The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Julia writes:

I currently finished the second half of my independent reading book, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. When I had left off at Chapter 8, I was enjoying the book and very interested in what was to come. I was left in shock when I was finished, because the ending was like nothing I had suspected.
Where I’d left off, Blanca cried at her wedding at the thought that Esteban had killed Pedro Tercero. Clara cleared up that Pedro was alive and well, and Blanca continued on through the night without shedding another tear. Soon enough, Blanca and Jean came to an agreement that they would not have sexual relations. However, Jean also began to take up bad habits such as drugs, and eventually having sex with Indian men, driving Blanca out of their house to Tres Marias. Blanca has her daughter Alba the moment she arrives, and when she is old enough, Blanca tells her that her real father, Jean, died in the desert. Alba is emotionally attached to Esteban, spending lots of time with him, and convinced that he is her father. By the time Alba is four, Clara announces to the family that she will soon die, preparing herself. On her birthday, Alba stands bedside with Clara when she dies. Esteban lays with her that night, finally feeling connected. Soon after, Tres Marias begins falling apart, not only in structure, but in family relations. Nicolas performs strange spiritual acts which anger Esteban so much that he has a heart attack. Not long after recovery, he sinks deeper into depression. His friends bring him to the brothel where he, once again, has sex with Transito. Elsewhere, Alba and Miguel fall in love when she is eighteen, unaware that they have known each other in the past. She keeps her relationship with Miguel a secret and only tells Miguel. Alba becomes involved with revolutionary politics strictly because Miguel is. The socialists win the election. This brings the country into an economic meltdown caused by the Conservatives, led by Esteban. During the military coup, Pedro Tercero asks to hide in Blanca’s home, and she agrees to tell no one. Eventually, she tells Esteban and Alba, and Pedro and Esteban make up. Blanca then escapes to Canada with Pedro. Alba, however, is selling whatever she can to make money to support Miguel. Esteban decides she has taken it too far, and helps by setting up a bank account for her. One night, the political police break in and steal Alba, subjecting her to the physical, sexual, and emotional torture by Esteban Garcia and his guards. Esteban Trueba spends nearly a month searching for her, until he decides to ask Transito for help in his desperate time of need. 
I will not say how the book ends so that I don’t ruin it, but I will say that it is very interesting. The book ends as though there will be a sequel, however, there is not. The reader must interpret what happens on their own. The House of the Spirits is suitable for teenagers and up. I would not recommend it for someone of a young age, because it contains some violence, inappropriate language, and sexual content. Overall, I found this book to be suspenseful and thrilling.