simply a good book. there's so much going on (that's why i deducted a half-star - the beginning is simply too slow; there's too much to introduce, and it's just a little awkward to get through the first 50ish pages). the best way to describe it is a telenovela in book form, with a bit of magical realism thrown in. i found it compelling and enjoyable. enjoy it like a telenovela! not like a piece of fine supreme literature. it's well-written, but the real draw is the sometimes-silly twists, the intense relationships, the happy endings, the sad endings, the way that one person can be so much to so many different people. it's good