Reviews

Soledad by Angie Cruz

thelastsara's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

melissa1991's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

nameman11's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

cubierocks's review against another edition

dnf at 35%. Couldn't get into the voice of the story.

readerchristina's review against another edition

2.0

This book started out with so much promise, but really fell flat. Also, if you're not a Spanish speaker, you'll miss some of the nuances in the dialogue.

sladanablagojevic's review against another edition

4.0

this isn't an easy read.
Angie Cruz is a phenomenal writer and Dominicana is one of my favourite books ever. Soledad is quiet similar, so many layers, so much had happened to these women. It actually made me cry and made me angry at the same time.
The books is much more complex and deep than you believe it is from the description.
Not for everyone but worth the read.

alysynhardt's review against another edition

4.0

What I find the most compelling part's of Angie Cruz's novel is not the prose or magical realist elements, but its extremely accurate caricature of NYC. The funniest and truest description of West Manhattan. I wouldn't describe it as magical realist so much as having a dream motif. The lyrical ending doesn't quite flow with the rest of the novel, but it doesn't spring up from nowhere.
A novel equally about sexuality as it is about hybridity, it's not the average second generation story. Soledad is likable, without becoming boring. Her mother is catatonic through the majority of the novel, yet their relationship becomes clear within the first few pages. The three generations of females' relationships mimic real family life. This makes the more hallucinatory elements of the novel believable when they arise.
Flaca, Soledad's firecracker cousin, steals the show though. Her parts, while mostly providing comedic lines, hold a lot of weight and really push this novel to true bildungsroman status.
The novel is better as a beach read though than a thought provoking text. Cruz's argument, if there even is one, is to basically learn how to communicate within the contexts of both romantic & familial love. The narrative itself is stronger, a quick, but bright read.

phoebemroz's review against another edition

3.0

20% in I was about to stop because I thought this wasn't for me, but I'm glad I kept going. It took me a while to understand the family tree with the flashback stories (I didn't realize Olivia was Soledad's mom until halfway in) and I'm not sure if the physical book version has a family tree but that would've benefitted me. I think I might've enjoyed this more reading it in my own voice versus audiobook. I did like the touch of mysticism in an otherwise realistic fiction setting, I loved the spirits as a physical representation of emotional struggles

murphyjc's review

challenging emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

embervleo's review

3.0

i found myself pausing/rewinding the audiobook a lot; i found the book to be a bit disjointed and tough to follow. Not sure if due to insufficient character development or my own auditory processing issues