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annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
Dit boek ligt al een tijdje hier op de plank. Zo af en toe loop ik er eens langs, kijk ik ernaar en loop ik toch weer door naar een ander boek. Maar niet vandaag. Vandaag pakte ik dit boek uit de kast om heerlijk weg te lezen.
En heerlijk weglezen, dat deed het zeker. De schrijfstijl is vlot, prettig en het boek leest als een trein. Ik ben het jongerentaalgebruik al eeuwen ontgroeid, maar voor mij voelde de karakters ook echt als zeventien aan, spraken ze als zeventienjarigen en Salvador dacht ook als een zeventienjarige. Dat wil zeggen dat ik er niet meteen een klik mee had, maar die klik is ergens gedurende het boek toch ontstaan.
Wellicht komt dat omdat Salvador's problemen en geworstel, de vragen die hij zichzelf stelt en de emoties die door hem heen gieren wel heel herkenbaar zijn. Ik ben ondertussen ouder en veel twijfels ontgroeid, maar op mijn zeventiende wist ik ook niet wat mijn plek in de wereld was en waar ik heen wilde.
En hoewel het verhaal in eerste instantie wat fragmentarisch voelt, zit er toch een hele mooie lijn en ontwikkeling in. Het verhaal gaat wel echt ergens heen. En een grote rol in die ontwikkeling wordt gespeeld door de vader-figuur in dit boek. Voor een YA is dat opvallend. Meestal zijn volwassenen daarin de grote afwezigen. Maar de relatie tussen Salvador en zijn vader is mooi, puur, hartverwarmend en echt.
Tegen het einde moest ik toch ineens een paar tranen wegslikken, dus wellicht dat ik Ari en Dante ook wel een keer ga aanschaffen.
En heerlijk weglezen, dat deed het zeker. De schrijfstijl is vlot, prettig en het boek leest als een trein. Ik ben het jongerentaalgebruik al eeuwen ontgroeid, maar voor mij voelde de karakters ook echt als zeventien aan, spraken ze als zeventienjarigen en Salvador dacht ook als een zeventienjarige. Dat wil zeggen dat ik er niet meteen een klik mee had, maar die klik is ergens gedurende het boek toch ontstaan.
Wellicht komt dat omdat Salvador's problemen en geworstel, de vragen die hij zichzelf stelt en de emoties die door hem heen gieren wel heel herkenbaar zijn. Ik ben ondertussen ouder en veel twijfels ontgroeid, maar op mijn zeventiende wist ik ook niet wat mijn plek in de wereld was en waar ik heen wilde.
En hoewel het verhaal in eerste instantie wat fragmentarisch voelt, zit er toch een hele mooie lijn en ontwikkeling in. Het verhaal gaat wel echt ergens heen. En een grote rol in die ontwikkeling wordt gespeeld door de vader-figuur in dit boek. Voor een YA is dat opvallend. Meestal zijn volwassenen daarin de grote afwezigen. Maar de relatie tussen Salvador en zijn vader is mooi, puur, hartverwarmend en echt.
Tegen het einde moest ik toch ineens een paar tranen wegslikken, dus wellicht dat ik Ari en Dante ook wel een keer ga aanschaffen.
freadomlibrary's review
3.0
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and Clarion Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
Like other books from this author, there’s no linear plot, these books are generally focused on the characters and their growth throughout. This book deals with love, death, family, friendship, grief and anger. It deals with how all these things affect your relationships with people and how they affect you as a person. Unfortunately there’s a scene that mishandles a sexual assault and that’s not something I can take lightly.
Writing Style – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I’m a really big fan of this author’s writing style but in this particular book, there were some misses. The writing style is lyrical and poetic. It reads really quickly and it’s engaging. It’s very emotional and very powerful. However, there were instances with unfortunate phrasing in terms of gender norms and “standards” for representing your ethnicity. There was constant use of a derogatory term as well as ableist language and none of that was necessary for the story.
