This is a heady read that took me some time to get into. Once I was committed, I was glad to be reading it on my Kindle so I could easily look up terms and place names (though the formatting was less than ideal, and I am interested in what a print copy looks like). At times, the writer struck me as pretentious, at others, inspired. Or maybe those were her two main characters? Perhaps Apostol achieved just what she was after in blurring those lines. And there’s no doubt she’s raising consciousness around Philippine history and U.S.-Philippine relations, one reader at a time.

Insurrecto is a book that has a historical weight to it; a story that feels important from the moment you begin. It’s a book that it a bit difficult to read electronically because of the depth of detail, but it’s worth the dedication. It’s winding and meta: the story of Philippine women moving through early 1900s. It feels like Apostol is searching for truth in what is sometimes dark history, and it’s a mystery I haven’t unraveled all the way through with the text, but will return to

I received an advanced reading copy of Insurrecto from NetGalley and Soho Press in exchange for an honest review.

I was quite interested to read this as the Philippines is not an area of the world I am very familiar with, and I was looking forward to gaining an insight into the culture and some of the country’s history.

The book vividly describes the bustle, heat and culture of the Philippine setting. The characters initially seem compelling when we meet them, however, I did not feel like I got to know them by the end of the novel. The filmmaker, Chiara, is mysterious to the point of being completely unknowable. The other main character Magsalin, is easier to get a grip on but she still managed to slip through my fingers. I enjoyed the flashbacks to Chiara’s parents and felt these were the most interesting characters in the novel although again, I felt their motivations were impossible to grasp.

Ultimately my main issue with this novel was the writing style which I found almost unfathomable. I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, but there were passages that I read and re-read multiple times and still failed to fully understand. The writing style is rather overwrought, and I struggled to comprehend what was happening at certain points in the novel. I appreciate that this is my personal preference, others may enjoy this aspect of it.

On balance, this novel had some enjoyable parts to it and I can honestly say that it is quite unlike anything I have ever read. It is a vibrant and interesting novel, but not one that spoke to me personally.

~ I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

Being a history major, the idea of a book delving into the Philippine-American War intrigued me. However, 30% into the book and I still found myself asking, “what’s the point?”. Ms. Apostol’s story introduces us to the sweltering heat and busy streets of the Philippines as characters Chiara Brasi and Magasalin work together on Chiara’s new film. Chiara’s character is unrelatable and sometimes excessively enigmatic while Magsalin’s character only really serves as a foil to be the “educated minority”. Chiara is entitled, the daughter of a director wearing Chanel shades and designer clothing in the middle of the Ali mall (which of course she calls it by the incorrect name). Magsalin, is her translator, a native born Filipino woman who seems to be running towards and running from her past.

I looked forward to learning more about both of these characters, however, the narration lost me in the overly verbose writing. I acknowledge that Ms. Apostol intended to make human characters, full of nuances and complexities, however, the characters were too complex to try to empathize with.

Maybe I’ll pick this up at another time and understand the characters a little better.