Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Dominicana by Angie Cruz

27 reviews

jjb21's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-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

4.0

A nice writing style and a unique, captivating setting. About a young Dominican woman moving to New York in the 60s, and having to live with a man she doesn’t love. She’s an infuriating yet loveable character. Not much happens, but I quite liked that - it’s kind of the point.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Racism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Medical content

fieldsandfeels's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This story was hard to read at times, because it captured so well the reality of being a Dominican immigrant in the mid-20th century. The hatred and rivalry toward Puerto Ricans, rampant colorism, citizenship struggles, bigotry, familismo, American imperialism, the importance of community, coming of age, the isolation in immigration, love and marriage - it’s all there. It’s so complete, without feeling forced or unrealistic. And that speaks to the point, that immigrating to NYC where you know and trust no one, don’t speak the language, haven’t experienced the lifestyle, and are still trying to figure out your own identity, is one of the hardest things anyone can do, other adversity aside. Ana’s story is heartbreaking, and very, very, close to home for so many people, and yet it’s still accessible and full of hope. And acceptance.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Rape and Racism

sparklingpynk's review against another edition

This is absolutely beautifully written and tells an important story that is very relevant even today. My heart broke for Ana through each chapter of her journey. Listening to the author explain the inspiration for this book at the end, gives this so much more meaning and importance. I can tell this story will stick with me for a bit and that is a testament for how well this is written. Aside from touching on very important topics throughout history and the struggles of a young woman immigrating to NY, this story flows so easily and each character adds so much depth to Ana's story. Highly recommend! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, War, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial 

Wow, this blew me away!

In 1965, 15-year-old Ana is married off (they fake her age to be 19 instead on official papers) to Juan (double her age!!!!!) and moves to the United States (New York), leaving her family, friends and only life she has ever known in the Dominican Republic. Her mom hopes that Ana will be able to find a job and send money back home, eventually having enough money and connections to bring the rest of her family to NYC. It is a grim transition and Ana is incredibly isolated, lonely and scared to be on her own with her new husband. 

As Ana navigates Juan’s infidelity, his anger, and an apartment that leaves her wanting, she begins to realize that a life with Juan is not all her mom talked it up to be. When Juan leaves Ana to go back to the DR for a bit, she begins leaning into her independence, learning English, and taking initiative to do things on her own, like dance and go to the beach! She also spends a lot of time with Juan’s brother Cesar, who had convinced her to stay in the states after she had tried escaping back home. Ana finds herself and her voice and learns about deception, betrayal and how dire consequences can be when you put your faith in the wrong people. 

Ana’s journey is so traumatic; I can only imagine. To think of myself or anyone at 15 years old navigating what Ana was forced into is devastating. And yet, Ana keeps it moving! I was so incredibly proud of her at the end of this novel, and while I’m deeply sorry she had to endure everything she did, I admire her growth, perseverance, courage, and honesty. She eventually refuses to accept being a passenger in her life and takes on the driver’s seat, which felt impossible at the beginning of her journey. I will absolutely read more from Angie Cruz in the future, and the audiobook narration was excellent as well! 

See content warnings below (some are more graphic than others, but they all hit very hard. Characters display a lot of anti-Blackness, misogyny & even use the word “retarded”) & take care while reading. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Cursing, Blood, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Racism, Racial slurs, and Violence

leahkarge's review against another edition

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Violence, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Classism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Antisemitism, War, and Police brutality

sarahelem's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Went into this not knowing what I was getting into. This is heavy. I cried. Still, I think this book sheds light on an important narrative that I think we should all hear.

Take note: this book is very trigger heavy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: War, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Minor: Deportation, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Gun violence, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Incest, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Infidelity

readbycarina's review

emotional sad tense fast-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? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Blood, War, Misogyny, Death, and Abandonment

Minor: Police brutality, Grief, and Body shaming

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I find myself in the somewhat unique position of realizing that this is an objectively well-written book (for the most part-some of the flashbacks didn’t really feel cohesive with the narrative, but it wasn’t so bad as to detract from the overall quality of the book) but one that I probably wouldn’t ever pick up again because of how negative the book felt and would have some hesitations about recommending to others. This book dealt with some pretty heavy topics across the board that were  difficult to read about at times, but I think the author handled them well and in a way that felt respectful of these characters, but also unflinchingly realistic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, and Rape

Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, and Infidelity

Minor: Incest

litliz's review

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book took me a bit to get into but once I was in, I was in all the way. Ana grows so much during the course of the book, which begins in the Dominican Republic but quickly takes her journey to Washington Heights. There are some really lovely passages that depict different things - one of my favorites essentially shows her disassociation in the wake of receiving tragic news after experiencing a series of traumas. Another fascinating chapter discusses the challenges faced by Dominicans in the US during the Civil Rights movement, and the idea that black people would resent Dominicans or perhaps feel that they had the market cornered on oppression and prejudice. I felt like the novel really highlighted the strength of its protagonist Ana’s spirit, the complicated dynamics between mother and daughter, and the very mixed feelings Ana has for almost every person she consistently interacts with, particularly her abusive husband, Juan, whom she feels both a strong loathing but also indebted to. Ana’s voice in particular felt very authentic and real to me and is the reason this book was so powerful, in my mind. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Medical content, and Misogyny

Moderate: Fatphobia

Minor: Ableism, Deportation, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Miscarriage, Violence, Vomit, War, Excrement, and Xenophobia

manaarhaque's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Adult/minor relationship