Scan barcode
gabymck's review
4.0
The main character’s struggles are so real, I feel I’ve seen this girl in several people I’ve known. Great writing about a Hispanic girl navigating through college away from what she knew as “home”.
(The snow scene was not successful IMO, but I’m not from Miami so what do I know?)
(The snow scene was not successful IMO, but I’m not from Miami so what do I know?)
livingprose's review
funny
reflective
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
4.0
amiett's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
irisameliaink's review against another edition
4.0
As a native Miamian and Cuban-American, this resonated with me in so many painful ways—most strongly the theme of familial betrayal by venturing to the northeast for college. I loved this book. While I was not a first-generation student, Crucet captured so much of the anguish surrounding balancing individuality with loyalty to The Family. And that struggle of identities—saying you're Cuban when you're not *from* Cuba, trying to explain the nuances—just rang so true. I knew this was going to be a hard read, and I'm glad I finished. Crucet captured how I felt, years ago, effortlessly. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
chrisralonso's review against another edition
5.0
Whew, ok. This one hit very close to home for a myriad of reasons. I remember the Elián González debacle, the hysteria, the news of the raid. But this book is also about the culture clash between the bubble that can be Miami and everything outside of it, how sometimes people not of a particular place will never understand the trauma of having something taken from them. Crucet weaves a back-and-forth between Lizet's (protagonist) time in college and her returns to Miami during her first year amid the madness of the custody battle. I'll say it, this book doesn't feel like a book most people outside of Miami will fully understand, but I urge you to strongly consider that. Like, some books aren't *meant* for you, and that's ok. So, this is all to say that I get Lizet's struggle with her family and herself, and how that's a thing that some people will forever carry with them.
asamandalouise's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, this book was a challenge for me. The main character was the most negative, whiny, selfish person I can remember reading about. I couldn’t get past it. From starting fights to spitting her own snot on a family member’s food... her arrogance was almost unbelievable to me, especially in contrast with her seeming lack of confidence. Page after page of self-sabotage and failing to see the love others were trying to give her. It was, simply put, a depressing read with no real bright side. Leidy, the sister, was far more worthy of being the protagonist and I’d rather have read a book centered around her life.
kateng's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book had potential but fell short. If they had focused more on Lizet and her development as a character trying to deal with racial identities, that would have been a lot more feasible. Instead the book got convoluted by too many themes, too many unexplained thought processes, and a rally/family drama that felt too surface level to be meaningful in any way.
aburciaga11's review
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
linkwithlinda's review
4.0
Highly relatable and emotionally complex, with a perfectly imperfect ending.
bubblegumbook's review
4.0
The last book for my Multicultural Lit. class! waaahh! This story, although it's tame summary, is actually deep and almost depressing. It was so vivid and real and heartbreaking. I liked it a lot, but I had a couple issues: I thought the pacing was a little slow and there was too much information on things that didn't matter to the story. What I did like was all the characters and their interactions. I liked how Ariel's story paralleled Lizet's story. I loved how Ariel's life was messing up Lizet's and her mothers role in that. Lizet's mom broke my heart right along with Lizet's. I loved the ending where it was a glimpse into the future, which reminded me of movies that show pictures of each character and one or two lines saying what they are up to now. It was a great book overall, it really exposed the struggle of going away to college, how it is even more of a struggle for first generation students. Also the crises of being nonwhite in America. It was eye opening.