Characters – 3 out of 5 stars
Again, another area that unfortunately didn’t sell itself completely. I liked a lot of the characters and their relationships were very real and powerful. But there were some things that really got on my nerves.
Salvador is a good main character. His point of view was really intense and emotional. He’s quiet and sweet but almost in a practiced way which I totally related to. He was almost afraid of his anger and where it came from and I have definitely been through that. He’s really lost and confused and I wanted to wrap him in my arms a lot of the time.
However, I had some issues with the side characters. Sam, who is Sal’s best friend, was my biggest issue by far. Her personality just really rubbed me the wrong way. She’s very pushy and argumentative. I really don’t like the kind of people that try to dictate the way that you should act or feel and she was like that not only with Sal but with everyone around her and that was so annoying. She has a kind heart which I appreciated and I liked that she was really in tune with her emotions but those moments when that other side came out would ruin her for me. I really loved how the entire cast was predominantly Mexican and how that culture was integrated so deeply into the story. It was just so nice to read about Latinx family and culture so genuinely expressed.
Emotionally
The plot is character driven. We follow Salvador, a teen adopted into a Mexican family as him and his friends deal with grief. This book could’ve been so amazing. It had a lot of potential to be a new favorite but there were so many little, unnecessary issues that brought the whole thing down. Overall, what this bo oks sets out to do with it’s story, it does it well. This book is all about character growth, family relationships and their complexity as well as grief and friendship. There’s a lot of things involved and everything is well done and it feels real. The characters feel real, their relationships are honest and full of ups and downs. It’s emotional, it’s powerful and the author explores these deep themes really well. It could’ve been such a moving and impactful story. However, there were a lot of negative things involved throughout the narrative that brought everything good thing down. Unfortunate phrasing and word choices was a real issue. From perpetuating gender and sexual identity stereotypes to ableism and the use of a derogatory term constantly. There’s sentences like “You know, for a gay guy, my dad was pretty straight” because Sal’s Dad knew and taught him how to play catch and “One of the great things about Sam was that she didn’t throw like a girl” which is a straight up lie since she’s a girl and she can throw a ball which means she throws like a girl period. Both of these sentences can be found in page 75 of the digital ARC that I got and what makes me the most angry and annoyed is the fact that they can easily be taken out. You can say that the Dad taught them to play catch and that the girl Sam is good at it without reiterating these ugly stereotypes, specially since it wouldn’t change anything about the overall story if those things weren’t there. Another thing that really bothered me as Latinx and biracial was the focus on what made the characters “real Mexicans” which is such an arbitrary concept. I understand why the author felt the need to make that a conversation within the narrative, as the main character is white and adopted by a Mexican family and that thought is a big part of his self-reflection. But the way it was handled was really rough. I don’t think being able to make food from scratch or speak Spanish perfectly or be able to dance makes anyone more Latinx than anyone else and that idea between the characters was tossed around a lot and it bothered me. The biggest issue was the mishandling of a sexual assault situation. On page 295 of the digital ARC, there’s a scene where Sam is speaking to the guy who assaulted her. Sal obviously gets angry and tries to break it up and he gets slapped by her for his efforts. Apparently the guy was apologizing and he was being forgiven and the one with the problem was the best friend who was being protective. This is the most harmful and ridiculous scene in the entire story. I do not care if he/she begs on their knees and cries, there is no excuse for sexual assault or abuse. Ever. And the last thing to do is toe get angry at your best friend for being worried about your well being when in the presence of someone who tried to violate your boundaries. The slapping part isn’t that big of a deal, I understand her reason for that. What I don’t understand is the fact that she was talking to the douchebag in the first place and that it’s never called sexual assault and never brought up again after this one scene. That’s problematic, it’s messy and it’s potentially harmful to a lot of people. None of the latter things that I’ve mentioned were needed in the narrative. If you take them all away, nothing about the core story would’ve changed and that’s the most frustrating thing about it.
