City of the Beasts

Product Information

Novela juvenil cargada de aventuras cuya trama es la perfecta excusa para acercarnos al mundo de los indígenas en Hispanoamérica. Allende knows how to insert more complex thematic issues and questions into a less sophisticated setting in comparison to some of her more adult-oriented works. It's clearly written for teenagers, but the social and cultural aspects that become a central part of the story's development are suitable for adults and more demanding readers as well. The fact that this has been describes as an ecological romance makes me cringe, as this is definitely neither a flattering nor an accurate way to describe this. In fact, part of why I enjoyed reading this was because it wasn't a romance story - it's an adventure.

For nostalgias sake I’m keeping it at 4/5 stars because I have wonderful memories of reading this with my mum when I was about 10, but really: this doesn’t age well. Initial reception was split between harsh criticism and approval. Some critics regarded the novel as an engaging read and a good first try at a children's book, [3] while others note its slow start, and tedious, somewhat unconvincing speech in translation. La ciudad de las bestias = City of the Beasts (Memories of the Eagle and the Jaguar #1), Isabel Allende Isabel Allende created some wonderful characters here - the participants of the expedition all got their unique character traits, they're dynamic feels real and believable and I particularly liked how tough the females in this story were. They're definitely victims to men who think themselves as authoritarian, but at the same time they're in no way afraid to stand their ground. Our main characters are young adults - we've got the 15 year old Alexander and the 13 year old Nadia and both of them felt believable as well. They're hitting puberty, where you might feel in charge and in control of everything, but at the same time you're clearly not. Still, they're never annoying, but ultimately good-natured and brave kids.

Did we miss something on diversity?

Ein bisschen halten mich die Figuren auf Abstand (z.B. stereotypische Bösewichte), da gibt's einen Stern Abzug von mir. Whatever the age of the reader, Allende’s first book for young adults is sure to be a huge hit. And maybe, just maybe, Alexander Cold will venture out on another quest in the near future. I, for one, would be disappointed if he did not.”

In the end, Eagle and Jaguar must part. She gives Alex the three "crystal eggs", which turn out to be giant diamonds. With the money gained from their sale, it was hoped that they would be able to fund a foundation to keep the World's Eye safe. Alex tells her that the best thing about the trip was meeting her, and they agree that they will be best friends forever. Creo que de lo mejor del libro es la evolución de los dos niños, se vuelven dos personas nobles, honradas, con la mente abierta a otras culturas, tolerantes y defensores de las causas justas. El realismo mágico está presente en toda esa evolución, dejando borrosas las barreras entre lo que aprendieron por ser real y lo que aprendieron por ser maravilloso o mágico. Lo que mas me gusto fue el personaje de Alex y como se desarrollo a través de la trama, todas las pruebas que tiene que superar, desde las que le presenta la vida en su hogar,las que le impone la inhóspita y salvaje selva amazónica, y la prueba que lo llevara a ser hombre y mas adelante héroe. Isabel Allende seamlessly educates us while we’re in the grip of her ceaseless suspense. Ill treatment of the Indians, catastrophic decisions about the environment, and corrupt officials all get equal play in City of the Beasts. More than one moral winds its way through the jungle with the youths. Me encanto la historia por varias razones, es una travesía a tierras fantásticas y peligrosas al estilo de Julio Verne, que se desarrolla en las selvas de mi tierra Venezuela, tiene algo de magia y misticismo, y habla de las culturas autóctonas de mi país, si bien es algo inocente en algunos puntos con respecto a los indígenas, no deja por ello de ser un libro juvenil muy bueno, a la altura de varias de las sagas que están de moda en la actualidad.

Personalized picks at your fingertips

I do hope you enjoyed that piece of melodrama… Seriously though, when you are a kid, going to the adult section for the first time seems like a big deal. The first time I went there was for this book. Nowadays, this book would be appropriately shelved as YA, and my mom knew this when she recommended this to me (Don’t worry, she didn’t send her child out to fetch 50-shades of erotica or some traumatizing horror-book). However, this was the zeros and small-town libraries in the Netherlands where blissfully ignorant of the existence of such rebellious new genres. Ein wirklich guter Auftakt zu einer Jugend-Fantasy-Trilogie, die in vielen Aspekten von so einigen Jugend-Fantasy-Geschichten aus den aktuellen Jahren abweicht. Eagle and Jaguar meet again in the sequel to this book, " Kingdom of the Golden Dragon", and a third book in this series, " Forest of the Pygmies." Toll, dass Alexander und Nadia sich als jugendliche Protagonisten auch tatsächlich *jung* anfühlen (keine Pseudojugendlichen, die sich stattdessen die ganze Zeit mit Erwachsenenthemen, meistens Sex, rumschlagen)