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namakurhea's review
3.0
Another short stories collection, but this time we travel into Central Valley, California where migrant workers take up jobs in hopes for a better life.
Compared to all the other short stories I read this month, this has been the most pensive and most haunting of all. “The Consequences” is really about what people give up in the hopes of getting something better. You give up familiar faces, your health, your youth. And the stories focus not only those who departed.. but it’s also about those who are left behind: the mothers, the wives, the sisters. A lot of times, in this collection, it is the women who are left behind. There are stories of coming-of-age as well… which is made extra difficult when you lack a role model.
Reading the book transported me deep into the farm fields of Fresno, walking in a maze of peach trees in the cold foggy mornings. From a distance I hear the rattle of a diesel truck and the crunch of leaves as dozes of farmworkers disembark the vehicle.
Compared to all the other short stories I read this month, this has been the most pensive and most haunting of all. “The Consequences” is really about what people give up in the hopes of getting something better. You give up familiar faces, your health, your youth. And the stories focus not only those who departed.. but it’s also about those who are left behind: the mothers, the wives, the sisters. A lot of times, in this collection, it is the women who are left behind. There are stories of coming-of-age as well… which is made extra difficult when you lack a role model.
Reading the book transported me deep into the farm fields of Fresno, walking in a maze of peach trees in the cold foggy mornings. From a distance I hear the rattle of a diesel truck and the crunch of leaves as dozes of farmworkers disembark the vehicle.
shanthereader's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
chellereadingthings's review
4.0
This was a really stunning short story collection! Each story had a quiet sort of power to it that seeps in as you read, and by the end of each I was trying to digest why I felt so impacted. Muñoz just had this way to his writing that can turn a simple moment into something to dig into and ponder. There’s almost a mystery or ambiguity to these stories and I really liked that.
jhowleywells's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kateleereads's review
3.5
I thought there was real variation of stories in this collection; some really good, others not so compelling. I really enjoyed the first story (about the car and the other woman) as well as one about the man who died in the field, and then did not particularly like any of the ones with Teddy- from his lover & from his sister. I think the premise of all the stories was great and the interconnectedness was very fun! But the characters mostly felt pretty flat and didn't quite pop off the page- it felt like they had predictable emotions and often when the big "climaxes" of the stories happened, I was a little less emotionally affected because I didn't see the characters as fully believable. I think in particular the female characters were less well-written/complex. Overall, I'm really glad I read it for the stories and the fun of seeing the stories intertwine, but otherwise, I don't know if I found a ton of inspiration or meaning in the characters themselves.
readbyjordon's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
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