3 out of 4 stars
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Malice Intent by Alba Castillo is a memoir about misplaced love, abuse, and the choices we make.
Alba Castillo is from a small Spanish village. After learning English in England, she eventually made her way to America. She falls in love several times throughout her life, only to be taken advantage of and ill-treated. After having two children, she thinks she has found the man of her dreams, but it turns into a nightmare. She has a child with him and hopes that she can make the relationship work out. For years she is emotionally abused by him, making it increasingly difficult to do what she must: leave. When she is diagnosed with cancer, it is a turning point for her. She decides she has had enough of the stressful life she has been living with him.
While this book is well written and organized, it is not a light read. The topics in here are heavy and almost painful to read. It breaks my heart to hear all that the author went through; knowing that I was only hearing a summary of it all and it must have been so difficult to live that way for so long. I am pleased that she has found peace in her life, but her story does not end on a happily-ever-after note. Every day she has to deal with the choices she made in the past. The difference now is that she is on the right track. Personally, I would have liked a more hopeful ending, but I can appreciate the honesty in her writing.
I was pulled into the story. Once I started reading, I had a difficult time putting it down. There were too many questions hanging in the air; making me have to read more to settle them. It takes a strong woman to open up her life story to the world. If there is anything I learned about the author, it is that she is strong. To come out on top after all she has suffered physically and emotionally, is astounding.
My rating for Malice Intent is 3 out of 4 stars. It is a little sad for my taste, but I think it serves a good purpose to make people aware of the early warning signs of an abusive person. Emotional abuse is often overlooked by people because it can be difficult to pinpoint. This book gives a good account of what tactics an emotional abuser uses and why it is so hard for people to leave one. I did notice a few minor grammatical errors. There were not many and they did not hinder my enjoyment of the book, but I probably would rate the book higher if it had been error free.
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Malice Intent
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