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jayisreading's review against another edition
3.75
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
- 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
<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.
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Cancer, Car accident, Grief, Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Rape
kat_mayerovitch's review against another edition
- 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
The ending was perhaps a bit too pat, but while I was surprised to get something resembling a Happily Ever After, I wasn't disappointed. I'm glad the characters found some peace, even if it's just for a moment.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Cancer, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Addiction and Car accident
erinwolf1997's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Drug use, Medical content, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Self harm, Incest, Rape, Abortion, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
chelseakasten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Pregnancy and Car accident
philomathean's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Cancer, Car accident, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Drug abuse
bodiesinbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Car accident, and Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Car accident, Cancer, Grief, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
ashvini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It follows the Padilla family in the deprived town of Española in New Mexico, at the start of Holy Week. Armadeo is an unemployed thirty-two-year-old who finds purpose and a sense of rebirth in his newly-appointed role of Jesus in the local Church's passion play. He's self-centred and oblivious to the daily needs of his mom and daughter. Yolanda, the matriarch, has just received fatal and life-changing news. Angel, sixteen years old and pregnant, has just fled her mother's home and is grappling with her stepfather's abuse, the lack of dependable adults in her life, and planning for her future.
Over the course of the story, we are fully immersed into these characters' lives; not only with regards to their socio-economic conditions (poverty, unemployment, teen pregnancy, alcoholism etc), but also with their character quips (interests, desires, longings, and heartaches).
For me, this book inspired a lot of thought about our universal need for attention, what it means to fail and how hard it can be to overcome our circumstances.
There's a lot to unpack here and I think I would benefit from a second reading. That said, I did find that at times this book felt long and slower-paced than I usually prefer. It took a long time for all the details that were being woven together to finally click into a comprehensive pattern.
Nonetheless, the place I was transported to while reading this book and the characters I encountered is a journey I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Grief, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Terminal illness
bookishcori's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Death
Moderate: Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Body shaming, and Car accident
Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse