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thealyssa_ann's review
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book genuinely floored me, it was ingenious. I don’t know how the worldbuilding was actually accomplished - the characters and setting were described so well yet this book was so short. It was eery in how realistic the future seemed but it didn’t creep me out enough that I couldn’t sleep. I’m still thinking about the complexity of Abuelo’s character and what I actually think of both him and Loba Roja.
breezyruizy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this book. I’ve never read a sci-fi book like it before.
abookwormspov's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.75
This book is conceptually amazing, and I wanted to enjoy it overall more than I did. I found the story a bit hard to follow, especially in keeping the timeline straight and understanding the sci-fi elements, and I found the narration to be a bit inconsistent in style between the different character point of views. But did I really like that it was from multiple points of view even though I wasn’t expecting that; I particularly enjoyed Margarita’s chapters! Ultimately, I think that this just suffers in that it shouldn't have been a novella. It excels in concept and writing style, but there is too much story and not enough pages! I really do look forward to reading more of the authors work in the future though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Murder, and Violence
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? 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
This is a Taínofuturistic speculative/dystopian fiction story about colonized Puerto Rico, which has now been colonized by China. The novella shares multiple perspectives of folks who are navigating the aftermath of genocide, but continue to rebuild community and choose to take care of each other amidst their grief, loss, and anger.
I am not from Puerto Rico, nor have I ever been there, but I often asked myself as I read this, 'Is this even fiction?' and that's how you know an author has succeeded in writing speculative/science fiction, because the world they've created is not far from the current state of the world. The themes of reclaiming land and joining resistance groups to rise up against colonization are painted so powerfully, and I really enjoyed Conde's writing. I do think it could have benefited from being novel-length, but it still packs a punch as a novella!
I loved the inclusion of sign language, having a Deaf character, and the array of identities included in this story. I will absolutely read more from Conde in the future, and I would love more novellas or stories from this world too!
This is a Taínofuturistic speculative/dystopian fiction story about colonized Puerto Rico, which has now been colonized by China. The novella shares multiple perspectives of folks who are navigating the aftermath of genocide, but continue to rebuild community and choose to take care of each other amidst their grief, loss, and anger.
I am not from Puerto Rico, nor have I ever been there, but I often asked myself as I read this, 'Is this even fiction?' and that's how you know an author has succeeded in writing speculative/science fiction, because the world they've created is not far from the current state of the world. The themes of reclaiming land and joining resistance groups to rise up against colonization are painted so powerfully, and I really enjoyed Conde's writing. I do think it could have benefited from being novel-length, but it still packs a punch as a novella!
I loved the inclusion of sign language, having a Deaf character, and the array of identities included in this story. I will absolutely read more from Conde in the future, and I would love more novellas or stories from this world too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Violence
Moderate: Death, Transphobia, War, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
greeniezona's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
mildrenreads's review against another edition
4.5
🇵🇷trans mmc. 🇵🇷🏳️🌈author.
Futuristic scifi fantasy.
Deals with colonization of various indigenous groups and how interconnected liberation is. We get to see the resilience of the Tainos & Maya people as they stand up for their people and land from the United Nations. How the indigenous people can and will be the ones to control how they are liberated and what that entails. There was a domino effect towards the end in that regard as well, we see how the Tainos are encouraged to liberate themselves by seeing another indigenous group succeed. It was an open ending though, and after discussing it with Yalque (@smutmeplease), she mentions how it might have been intentional because Puerto Ricans are still fighting for their liberation till this day. It also validly criticized how the UN is only needed because they themselves are taking part in oppressing the people they mean to “help out”. Was I confused for most of the book? 😂yes but I don’t read this genre at all 😭🫶🏼shoutout Yalque for bouncing theories back and fourth with me during our first futuristic book 💀
Futuristic scifi fantasy.
Deals with colonization of various indigenous groups and how interconnected liberation is. We get to see the resilience of the Tainos & Maya people as they stand up for their people and land from the United Nations. How the indigenous people can and will be the ones to control how they are liberated and what that entails. There was a domino effect towards the end in that regard as well, we see how the Tainos are encouraged to liberate themselves by seeing another indigenous group succeed. It was an open ending though, and after discussing it with Yalque (@smutmeplease), she mentions how it might have been intentional because Puerto Ricans are still fighting for their liberation till this day. It also validly criticized how the UN is only needed because they themselves are taking part in oppressing the people they mean to “help out”. Was I confused for most of the book? 😂yes but I don’t read this genre at all 😭🫶🏼shoutout Yalque for bouncing theories back and fourth with me during our first futuristic book 💀
bookgoodfeelgood's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
theboricuabookworm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
tainolibrary's review against another edition
5.0
If I had to compare this book to other stories, I would say “Star Wars” meets “The Day After Tomorrow” but make it Indigenous Caribbean and North American. This was a cool, futuristic story with elements of the past that I really enjoyed. It’s also a breath of fresh air because it’s the first book I’ve come across with my culture (Taino) incorporated into the story that got it right. I’ve already started recommending it to others!