Maya's Notebook in Around the World

Jan 28, 2016 Joy rated it it was ok

Shelves: around-the-world

This book was read for my 2016 Reading Challenge Around the World in 80 Books

Where to begin with this book. Maybe a recap first, and then my thoughts afterwards, as I’m still processing them all. Maya’s Notebook is the story of young Maya Vidal, a teenager escaping possible federal crimes to a remote island off the coast of Chile. As Maya hides out from the authorities, she begins to discover parts of herself that been hiding as well.

OK, I really thought I’d like this book. Isabel Allende is a This book was read for my 2016 Reading Challenge Around the World in 80 Books

Where to begin with this book. Maybe a recap first, and then my thoughts afterwards, as I’m still processing them all. Maya’s Notebook is the story of young Maya Vidal, a teenager escaping possible federal crimes to a remote island off the coast of Chile. As Maya hides out from the authorities, she begins to discover parts of herself that been hiding as well.

OK, I really thought I’d like this book. Isabel Allende is a fantastic writer. The plot sounds great. But, I didn’t like it. And it took me a few days of thinking over the book to realize why. It’s because I didn’t like Maya…at all. I had ZERO sympathy for this girl and her choices. Mild spoilers coming up. Maya, a girl with a loving home life, albeit untraditional. Her mother and father are minimally involved in her life, but is loving raised by her grandparents. When Maya’s grandfather dies, she deals with her grief by making incredibly hurtful, dangerous, and unwise choices. She’s forced into rehab and decides to punish her dad for abandoning her by hitchhiking to Vegas. It seemed of a bit of an extreme reaction to daddy issues. The horrible decision making continues when ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS CALL HER GRANDMOTHER!!!! Who takes a summer job with a drug dealer, when all she had to do was call her grandmother? I don’t and won’t blame her for her rape, because that’s never the victim’s fault, but all the other HORRIFIC situations she finds herself involved and even RUNNING FROM AUTHORITIES, I blame her entirely and feel no love for this character. The parts of the story I did love however, where in Chile. I enjoyed her time on the island, and making a life with these eccentric and colorful characters. The story is told with a back and forth timeline, weaving Vegas in and out of the Chile narrative, which I didn’t mind. The entire story is written in a first person narrative, as if Maya is writing her story in a diary. Which allows for melodramatic and overemotional moments, such as her entire relationship with Daniel in Chile. I felt like the author overused language, like the word implaccable , describing Maya’s mother only as the Laplander princess, and popo , a term of endearment for Maya’s grandfather. But maybe that’s just my irrational dislike of nicknames. I won’t give up on Isabel Allende, but I’m hoping for more from the next book I read from her. ...more

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Jan 16, 2014 Pamela rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014-book-challenge

I have been devouring Isabel Allende books since my father first introduced me to Eva Luna when I was 12. I was so excited when Maya's Notebook was released in English, ready for my Isabel fix. The book was OK. It took me too long to get engaged in the story and while the plot is interesting, the cadence of it just wasn't as compelling as her other works. I give it an A for effort and appreciate the authors departure from her usual work. I also loved that her go-to magical realism was ever-prese ...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: spanish-language, female-authors, isabel-allende, latin-american-books, north-america, crime, latin-america, chile

One of my wonderful friends sent me an early release copy of this book and I about died when I opened the package. Allende is my FAVOURITE author of all time (ALL TIME #kanyeshrug) and I quickly gobble up any book that she writes. (Even Zorro, which was a book handed to her instead of a story of her own devising).

When I was reading her memoirs, I hadn't previously realized how much of her life she truly puts into these books. The relationship to her books and the 1973 coup in Chile seems incredi ...more

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Aug 09, 2013 Kathleen Valentine rated it really liked it

Beautiful writing and an amazing portrait of a place I knew nothing about--the Chiloe Archipeligo off the coast of Chile. Loved the story and the very best parts concerned Maya's exile in this strange land. My only complaint was that some of the descriptions of her travails in Las Vegas got long-winded and repetitive. Yes, we all know life on the streets is brutal, I think if Allende had cut the descriptions of how much she stunk and what a mess she was in half we still would have gotten the poi ...more

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Sep 16, 2018 Astrid Lim rated it really liked it

Shelves: america, travel, tragedy, culture, crime-action, contemporary, south-america

This book has a lot to say and discuss: immigrants, drugs and crime, corrupt police, Chile history and politics, etc etc. It can feel too much - but fortunately, it's written by Isabel Allende, who effortlessly told the story in a flowing and beautiful way. Maya is a likable narrator and I was hooked since the beginning, although I felt in the middle there are parts that become too much distractions.

One more thing: the setting of a small island south of Chile is wonderful! Suddenly I have a cra ...more

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