Reviews tagging 'Racism'
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe, by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
19 reviews
caitlinemccann's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Injury/injury detail, and Body shaming
Moderate: Sexual content, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide and Racism
ash19_3's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the best book I have ever read! It discusses important topics such as purity culture and body insecurity.
It's a beautiful enemies to lovers as well as a book about finding ways to love yourself. This is amazing representation for disabled and gay people, as well as for people of color. It's a beautiful book about finding beauty within one's self. This is criminally underrated and if you think you want to read it, you should. The chemistry between all of the characters was beautiful and the romance was powerful. The relationship between the main character and the love interest took my breath away. I found comfort in this book that I have never felt anywhere else. To Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, this was a masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Fatphobia
toffishay's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A really powerful, emotional read. The style of writing is so beautiful; you can really tell that the author is also a poet. I love Moon and Santiago, the exploration of them as characters and them together. Moon is an awesome character too, so quippy and fun. The book also explores really important themes of depression, emotional abuse, physical abuse, insecurity, and identity. How religion can harm us and opening ourselves up can save us. What brings the book down for me is that there are just so many themes being explored. It makes for a really intense read when so much is happening. Definitely check content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, Injury/injury detail, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, and Grief
Minor: Rape, Racism, Outing, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
panickat123's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adored this book. Plus size character who overcomes her own insecurities and learns to stand up for herself while finding love? Sign me the hell up. Cherry on top that she’s Mexican too. Just adore. Some very heavy topics in this also so please read triggers if you want to know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Suicide, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/injury detail, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Grief
Minor: Toxic friendship and Racism
theromanticace's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Fatphobia, Injury/injury detail, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Outing, Sexual content, Racism, and Medical trauma
calamitywindpetal's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Child abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Car accident, and Racism
Minor: Self harm and Outing
legalplanner's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Overall, this was a phenomenal read, Somehow I managed to push through this in a day and cried, laughed, felt my heart break for Moon, and cheered her on throughout the novel.
Moon Fuentez is a nobody in the social media world unlike her twin sister Star who wants nothing more than to be the top influencer on the summer tour. Moon has accepted her fate as the summer "merch girl" and knows it will be all bad. Bring in grumpy, snippy, sometimes combative, attractive Santiago Phillips to change Moon's mind.
About Moon:
I absolutely loved how we get to know Moon. She's real, she's not some faked out character who is "perfect". Moon is not a size 2, she's not a virgin, she wants her own life away from her sister, and she wants to be loved for her.
The dynamic in the family is evident from the very beginning of the book. It is clearly outlined that Moon is the outcast and Star is the favorite. Yet, we get to know Moon in ways that show she's been cast in the roll as outcast for so long that even she has started to believe it. She goes above and beyond for her sister's career by taking and editing her photographs, yet she is never given a choice or a compliment about the hard work she's done.
In some moments of the story, it was painful to hear the degrading comments about Moon because she is not a virgin and not a size 2. Yes because people should not be shamed for those things but also its because its coming from a person who should love her unconditionally, but doesn't.
The twists and turns and her friendship with Santiago is what kept me turning page after page. While you think this might be a Teen YA RomCom, it is don't worry, it doesn't feel like an overplayed RomCom. We learn more about Santiago and Moon as disinterested co-workers, then friends, and then possibly more. Yet we see their insecurities and we see them work through how you're supposed to work through those in a proper manner. We also see the downfall of Star and Moon's relationship and how being put on a pedestal can create immature jealousy that does more damage than realized.
Moon Fuentez is a nobody in the social media world unlike her twin sister Star who wants nothing more than to be the top influencer on the summer tour. Moon has accepted her fate as the summer "merch girl" and knows it will be all bad. Bring in grumpy, snippy, sometimes combative, attractive Santiago Phillips to change Moon's mind.
About Moon:
Spoiler
We met moon as a hidden in the shadows sister and daughter with not a lot clearly laid out about her family other than she's the black sheep. Even though she is the black sheep, Moon is the singular person in her family that will speak the truth about things without consequences. She doesn't live her life for others. She lives it for her and her alone. That's power.... in a way.I absolutely loved how we get to know Moon. She's real, she's not some faked out character who is "perfect". Moon is not a size 2, she's not a virgin, she wants her own life away from her sister, and she wants to be loved for her.
The dynamic in the family is evident from the very beginning of the book. It is clearly outlined that Moon is the outcast and Star is the favorite. Yet, we get to know Moon in ways that show she's been cast in the roll as outcast for so long that even she has started to believe it. She goes above and beyond for her sister's career by taking and editing her photographs, yet she is never given a choice or a compliment about the hard work she's done.
