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strawberrypinch'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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Child death, Deportation, Kidnapping, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Trafficking, Racism, Sexual violence, Rape, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Minor: Abandonment, Cursing, Stalking, Cancer, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
missai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Unfortunately, this book falls into the paradoxically "sanitized-yet-still-trauma-porn" category that is endemic in women's historical fiction. One could argue that the numbness experienced by the characters is mirrored in the reader's own experience, where every new terrible thing is no longer shocking. To me, though, this concept wasn't executed well enough, and reads as more of a stylistic issue, which extends to other areas of the writing.
Narrated from third-person, the POV sporadically jumps around to various characters outside the main one. Consequently, all of the perspectives are watered down. The son's POV felt contrived and didn't add any emotional depth for me. Once the twins were introduced, I actually found the main character's plot line wholly uninteresting and wanted to know more about the girls. They experience so much intimate trauma that is largely brushed aside and used as a plot device.
And I have issues with the world building in general. I didn't come out of this novel feeling like I learned much about how cartels operate, how migrants navigate the "legal" systems in Mexico, or how U.S. government decisions regarding the border impacted migrants' journeys. All of these elements are included superficially, so I was disappointed that the novel didn't add any depth to my existing understanding of these topics. It also rubbed me the wrong way how the story romanticized the cartel leader; I'm all for humanizing villains, but it was done in a light-handed way that I think leans more towards problematic than nuanced.
Overall, the prose was good and so was the narration, but American Dirt is certainly not the tell-all on Mexican migrants' experiences the way positive reviews make it out to be.
Graphic: Trafficking and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault, Police brutality, Suicide, Violence, Rape, Child death, Death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Body horror, Misogyny, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Death of parent, and Deportation
dlsmk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Racism, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, Chronic illness, Body horror, Child death, Death, Deportation, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
texashippie's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Rape, Sexism, Stalking, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide, Trafficking, Misogyny, Body horror, Death of parent, Deportation, and Emotional abuse
cdace8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Death, Child death, and Gun violence
moniipeters's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Child death, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, Misogyny, Medical content, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Rape, and Xenophobia
joey1914's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Child death, Cursing, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Trafficking
scspatafora's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Deportation, Child death, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Police brutality
tkibbee17's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Death, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Confinement, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Grief, Deportation, Trafficking, Terminal illness, Murder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Stalking, Sexism, and Gun violence
lwelch94's review
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child death, Murder, Violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Abortion, Grief, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Deportation, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking