seen a single person named Rafael in my whole life, let alone a 5yo orphan kid. He's most likely a Franco. Or a Kevin. Agustín, if he's lucky. And it's statistically impossible to find a 5yo argentinian kid that understands native-level English in 2012, unless he was raised in a bilingual household. But we know he wasn't raised in a household, period, so idk what that whole shit was about.
Overall, she didn't give Buenos Aires the same treatment she gave LA or NYC or London. We don't know where the warlock's apartment is (probably Palermo if they were in capital, but since they're in a small useless town idek). We don't know where the shadow market is, even though she even tells us the street the others are in. We don't get to see the customs and colors and things the shadow markets (allegedly) take from the place they're in, because the Buenos Aires one wasn't described AT ALL. We just know about its (European, somehow) merchants.
Argentina has a long, long story of stolen babies and torture and military governments. So uuuhhh maybe speak about that when you're telling me downworlder kids are being abandoned? Like, I get that it's terrible that that's happening, but if these people were argentinian they would be absolutely terrified. We don't take orphans and lost kids lightly.
Also how fucked up is to take a kid away from his culture to adopt him, no matter how much he wants to go with you??? I sure hope to see malec do better in introducing this kid to argentinian culture, bc Alec didn't even know what boludo meant and the only thing we're shown Magnus do is speak Spanish. And I'm guessing he speaks either neutro or Spanish, which are not even CLOSE to argentino.
If I don't see this poor child drinking mate in QOAAD I'll call social services
maida's review
4.0
Malec being dads is the actual definition of EVERYTHING I’ve ever wanted. Magnus was specially good in this one honestly.
astheplotthickens24's review against another edition
4.0
Cassandra Clare always know what to write. My heart.
mortaldivergence's review
5.0
This was adorable, I love Magnus, Alec, Rafe and Max all sooo much!! I wan't more!
isabella1018's review against another edition
5.0
This is longer than the others but I found there were so many stories in it.
stankovic1402's review against another edition
5.0
Excuse me while I go cry my heart out. Alec and Magnus are THE STANDARD.