I think Sal was a great narrator. He had a strong voice even with everything that he was going through. The author managed to turn his internal struggles and him questioning himself into a really powerful story. I liked how he dealt with his grief and his commentary on friendship. I really love the relationship that he had with his Dad. They have a very open relationship where they can communicate with each other freely. I understand his struggles with his father finding love and what that means for their dynamic and I connected with him a lot.
I’ll talk about the side characters only a little bit. I had a lot of issues with Sam and her personality. She had a really big heart and was a very kind person but her negatives really grated on my nerves. She’s really pushy and kind of rude. She tended to want to know everything and anything about the people in her life and that kind of mindset feels like an invasion of privacy. Having a friendship or close relationship with someone even familial doesn’t automatically mean you get to know every single aspect of someone’s life or that you get to dictate the way their life is supposed to go. That part of her personality really bothered me as the story progressed. Fito is a character that becomes more prominent as the story goes on and I became a big fan of him. I really loved his attitude and the way that he lived his life. He was a great addition to Sal and Sam’s posse haha. Mima is Sal’s grandmother and I think she’s a much more important element in the story than I originally thought. I loved her relationship with Sal and it almost made me cry.
Overall, I’m so incredibly disappointed in this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and when a lot of my fellow bloggers started pointing out it’s problems, I almost didn’t want to read it at all. I got through it and I agree with the issues that have been pointed out by others before me. I wish it could’ve been as great as the first book I read from this author and all the great things that were in this book were essentially ruined by all the problematic phrasing that are not actually needed at all. It makes me so sad guys.
I received an e-ARC of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and Clarion Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
Like other books from this author, there’s no linear plot, these books are generally focused on the characters and their growth throughout. This book deals with love, death, family, friendship, grief and anger. It deals with how all these things affect your relationships with people and how they affect you as a person. Unfortunately there’s a scene that mishandles a sexual assault and that’s not something I can take lightly.
Writing Style – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I’m a really big fan of this author’s writing style but in this particular book, there were some misses. The writing style is lyrical and poetic. It reads really quickly and it’s engaging. It’s very emotional and very powerful. However, there were instances with unfortunate phrasing in terms of gender norms and “standards” for representing your ethnicity. There was constant use of a derogatory term as well as ableist language and none of that was necessary for the story.
Characters – 3 out of 5 stars
Again, another area that unfortunately didn’t sell itself completely. I liked a lot of the characters and their relationships were very real and powerful. But there were some things that really got on my nerves.
Salvador is a good main character. His point of view was really intense and emotional. He’s quiet and sweet but almost in a practiced way which I totally related to. He was almost afraid of his anger and where it came from and I have definitely been through that. He’s really lost and confused and I wanted to wrap him in my arms a lot of the time.
However, I had some issues with the side characters. Sam, who is Sal’s best friend, was my biggest issue by far. Her personality just really rubbed me the wrong way. She’s very pushy and argumentative. I really don’t like the kind of people that try to dictate the way that you should act or feel and she was like that not only with Sal but with everyone around her and that was so annoying. She has a kind heart which I appreciated and I liked that she was really in tune with her emotions but those moments when that other side came out would ruin her for me. I really loved how the entire cast was predominantly Mexican and how that culture was integrated so deeply into the story. It was just so nice to read about Latinx family and culture so genuinely expressed.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I’m so incredibly disappointed by this book. The author has been one of my favorites for awhile but this book is just really problematic for no real reason.The plot is character driven. We follow Salvador, a teen adopted into a Mexican family as him and his friends deal with grief. This book could’ve been so amazing. It had a lot of potential to be a new favorite but there were so many little, unnecessary issues that brought the whole thing down. Overall, what this bo oks sets out to do with it’s story, it does it well. This book is all about character growth, family relationships and their complexity as well as grief and friendship. There’s a lot of things involved and everything is well done and it feels real. The characters feel real, their relationships are honest and full of ups