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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. The book was just a little too short for me to get super invested in the story. However, it was my first time reading anything about the topic of immigration and undocumented people living in a America. I thought the author did a great job at sharing the struggle of families trying to find their way back to each other.
Slim little book that packs a punch! The prose is light and heavy at the same time - now that’s a rare talent.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.75 stars. Beautiful story, beautifully written. Threading together the different stories of a family and how they move between Colombia and the US, Engel manages to also work in identity, mythology, and musing on place.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really really felt this book in my heart. A short read, with very short chapters (something I do tend to love) but the length does not prevent the reader from caring about every single member of the family in this story.
I really enjoyed the (odd, but it worked) choice to change perspectives in the latter half of the book. Most of the story is told from third perspective but in the later chapters, we get a couple first person perspectives that really drives home the heart of the book.
This is a story about a young Colombian couple who travel to the United States on a temporary visa with their firstborn daughter. They stay beyond their visa date, have two more children, and we see all of the struggles and hardships that come with being “illegal” in the USA. Including the deportation and splitting of a family.
There are quite a few hard to read moments throughout this story. Assault, sexual assault, heaps and heaps of racism (both overt and micro).
A novel that will surely stick in my heart for a long time.
I really enjoyed the (odd, but it worked) choice to change perspectives in the latter half of the book. Most of the story is told from third perspective but in the later chapters, we get a couple first person perspectives that really drives home the heart of the book.
This is a story about a young Colombian couple who travel to the United States on a temporary visa with their firstborn daughter. They stay beyond their visa date, have two more children, and we see all of the struggles and hardships that come with being “illegal” in the USA. Including the deportation and splitting of a family.
There are quite a few hard to read moments throughout this story. Assault, sexual assault, heaps and heaps of racism (both overt and micro).
A novel that will surely stick in my heart for a long time.
The narration switch from 3rd to 1st person was a bit odd, but still such a good book!
CW: violence, sexual assault
CW: violence, sexual assault