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bookdnbusy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
the only reason i’m giving this four stars it’s because i wanted better for saraí. i wanted her to be everything she said she wanted to be. i wanted her to be better than her mother, and her sister.
but, nonetheless…
i enjoyed this, WAY TOO MUCH! this felt like a love letter to my summers in the city, running down the block yelling after el heladero to give me my vasito de colores so that i could give him his two dollars and walk back to my building already with my mouth turning blue thanks to the helado. a love letter to dreams and the hopes and the aspirations i had as a pre-teen sitting on the danger around the corner, away, but close enough that my mother knew where to send my siblings to find me and my friends. a love letter to a better life… to hope.
this collection of poems does such a great job at driving us through saraí’s story, her pain, and her joy. the hunger and thirst she constantly felt. whether for food, love or understanding. the way it forges the story with lack of dialogue is reminiscent of her diary, and how she truly saw life and experienced it.
it’s also a big mirror to the relationship a lot of hispanic mothers have with their daughters. i found myself tightening my jaw and reminding myself that my mother was but a child, too and that i, as her firstborn, were a product of trial and error. she learned. she rectified, but the damage was done, and estrella paid a different price than her mother’s and saraí paid the price because estrella had been the first.
honestly, this is so good and i will be picking this up whenever i feel nostalgic for more. for saraí. for estrella. for mami, and tío richie. I LOVED THIS!
but, nonetheless…
i enjoyed this, WAY TOO MUCH! this felt like a love letter to my summers in the city, running down the block yelling after el heladero to give me my vasito de colores so that i could give him his two dollars and walk back to my building already with my mouth turning blue thanks to the helado. a love letter to dreams and the hopes and the aspirations i had as a pre-teen sitting on the danger around the corner, away, but close enough that my mother knew where to send my siblings to find me and my friends. a love letter to a better life… to hope.
this collection of poems does such a great job at driving us through saraí’s story, her pain, and her joy. the hunger and thirst she constantly felt. whether for food, love or understanding. the way it forges the story with lack of dialogue is reminiscent of her diary, and how she truly saw life and experienced it.
it’s also a big mirror to the relationship a lot of hispanic mothers have with their daughters. i found myself tightening my jaw and reminding myself that my mother was but a child, too and that i, as her firstborn, were a product of trial and error. she learned. she rectified, but the damage was done, and estrella paid a different price than her mother’s and saraí paid the price because estrella had been the first.
honestly, this is so good and i will be picking this up whenever i feel nostalgic for more. for saraí. for estrella. for mami, and tío richie. I LOVED THIS!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Addiction
Minor: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Death, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
the main character and main character's family are Pentecostal, and the book has descriptions of scripture and sometimes blasphemy (as a lot of forced religious kids do).
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