Review of The Faces of Unborn Butterflies

[Terry Kimble]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Faces of Unborn Butterflies" by Mariela G. George.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Faces of Unborn Butterflies is an immersive story based on actual events that will ruminate in the reader’s consciousness long after the book is finished, and quite possibly—forever.

The book compiles the lives of past and present characters, each illuminating a portrait of unconscionable violence and, or deaths. Well-acquainted with domestic violence from her childhood and later from abusive partners, the emotional profundity of the author Mariela G. George is rousing.

Mariela G. George grew up in Bulgaria, where she majored in Sociology and her fight for human rights began. She landed in America in 2003, received a Criminal Justice degree, and 2016 became a police officer and detective in a Domestic Violence Department in Texas. In her description of The Faces of Unborn Butterflies, she states that she ‘lays her soul bare’ in this fictionalized memoir. The wretched events shared in the book often stole the air from my lungs, underscoring George’s statement.

The protagonist in the drama is domestic abuse investigator Adriana Denkova. From a young age, Adriana suffers abuse from her father. As the heartbreaking cycle often goes, later in life, she connects with partners who physically, mentally, and emotionally abuse her, causing her self-identity to fracture. By this time, she has two young children bearing witness. The author's third-person narrative; “She patiently awaited something to unfold. Silence. Every window remained dark, mute, like vacant eyes. Everyone slumbered, eagerly anticipating the arrival of morning and the promise of a new day. Anticipating the onset of new chaos, inexplicably emerging from nowhere to nowhere.”

I was affected by George’s adept writing style. She aptly plants the reader into Adriana’s shoes. In one scene of the book, a store robbery takes the life of a girl; “The girl, only seventeen years old, stood at the crossroads of life, where beauty and darkness intertwined. Her future, full of potential mistakes and hard-fought victories, now seemed to slip away, evading the grasp of the police officer. It was as if her existence was deleted, like a story obliterated by a careless stroke of an eraser. A life which worth was now reduced to a mere one hundred and fifty dollars….Sayana. The fragile body she cradled had once borne a name. Sayana. And that name had harbored dreams.”

With every story shared, the reader gleans insight into the mental and emotional turmoil police officers endure. And with every story shared, the reader wears the shoes of a victim of violence.

The illustrations by Dilyana Ignatova in this novel are shimmery and mesmerizing—hauntingly beautiful. The reader is also treated to poetic snippets from the author’s psyche at the beginning of each chapter: Chapter 12—“My pain told me I was alive. It screamed it, but quietly, so as not to wake my corpse.”
Chapter 29—“Death is the goal of birth. And the purpose of birth is to find the worthiest path to death.”

Although an emotionally formidable read that I sometimes had to pause, there was nothing to dislike about this book. Kindle caused a few formatting issues. Quotation marks were upside down, and there was excess spacing between words on every line of the text throughout the book. I did not see this as the author’s fault, nor did it compromise my fluid reading experience. The book was well-edited. Due to mature themes and triggering topics, I recommend this 5 out of 5-star novel to adults only. It is a front-seat journey into the savagery of domestic violence told by an author who lived it and has dedicated her life to helping others escape or avoid it.

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The Faces of Unborn Butterflies
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[Nwachukwu Somto]

It's evident that George's personal experiences and background as a police officer and detective in a Domestic Violence Department have deeply influenced the authenticity and rawness of the story.

[Julius Peters]

With compelling characters and poetic illustrations, 'The Faces of Unborn Butterflies' seems like a gripping exploration of trauma and survival, shedding light on the unseen struggles of both victims and law enforcement officers.

[Qwerty Writes]

It sounds like a rather heavy read. But I'd like to give it a try and see what it's about. I enjoy different perspectives and informative books. I've never read something like this, it's thought-provoking and really challenges a thought of mine. Does the law really get em all?

[Gerry Steen]

People generally do not understand domestic violence and have a hard time facing it. This book will help people to do just that. This book will show that domestic violence is real and more common that we like to admit. I am adding this story to my bookshelves. Thank you for this informative review.