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aprilbethp's review against another edition
3.0
Slow Read
I had high hopes for this book. I just struggled trying to connect to any character. It had a lot potential and tackled some tough subjects but it missed the mark for me.
I had high hopes for this book. I just struggled trying to connect to any character. It had a lot potential and tackled some tough subjects but it missed the mark for me.
booksandpops4000's review
4.0
I found this to be really interesting read. I was really invested in all the characters and felt like the book was well paced. I loved the look into Latina culture and I really loved the characters relationship to their culture. I also really liked how the friendship dynamics were not dramatically effected by romance. I loved the book being set over a year and loved seeing these characters grown and change. I hope to read more by this author in the future.
rhappe13's review
4.0
Though the middle got a bit long, I loved this book for the multiple POVs, diverse characters, and serious themes that were developed in a funny and lighthearted setting.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/the-resolutions/
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/the-resolutions/
iamlitandwit's review
4.0
We’re so used to the weight of emotions we don’t notice we carry them everywhere.Ya lo terminé! I cried and smiled and felt so connected to Jess, Lee, Nora & Ryan (Jess and Nora specifically).
It did drag in the middle for me, it's was a little too long, but nevertheless, I thought it was a sweet friendship story with amazing representation that felt like home.
rray_'s review
3.0
I thought this would be an appropriate read for Jan 1 and I had high hopes for this book - a diverse/own voices contemporary YA about a group of friends doing dumb fun (and harmless!) stuff, a New Year's-flavored Latinx Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants if you will, which is right up my alley.
...while not bad per se, I was still rather disappointed. Instead of staying together as a group or being totally separate (ala Sisterhood), the characters are so in-and-out of each other's lives it made it rather disjointed. The vast majority of the action is also dialogue-driven often with secondary characters about the mains, which made the plot feel very contained, constrained and "ship-in-a-bottle-ish" (like the TV episodes often called such). Or rather making the plot felt constrained and trapped in different rooms of a house, if you will (not literally in the plot, more figuratively, although it got pretty close to points like that, too).
...while not bad per se, I was still rather disappointed. Instead of staying together as a group or being totally separate (ala Sisterhood), the characters are so in-and-out of each other's lives it made it rather disjointed. The vast majority of the action is also dialogue-driven often with secondary characters about the mains, which made the plot feel very contained, constrained and "ship-in-a-bottle-ish" (like the TV episodes often called such). Or rather making the plot felt constrained and trapped in different rooms of a house, if you will (not literally in the plot, more figuratively, although it got pretty close to points like that, too).
likethecountryy's review
4.0
My life is so much more que esta mierda.
I love a multilingual book. A sweet story that I read in over my four day thanksgiving break, and as a mixed Mexican myself loved the latinx themes explored as well as the LGBT characters.
It started a little slow but the friendships felt real and so did the characters. Found myself often frustrated with the characters and screaming at them to stop making their lives so miserable, probably because I've been through the similar things.
Would recommend, and while there is a happy ending, you might want to grab a tissue box.
asquared92's review
4.0
The synopsis of this book caught my eye. I enjoyed the story and these characters immensely. I liked how the story jumped between their perspectives. The author did a good job of making those jumps easy to follow and interconnected. I loved the diversity portrayed in the story. Ryan, Jess, Lee, and Nora were such great characters. The resolutions they gave each other spurred life altering journeys for each of them. I loved how they each discovered things about themselves and each other over the course of a year. The battles they faced in the process of finding themselves and each other were thought provoking, heart breaking, and ultimately very relatable. The ending was good. I just wished there had been a few more pages showing what the future held for each of them.
enne's review
5.0
5 stars
I honestly do not even know where to begin with this book because there are so many things that I loved about it.
This follows four friends who decide to write each other's new year's resolutions over the course of the year as they struggle to complete them. I thought each of the characters was really well-developed and stood aside on their own perfectly, but my favorite part of this book was the friendship dynamic between the four of them. This is closely followed by the fact that there is no major falling out between the friends at all over the course of the story!! The book doesn't rely on drama between the four friends to carry the story and I really appreciated that. Throughout the course of the novel, their care and love for each other is constantly emphasized and it just,,, made me so happy.
I also really loved all of the individual storylines within this book and I think they were all given ample time to develop and grow which I really appreciated. I felt all of the characters' worries and insecurities so deeply and I adore the way Mia Garcia wrote their emotions.
I loved reading about Nora and her worries with going to culinary school and leaving her family cafe behind. I also just loved reading about Nora baking because I am a very big fan of baking books and this one definitely didn't disappoint on that front!! Nora is also in the cutest (sapphic) relationship for the entirety of this book and this brought me so much joy.
I loved reading about Lee and her struggles and insecurities and I also really liked the direction that her particular story took. I have to say I am also a very big fan of how this one concluded, even though it wasn't in the way I was expecting.
I loved reading about Ryan's struggle with rediscovering who he is outside of his relationship with his ex-boyfriend and coming back to art. The last few chapters from Ryan's POV made me incredibly emotional because they hit really close to home for me. I love Ryan with all of my heart that's all, thanks.
I especially loved reading about Jess and the amount of pressure she puts on herself to perform and to not let anyone down and to constantly take on more responsibilities. Everything that was said in Jess' chapters hit so close to home for me, especially with the way she feels like she's never enough and too much for other people at the same time. This book was very validating in that regard. I cried a lot.
I also really appreciate how family is a really big part of this book as well. The families of our four main characters differ significantly from each other, but they're all present and they're a significant part of the story in every character's case. I loved seeing them interact with their families and I loved the way they contributed to the main arcs of the book. Also?? Ryan's grandmother literally deserves the world I will not be taking any criticisms on this.
There isn't really a central plot to the story besides the resolutions, which kind of sprout off into the four different storylines that I discussed above, so I guess the last thing to talk about is the friendship, since I started with that as well. Throughout the story, the friendships between different characters grow and change as they rely more on each other and are more open and honest with each other and I honestly loved every second of it. I love reading about messy teens supporting messy teens and that's exactly what this book gave me and I love it with all of my heart.
I honestly do not even know where to begin with this book because there are so many things that I loved about it.
This follows four friends who decide to write each other's new year's resolutions over the course of the year as they struggle to complete them. I thought each of the characters was really well-developed and stood aside on their own perfectly, but my favorite part of this book was the friendship dynamic between the four of them. This is closely followed by the fact that there is no major falling out between the friends at all over the course of the story!! The book doesn't rely on drama between the four friends to carry the story and I really appreciated that. Throughout the course of the novel, their care and love for each other is constantly emphasized and it just,,, made me so happy.
I also really loved all of the individual storylines within this book and I think they were all given ample time to develop and grow which I really appreciated. I felt all of the characters' worries and insecurities so deeply and I adore the way Mia Garcia wrote their emotions.
I loved reading about Nora and her worries with going to culinary school and leaving her family cafe behind. I also just loved reading about Nora baking because I am a very big fan of baking books and this one definitely didn't disappoint on that front!! Nora is also in the cutest (sapphic) relationship for the entirety of this book and this brought me so much joy.
I loved reading about Lee and her struggles and insecurities and I also really liked the direction that her particular story took. I have to say I am also a very big fan of how this one concluded, even though it wasn't in the way I was expecting.
I loved reading about Ryan's struggle with rediscovering who he is outside of his relationship with his ex-boyfriend and coming back to art. The last few chapters from Ryan's POV made me incredibly emotional because they hit really close to home for me. I love Ryan with all of my heart that's all, thanks.
I especially loved reading about Jess and the amount of pressure she puts on herself to perform and to not let anyone down and to constantly take on more responsibilities. Everything that was said in Jess' chapters hit so close to home for me, especially with the way she feels like she's never enough and too much for other people at the same time. This book was very validating in that regard. I cried a lot.
I also really appreciate how family is a really big part of this book as well. The families of our four main characters differ significantly from each other, but they're all present and they're a significant part of the story in every character's case. I loved seeing them interact with their families and I loved the way they contributed to the main arcs of the book. Also?? Ryan's grandmother literally deserves the world I will not be taking any criticisms on this.
There isn't really a central plot to the story besides the resolutions, which kind of sprout off into the four different storylines that I discussed above, so I guess the last thing to talk about is the friendship, since I started with that as well. Throughout the story, the friendships between different characters grow and change as they rely more on each other and are more open and honest with each other and I honestly loved every second of it. I love reading about messy teens supporting messy teens and that's exactly what this book gave me and I love it with all of my heart.