and downs. It’s emotional, it’s powerful and the author explores these deep themes really well. It could’ve been such a moving and impactful story. However, there were a lot of negative things involved throughout the narrative that brought everything good thing down. Unfortunate phrasing and word choices was a real issue. From perpetuating gender and sexual identity stereotypes to ableism and the use of a derogatory term constantly. There’s sentences like “You know, for a gay guy, my dad was pretty straight” because Sal’s Dad knew and taught him how to play catch and “One of the great things about Sam was that she didn’t throw like a girl” which is a straight up lie since she’s a girl and she can throw a ball which means she throws like a girl period. Both of these sentences can be found in page 75 of the digital ARC that I got and what makes me the most angry and annoyed is the fact that they can easily be taken out. You can say that the Dad taught them to play catch and that the girl Sam is good at it without reiterating these ugly stereotypes, specially since it wouldn’t change anything about the overall story if those things weren’t there. Another thing that really bothered me as Latinx and biracial was the focus on what made the characters “real Mexicans” which is such an arbitrary concept. I understand why the author felt the need to make that a conversation within the narrative, as the main character is white and adopted by a Mexican family and that thought is a big part of his self-reflection. But the way it was handled was really rough. I don’t think being able to make food from scratch or speak Spanish perfectly or be able to dance makes anyone more Latinx than anyone else and that idea between the characters was tossed around a lot and it bothered me. The biggest issue was the mishandling of a sexual assault situation. On page 295 of the digital ARC, there’s a scene where Sam is speaking to the guy who assaulted her. Sal obviously gets angry and tries to break it up and he gets slapped by her for his efforts. Apparently the guy was apologizing and he was being forgiven and the one with the problem was the best friend who was being protective. This is the most harmful and ridiculous scene in the entire story. I do not care if he/she begs on their knees and cries, there is no excuse for sexual assault or abuse. Ever. And the last thing to do is toe get angry at your best friend for being worried about your well being when in the presence of someone who tried to violate your boundaries. The slapping part isn’t that big of a deal, I understand her reason for that. What I don’t understand is the fact that she was talking to the douchebag in the first place and that it’s never called sexual assault and never brought up again after this one scene. That’s problematic, it’s messy and it’s potentially harmful to a lot of people. None of the latter things that I’ve mentioned were needed in the narrative. If you take them all away, nothing about the core story would’ve changed and that’s the most frustrating thing about it.
I think Sal was a great narrator. He had a strong voice even with everything that he was going through. The author managed to turn his internal struggles and him questioning himself into a really powerful story. I liked how he dealt with his grief and his commentary on friendship. I really love the relationship that he had with his Dad. They have a very open relationship where they can communicate with each other freely. I understand his struggles with his father finding love and what that means for their dynamic and I connected with him a lot.
I’ll talk about the side characters only a little bit. I had a lot of issues with Sam and her personality. She had a really big heart and was a very kind person but her negatives really grated on my nerves. She’s really pushy and kind of rude. She tended to want to know everything and anything about the people in her life and that kind of mindset feels like an invasion of privacy. Having a friendship or close relationship with someone even familial doesn’t automatically mean you get to know every single aspect of someone’s life or that you get to dictate the way their life is supposed to go. That part of her personality really bothered me as the story progressed. Fito is a character that becomes more prominent as the story goes on and I became a big fan of him. I really loved his attitude and the way that he lived his life. He was a great addition to Sal and Sam’s posse haha. Mima is Sal’s grandmother and I think she’s a much more important element in the story than I originally thought. I loved her relationship with Sal and it almost made me cry.
Overall, I’m so incredibly disappointed in this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and when a lot of my fellow bloggers started pointing out it’s problems, I almost didn’t want to read it at all. I got through it and I agree with the issues that have been pointed out by others before me. I wish it could’ve been as great as the first book I read from this author and all the great things that were in this book were essentially ruined by all the problematic phrasing that are not actually needed at all. It makes me so sad guys.
joana_stormblessed's review
5.0
Wow... I cannot believe this. It took me some time to get into it because I was a little bit hungover on ACOMAF but today I sat down and read over half of the book to finish it. It was beautiful and stunning !
I never cry in books, but this one did it. I wasn't just teary eyed, no ! I had actual tears falling down my face!
This book is simply beautiful! A favorite!
Saenz confirms himself as an autobuy and favorite author !
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltVIowhnZNs
I never cry in books, but this one did it. I wasn't just teary eyed, no ! I had actual tears falling down my face!
This book is simply beautiful! A favorite!
Saenz confirms himself as an autobuy and favorite author !
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltVIowhnZNs
theglossreview's review
1.0
Not recommended. It was a real struggle to get through this book. I had to return it. The writing is bad. The chapters are so brief, they seem like fragments. The titles of the chapters are terrible. The characters are unlikable, while the plot is tragic, badly handled and predictable. It deserves a star for the themes of diversity and adoption, but that is truly the only good thing about it.
lou_bbn's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
3.0
3.5/5
I really enjoyed the story and the authors writing style but I felt like the book was longer than it seemed to be.
I really enjoyed the story and the authors writing style but I felt like the book was longer than it seemed to be.
angelo_vossen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
5.0
„Life has a logic all its own. People talk about the highway of life, but I think that's crap. Highways are nice and paved, and they have signs telling you which way to go. Life isn't like that at all. There are days when great things happen and everything is beautiful and perfect, and then, just like that, everything can go straight to hell. It's like getting drunk. At first it feels kinda nice and all relaxed. And all of a sudden the room is spinning and you are throwing up, and, well, maybe life is a little like that.“
In "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, readers are welcomed into a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary through the lens of protagonist Salvador (Sal) Silva. Sáenz masterfully weaves a tapestry of emotions, relationships, and self-discovery that resonate deeply with readers. Set against the backdrop of El Paso, Texas, the novel paints a vivid portrait of Sal's journey through adolescence, exploring themes of family, friendship, and the search for identity.
At the heart of the story is Sal's relationship with his adoptive father, Vicente, a bond forged not by blood but by love and mutual respect. Their dynamic is tender and nuanced, reflecting the complexities of fatherhood and the enduring power of unconditional love. Through Vicente's guidance and wisdom, Sal navigates the challenges of growing up with a sense of grace and resilience.
Alongside his father, Sal is supported by his best friend, Samantha, whose unwavering loyalty and strength serve as a pillar of support throughout the narrative. Their friendship is a testament to the transformative power of human connection, offering solace and companionship in the face of life's uncertainties.
As Sal grapples with questions of identity and belonging, he finds himself drawn to Fito, a classmate who enriches Sal‘s life strongly. Through their friendship, Sáenz explores the beauty of self-acceptance, challenging societal norms and expectations along the way. In my personal opinion Fito is one of the most lovable characters I have been introduced to in a very long time. His character added a lot of depth to the story and his lines caused the most tears to drop during this reading experience - not to say that not the entirety of the characters, especially when they interacted with each other as a group, made me feel very emotional (mostly in a rather happy than sad way).
What sets "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" apart is its richly drawn characters, each imbued with depth, complexity, and authenticity. From Sal's introspective nature to Vicente's quiet strength, every character feels alive and fully realized, adding layers of nuance and depth to the narrative. As I have now read multiple of the author‘s masterpieces, I feel safe to say: Sáenz is simply great with words and always finds a way to depict every feeling and though beautifully. Therefore: wftd = felicity - since Sáenz introduced me to this word in a way that made me feel like I had not properly met this word yet.
In the end, Sáenz delivers a powerful meditation on the human experience, reminding readers of the profound connections that bind us all together. Through Sal's journey of self-discovery, we are invited to reflect on our own lives, our own struggles, and our own capacity for growth and transformation. With its lyrical prose and heartfelt storytelling, "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life" is a captivating exploration of love, loss, and the inexplicable forces that shape our lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, Homophobia, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism
jvela's review
emotional
sad
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
4.25