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mimima's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Somehow, when this crossed my path, the fact that it starts during Holy Week with the main character being crucified in a Good Friday procession caused me to put it on the "read during Lent" list.
This was not an uplifting Lenten meditation. However, instead I found a really well done family story about the aforementioned man, his 70-something widowed mother, his daughter who is both approaching her 16th birthday and the birth of her baby, his ex-wife, and other various and assorted people who he disappoints daily. Told with humor and heart, it was a very heartwarming read, though not a faith-affirming one.
This was not an uplifting Lenten meditation. However, instead I found a really well done family story about the aforementioned man, his 70-something widowed mother, his daughter who is both approaching her 16th birthday and the birth of her baby, his ex-wife, and other various and assorted people who he disappoints daily. Told with humor and heart, it was a very heartwarming read, though not a faith-affirming one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Alcohol
jshroy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Rape, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Vomit, Self harm, and Drug abuse
ashwaar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
This is death, then: a brief spot of light on earth extinguished, a rippling point of energy swept clear. A kiss, a song, the warm circle of a stranger’s arms—these things and others—the whole crush of memory and hope, the constant babble of the mind, everything that composes a person—gone.
As in the above quote, the writing in The Five Wounds is absolutely beautiful. Our story follows the Padilla family in the remote, forgotten town of Las Penas in New Mexico. Amadeo has been chosen to play the crucified Jesus in the annual Good Friday procession when his mother, Yolanda, receives an unexpected medical diagnosis, and his 15-year-old pregnant daughter, Angel, turns up on his doorstep after a fight with her mother. Despite the challenging circumstances and questionable decisions, the new infant brings several generations together and pushes them to re-evaluate their choices, identities and importance to those closest to them.
The story tells the harsh reality of living in a small, dwindling community in America that nobody seems to care about and what happens to the people who grow up in these places and the futures they’re told they can never have. There are some really strong commentaries on the problems afflicting these small communities, and I have provided trigger warnings below, but it can make it a little harrowing to read at times.
I want to be clear that all the characters are deeply flawed and really quite unlikeable. They make mistakes, don’t take responsibility, run away from their problems and get caught up in fantasies without thinking about reality. But you still root for them far more than the people or challenges they come up against. You keep wanting them to do better, even if you sometimes have to put the book down out of sheer frustration that they’re making terrible choices.. again…
In addition, some characters are a bit over the top, like Angel’s teacher, Brianna, who cannot get over the fact that she’s a virgin and feels inferior in educating these young women on childbirth and parenthood. Lizette can also be written a little over the top at times, and it feels a bit exploitative to the reader.
However, the writing is beautiful, and the family are messed up and broken but slowly putting themselves back together and creating something that isn’t perfect but is theirs, and that's really admirable. It’s a bit on the long side, and I found it faltered in pace at some points, but overall, it's a really strong, challenging, character-focused read.
Rating: 4.25/5
Recommendations: Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Trigger Warnings: addiction, alcoholism, cancer, car accident, death, domestic abuse, grief, medical content, pregnancy, rape, self harm, sexual assault, terminal illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Car accident, and Cancer
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Self harm, Rape, and Sexual assault
legolibro245's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Homophobia
okiecozyreader's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This is a book that has been on my list since it was a Barnes and Noble selection. It came out about the same time as Klara and the Sun and for the longest time, I got the two books confused. They are both Orange with a hand / hands on the cover, but they are so different! I don’t know if I would have eventually gotten to them, but different bookclubs read them this year and I’m glad I read this one with MomAdvice!
To me, this title and cover don’t represent the book well. I kept waiting for a deeper explanation of The Five Wounds - it is described in the beginning as part of the sacrifice of Christ. The father, Amadeo is playing Christ in a recreation of the cross story (carrying the cross and actually having his hands nailed to a cross). The title is mentioned here:
“The figure on the crucifix is a living man, a living witness to Amadeo’s transgressions. Amadeo looks from the statue to Angel, then back, hands trembling.
The artist did not stop at five wounds, but inflicted his brush generously on the thin body. And there are the nails. Three. One in each hand, one skewering the long, pale feet. Amadeo feels his own palms throb.”
Part 1 Semana Santa
There is an alternative cover (maybe UK?) that has an image of a woman holding a child and I like that cover for this book so much better. It is, to me, more the warmth of the story. Mainly told from the daughter Angel’s point of view. At 15 years old, she is pregnant and returns to her father and grandmother’s home, because her mother has a newish man in her life that Angel cannot live with. Her father has never had a job and is an alcoholic and his mother has always tried to fix his problems. His sister and her children visit, as well as the grandmother’s brother Tío Tíve. All of these family members weave in and out of the story as they cope with this young girl’s pregnancy and work at being a family. Angel attends SmartStarts!, a program to help pregnant girls learn how to become better parents and makes some friends there. She admires her teacher Brianna who at 25, is a virgin. Brianna tries to teach them skills like meditation as well as earn their GEDs.
Trigger: cancer, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, (lightly described scenes include drug use, harm - either self or abuse).
“Yolanda (grandmother) is an optimist. Yolanda considers herself a happy person. Her life is filled with love and family and friends. She likes people, believes that they are basically good. But this doesn’t change her simultaneous belief that the universe is essentially malevolent, life booby-trapped with disaster. The evidence is clear: so many bodies damaged and beaten and destroyed, washed up on the shores of her life. And her own body, harboring its deadly secret knot. It doesn’t seem normal, the sheer quantity of awfulness crowded into her family. Sure, every family has its problems, but her family problems are uglier.” P80
“This person was in her, part of her, and now he’s not. He was once hers alone, and now, for the rest of her life, she’ll be sharing him with the world. It’s amazing to her how the human body can stretch, and she thinks that if the heart can, too, maybe it can stretch big enough to fit them all.” Part II Ordinary Time p150
“This heartache is so much larger than anything she’s felt. It’s agony—she can’t sit still, it hurts so much—and also enlivening. Angel had no idea that the world could hold ache like this, just as, before Connor was born, she had no idea it could hold such love” p370 (Part II)
To me, this title and cover don’t represent the book well. I kept waiting for a deeper explanation of The Five Wounds - it is described in the beginning as part of the sacrifice of Christ. The father, Amadeo is playing Christ in a recreation of the cross story (carrying the cross and actually having his hands nailed to a cross). The title is mentioned here:
“The figure on the crucifix is a living man, a living witness to Amadeo’s transgressions. Amadeo looks from the statue to Angel, then back, hands trembling.
The artist did not stop at five wounds, but inflicted his brush generously on the thin body. And there are the nails. Three. One in each hand, one skewering the long, pale feet. Amadeo feels his own palms throb.”
Part 1 Semana Santa
There is an alternative cover (maybe UK?) that has an image of a woman holding a child and I like that cover for this book so much better. It is, to me, more the warmth of the story. Mainly told from the daughter Angel’s point of view. At 15 years old, she is pregnant and returns to her father and grandmother’s home, because her mother has a newish man in her life that Angel cannot live with. Her father has never had a job and is an alcoholic and his mother has always tried to fix his problems. His sister and her children visit, as well as the grandmother’s brother Tío Tíve. All of these family members weave in and out of the story as they cope with this young girl’s pregnancy and work at being a family. Angel attends SmartStarts!, a program to help pregnant girls learn how to become better parents and makes some friends there. She admires her teacher Brianna who at 25, is a virgin. Brianna tries to teach them skills like meditation as well as earn their GEDs.
Trigger: cancer, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, (lightly described scenes include drug use, harm - either self or abuse).
“Yolanda (grandmother) is an optimist. Yolanda considers herself a happy person. Her life is filled with love and family and friends. She likes people, believes that they are basically good. But this doesn’t change her simultaneous belief that the universe is essentially malevolent, life booby-trapped with disaster. The evidence is clear: so many bodies damaged and beaten and destroyed, washed up on the shores of her life. And her own body, harboring its deadly secret knot. It doesn’t seem normal, the sheer quantity of awfulness crowded into her family. Sure, every family has its problems, but her family problems are uglier.” P80
“This person was in her, part of her, and now he’s not. He was once hers alone, and now, for the rest of her life, she’ll be sharing him with the world. It’s amazing to her how the human body can stretch, and she thinks that if the heart can, too, maybe it can stretch big enough to fit them all.” Part II Ordinary Time p150
“This heartache is so much larger than anything she’s felt. It’s agony—she can’t sit still, it hurts so much—and also enlivening. Angel had no idea that the world could hold ache like this, just as, before Connor was born, she had no idea it could hold such love” p370 (Part II)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
funkylitchick's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Cancer
Moderate: Self harm, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
internationalreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Cancer, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape and Incest
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
I’m not going to lie, I really wasn’t that invested in this book at first. I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters that were thrown at me, in addition to this feel that the book started in media res. It probably didn’t help that I found a handful of them irksome. I want to say that I warmed up to them, but the reality is, I didn’t. Some of them just didn’t get the redemption arc we always want to see or something of that nature, but I could tell this was a deliberate choice given how complex Quade’s characters were that she was able to get such conflicted feelings out of me. I wouldn’t quite say The Five Wounds is a string of elaborate character studies, but I have to commend Quade for going so in-depth with each character’s beliefs, moods, personality, etc. I felt this was the case even for the side characters, and, in the end, they were the ones that really brought the story together more than anything else.
I don’t think this book was meant to give a satisfying ending or sense of resolution. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll find this book to be a disappointment. If you’re looking for likeable characters or characters to root for, you’re also not going to really find that here. However, if you want an in-depth exploration of the messiness of humans and their relationships with those around them, The Five Wounds is rich with content on this front.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Incest, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault
nick13's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
This book was so incredible! The writing was so great and the way the author really delved into how people think and act was just so interesting and amazed me. They weren't good people, they didn't do many logical things, yet that is how people act and what made them so grounded.
<The moments with Yolanda and her drowning feeling of her dying and the very last moments before she died were so heavy and so amazingly conveyed. I also loved how Angel tried so hard to help Lizette yet she kicked her out, showing how it is up to the other person to take your help and to also forgive themselves and also the moment where Brianna kicks Angel out of the program due to her pint up anger towards Amadeo and the crushing feeling of about to get kicked out of her job./>
Overall, this book was really movie, carried heavy themes of forgiveness that really hit home for me. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time and I cherish the time I took to read it.
<The moments with Yolanda and her drowning feeling of her dying and the very last moments before she died were so heavy and so amazingly conveyed. I also loved how Angel tried so hard to help Lizette yet she kicked her out, showing how it is up to the other person to take your help and to also forgive themselves and also the moment where Brianna kicks Angel out of the program due to her pint up anger towards Amadeo and the crushing feeling of about to get kicked out of her job./>
Overall, this book was really movie, carried heavy themes of forgiveness that really hit home for me. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time and I cherish the time I took to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Cancer, Car accident, Grief, Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Rape
alyssamalboro's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
3.75
This book was beautiful! It took awhile to get really moving and going but when it did it was awesome. This book really follows a family honestly, and talks about what it's like growing up in a small town with a long hard history. The characters in this book are simultaneously annoying and relatable. The book is very honest and realistic about growing up less privileged and the faults that come with it. I think this is a very rare book to read where the characters remind you of people you met or people you know! I would go more in depth but I have the hardest time writing book reviews without spoiling the best parts because I know they're the most enticing!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction and Domestic abuse