Reviews

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

joeestar's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

5.0

kdahlo's review against another edition

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5.0

Really brilliant and unusual work. It's journalism, but with a very honest revealing of the way the author's life becomes intermingled with her subjects. It's also a memoir of a remarkable person surviving in an unjust society. It's both of those things shuffled together and hidden inside eachother. It contained several stories that I'm really glad I learned about - like the stories undocumented workers in New York who helped respond to 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. It's sometimes emotionally difficult, but the writing is fast-paced and conversational. It's got great flow, great imagery, great juxtapositions and gut-punches. Overall a great work.

annas26's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

jasminesworld's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

there is a lot i appreciate about this book. its rating is mostly a reflection of the brutal honesty in how the stories of the author and people they interviewed. i could say more but i do find the lower rated reviews interesting i just feel the need to comment. i hate using these terms but people don’t seem culturally competent and/or lack nuance to understand why certain statements get written. its especially interesting how some white people let their fragility impact how they receive this book. 

i definitely dont expect this book to be perfect for everyone or absent of criticism – but i do question the source doing the critique. 

i think it maybe easier to have a better experience if you listen to the audiobook, and there are some comments or statements that the author does mean/believe but at the same time i can tell they know isnt true. its hard to phrase, i am not the same background of the author but it definitely is a racialize immigrant child understanding.

nikimilburn's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative fast-paced

4.0

susieheartzu's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

teddytr19's review against another edition

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5.0

Honest and raw account of those who are most often forgotten, neglected, mistreated, and misrepresented in our society. Will be adding this to my personal library.

scorcheded's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

rebecanunez's review against another edition

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5.0

Es una historia que conozco. Tal vez no soy de un país caribeño, pero como latinoamericana es la historia de muchas personas, de muchas familias que conozco. Si será relevante leer libros como este, informarnos de estas realidades. Me sorprende que no haya más impulso para este libro.

esther_habs's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.25