Gotta admit that my first reason for reading this one was the cover. SO PRETTY!

I've been looking into fantasy that is not European-based, so this book seemed right up my alley. In particular because the setting felt very unique. I don't think I've ever read anything set in 1920s Mexico, but I'm a little familiar with the history of early 20th century Mexico and it definitely felt like a time period that I'd like to see.

Over all, I ready enjoyed the book. It's very fun and fast paced, so it worked for me as a light, action-packed read. I liked the characters, even if I felt as if they could've been more developed. That might be because I usually tend to read fiction that is more character-driven, while this book is definitely plot-driven. Again, I really enjoyed it, and if you're looking for some fantasy with Mexican mythology and a decided and stubborn main character, this might be the book for you.

This is a short beautiful wonder of a book. While the story is rather simple, the way in which it is written is absolutely perfect. Di Pietrantonio does an amazing work at portraying Arminuta's feeling towards her biological mother and her adoptive one and how abandonement can really affect a child if it happens when they're young. The contrast between her two worlds was powerful and it conveyed so well her own feelings of losing something important. This is an absolute delight of a novel, quiet in a way that allows the story to be heard.

I'd recommend it without a doubt.

When I first heard of this books I was like: Victoria Schwab, ghosts, and EDINBURGH? Come to mamma!

After reading it, I'm left with a great feeling, particularly with regards to the setting. I lived in Edinburgh's Old Town a couple of years ago and fell in love with the city, even with the creepy parts. Victoria Schwab has a way with words and her love for the city shines through this novel. And the sequel is set in Paris, which is another of my loves, so I'm very excited for it.

My only qualm might be that I feel that the ending was a bit rushed. The build-up to the climax was so great, but the climax and conclusion were a bit less excited than what I was anticipating. I would've loved to read Cass interacting with other ghosts in the Veil and having them help her there or something. Otherwise, this is a great book and I really enjoyed it very much.

Esta es una novela corta (muy corta) acerca de un grupo de niños en la dictadura de Pinochet. Es muy interesante porque la amenaza de la violencia estatal no está en primer plano, sino que está vista desde los ojos de los niños, que no necesariamente entienden lo que está pasando. Al borde de la adolescencia, los protagonistas de esta historia están empezando a entender lo que sucede a su alrededor, pero sus prioridades están lejos de la política y más centradas en sus propios enredos de preadolescentes.

La narración es sencilla y eficiente, con imágenes muy potentes y evocadoras de la infancia y la época en que estos personajes se desarrollan. Altamente recomendable.

Llevo un tiempo buscando una biografía decente de Teresa Wilms Montt porque me parece un personaje fascinante (aparentemente hay otra, más académica, pero está fuera de imprenta). Esta es una versión amigable y atractiva de lo que fue la vida de esta mujer tan interesante. Como respecto a la información no tengo mucho que decir, no me enseñó nada que no supiera, creo que el principal atractivo está en el diseño y la ilustración, que sí me gustaron.

This is pretty much like any other Kate Morton book. I enjoy the setting and the mystery, but there's nothing new here (as with most of her books, I saw the ending coming from a mile away). It's the nice and easy kind of book, perfect for when you're looking for a cozy mystery and nothing too complicated. All in all, pretty fun.

I'm shocked that I've seen this book catalogued as a historical novel. Like, I remember 9/11 (even if I'm not from the US). Not cool.

But anyways, it is a nice novel, with a good plot and interesting characters. My biggest issue with it is that... why can't Shirin have ANY girl friends???? I get that she's isolated herself and all that, but throughout the novel she only has negative (or negatively framed) encounters with other women. It's only in the last fifth of the book that she sort of becomes friendly with another girl, but that relationship stays in the background as opposed to her friendships with the other guys or her relationship with Ocean. Another issue I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed: for all the drama that preceded it, most of the conflict are nicely tied up before the last chapter. So, what are the stakes here?

Other than that, Mafi is a very good writer, and I believe this is a great story to tell. It does work really well at showing Muslim/Persian culture and the ways in which being a child of immigrants shape you and your attitude. I liked that Shirin felt like a real teenager with real teenage issues. Same goes for Ocean, who felt very much like a compelling character throughout the novel.