In some moments of the story, it was painful to hear the degrading comments about Moon because she is not a virgin and not a size 2. Yes because people should not be shamed for those things but also its because its coming from a person who should love her unconditionally, but doesn't.
The twists and turns and her friendship with Santiago is what kept me turning page after page. While you think this might be a Teen YA RomCom, it is don't worry, it doesn't feel like an overplayed RomCom. We learn more about Santiago and Moon as disinterested co-workers, then friends, and then possibly more. Yet we see their insecurities and we see them work through how you're supposed to work through those in a proper manner. We also see the downfall of Star and Moon's relationship and how being put on a pedestal can create immature jealousy that does more damage than realized.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Racism and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity, Car accident, and Panic attacks/disorders
amy_lynnn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
c u t e
Okay, there was a LOT going on in this story, but overall I would describe it as a coming-of-age journey of love--both romantic love, and learning to love oneself--with a lil magical realism sprinkled in. It is cute and I enjoyed reading it--it was one of those books that I totally DEVOURED in two sittings, so, there's that.
There were some elements throughout that I thought could have been better: ie, some of the plot was a lil on the nose, some of the stuff which was meant to be a ~big reveal~ was extremely obvious to me, and I felt like the situation with Moon's mom was sort of unresolved (though I suppose that's a pretty realistic representation). I also felt like the book was a little longer than it really needed to be, in part because the author was smacking you upside the head with the point she was trying to make. To be FAIR though, I feel this way about a lot of YA (and it obviously makes sense why YA is written this way/why I feel too advanced for it lmao, I am an elderly crone after all).
STILL, I appreicated so much about this book and the end had me tearing up.
Tldr I guess I don't hate every hetero romance book all the time hahaha
Okay, there was a LOT going on in this story, but overall I would describe it as a coming-of-age journey of love--both romantic love, and learning to love oneself--with a lil magical realism sprinkled in. It is cute and I enjoyed reading it--it was one of those books that I totally DEVOURED in two sittings, so, there's that.
There were some elements throughout that I thought could have been better: ie, some of the plot was a lil on the nose, some of the stuff which was meant to be a ~big reveal~ was extremely obvious to me, and I felt like the situation with Moon's mom was sort of unresolved (though I suppose that's a pretty realistic representation). I also felt like the book was a little longer than it really needed to be, in part because the author was smacking you upside the head with the point she was trying to make. To be FAIR though, I feel this way about a lot of YA (and it obviously makes sense why YA is written this way/why I feel too advanced for it lmao, I am an elderly crone after all).
STILL, I appreicated so much about this book and the end had me tearing up.
Tldr I guess I don't hate every hetero romance book all the time hahaha
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Racism
half_bloodreader's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm loved, I'm fat, I'm beautiful.
🌛YA Magical Realism
🌜 Mexican-American plus-size rep
🌛 Colombian-American amputee rep
🌜Themes of trauma, religion, grief, abuse, self-love & acceptance, sexuality, identity, all kinds of prejudice, fatness and the joy, connection & healing power of food/cooking
🌛 It's also about nature & how wonderful the universe is amidst the human cruelty
🌜 Lyrical writing
My dad didn't think Star and Moon were as pretty as Estrella & Luna, because, honestly, they're not.
As an Iberian who speaks both Portuguese & Spanish: agreed. This is a joy I get that many of you may not experience. Whenever Moon speaks, thinks or searches words in Spanish, many times so similar to my own native language, I am already hearing them & feeling them on my tongue in double. Ivy, hiedra, hera. Beautiful, breathy, magical.
This is the story of How I Fell in Love with Moon Fuentez. She is connected to her roots, trying to learn more. She's a photographer who sees the simple pleasures, the beauty in nature, my little witch, and she feels the difference between how a word feels in different languages. Like me. She is witty, funny, free spirited. And lonely, insecure, carrying a lot of childhood trauma. Despite all that, she is still unapologetic - I love her for it.
I always ask the plant before taking. And I always thank it too. Just like Tía taught me. I don't care how that sounds. Plants have been here for 6 zillion years longer than us. That makes them sacred in my book.
Her abusive mother is the extremist religious type. Moon's relationship with her perfect twin sister is also complex. I can't honestly forgive Star for everything she's done, always diminishing her sister. I kept calling out crocodile tears.
Santiago & Moon's romance could be described as enemie-friends-lovers, but it hit different. Their dynamic is affected by the insecurities they carry due to living in their siblings shadows.
Santiago & Moon's romance could be described as enemie-friends-lovers, but it hit different. Their dynamic is affected by the insecurities they carry due to living in their siblings shadows.
This book hurts, then spreads a soothing balm on your heart.
Cw: sl*t shaming
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Racism
Minor: Suicide
imstephtacular's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content, Mental illness, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide, Cursing, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, and Car accident