Reviews tagging 'Racism'

When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez

6 reviews

tlaynejones's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Drug use, and Child abuse

hobbithopeful's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

 Powerful and moving, When We Make It follows Sarai and her experience growing up. The book follows her struggles with identity, family, and what's it like to grow up moving from place to place because of housing insecurity.
I very much enjoyed reading this, though it is very heavy. I would caution anyone wanting to check it out to look at content warnings first. Everything from domestic abuse, to sexual assault, to racism, this books dives into some very real and very hard topics. I would probably have waited to read it had I known how prevalent the sexual assault was, and the reaction of others to it.
If you like The Poet X, you'll love this.
I highly recommend! This is my first book by Elisabet Velasquez, and I can't wait to read more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Pregnancy

Moderate: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Racism, and Gun violence

fflur's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I normally don't go for verse novels, but I loved this one. It contained so much heart that I thought it was an autobiographical book for a large part of it. It was such a good read, full of emotions, that I read it in one sitting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Racism

starrysteph's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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? Yes

4.5

An energizing explosion of heart & spirit, with characters that speak earnestly and directly with a yearning that is incredibly affecting.

 

We’re following Sarai, a Puerto Rican teenager living in Bushwick. She shares her hopes, she questions her identity, she agonizes over her familial pain & trauma, and she wonders about the future of her neighborhood and community. Sarai’s personality bursts from the page as she shares her quietest thoughts and her loudest dreams, all in verse.

 

This book covers tough subjects as Sarai faces all sorts of challenges: familial trauma, abuse, sexual assault, drug use & overdosing, teenage pregnancy, sexism & objectification of young women, ignorance & privilege, gentrification, and much more. 

 

The writing and voice is distinctive and connected and powerful. I was captivated by Sarai and hopeful for her and heartbroken for her. 

 

I found the ending to be a little bit crushing; the very last piece was too quick of a wrap up and some threads didn’t come together in the way I had hoped they would. I would have preferred getting maybe one more year of Sarai’s life and expanding on the conclusion.

 

CW: death (including child death), drugs & drug overdose, pregnancy, sexual assault (of a child), child abuse, mental illness, sexism, fatphobia, body shaming, ableism, domestic abuse, miscarriage, police brutality, gun violence, addiction, racism, toxic relationship, religious bigotry, psychosis, classism 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Addiction, Drug use, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexism, Child death, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Body shaming, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Gun violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, Classism, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality

ritareadstrash's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Racial slurs

foreverinastory's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

Thank you to Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rep: Borican female MC, and mixed borican supporting cast.

CWs: Addiction (drugs), body shaming, child abuse, death, domestic abuse, drug use/abuse, drug overdose, fatphobia, police brutality, pregnancy, racism, rape, sexism, sexual assault, sexual content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content