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hopecatena's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
This book is a powerful one. Capo Crucet examines how she sees white privilege working throughout different aspects of her life. I ran across this book when trying to find a book for a book challenge and I highly recommend that people (especially white people and white people in education) read this book.
Because I listened to this book, I did not know that it was a series of essays. Since I didn't know this, the book felt disjoined and all over the place, but now that I know, I realize that it's my fault and not the authors. The first essay is about her experiences as a first gen student, from not understanding how orientation worked to crying to her mom on the phone because she couldn't understand the assignment. This is really a tell all on what it is like to go to college as a first gen student. This essay stuck out as the most potent one to me, maybe because it was so different from my own college experience and I needed to examine that. It might have also been because I work in an adjacent field to education and I need to do more work on helping kids prepare for college. Her other essays include pieces on marriage and Wedding receptions, her dad and his illnesses, Disney, and her experiences as a college professor and speaker.
This is a short book, but it is an important book about the Cuban American experience and the feelings after moving away from your community. This is a book that belongs on every anti-racism booklist and every person who calls themselves an anti-racist should read this.
Because I listened to this book, I did not know that it was a series of essays. Since I didn't know this, the book felt disjoined and all over the place, but now that I know, I realize that it's my fault and not the authors. The first essay is about her experiences as a first gen student, from not understanding how orientation worked to crying to her mom on the phone because she couldn't understand the assignment. This is really a tell all on what it is like to go to college as a first gen student. This essay stuck out as the most potent one to me, maybe because it was so different from my own college experience and I needed to examine that. It might have also been because I work in an adjacent field to education and I need to do more work on helping kids prepare for college. Her other essays include pieces on marriage and Wedding receptions, her dad and his illnesses, Disney, and her experiences as a college professor and speaker.
This is a short book, but it is an important book about the Cuban American experience and the feelings after moving away from your community. This is a book that belongs on every anti-racism booklist and every person who calls themselves an anti-racist should read this.
nadiamsahi's review against another edition
5.0
This is a very funny book, which doesn't detract from the deeply personal topics which are discussed, or the true weight of living while non-white in today's United States. Crucet interrogates her place in a number of settings (with her family, on a ranch, at a prestigious University) in order to discuss white privilege, passing, immigration, marriage as unrelated to love, and underneath it all the variation in traditions and customs and truths which distinguish us from each other. Her writing is eloquent but still accessible. I felt a sense of kinship with Crucet, and admire the fact that she's written a book that situates herself within her community, for her community.
beaubaggins's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I’m using this book to lead discussions with students in my First Year Experience class. Jennine writes in a way that many of my students can relate to as new college students, and also is approachable enough for us to have deep and meaningful conversations about their fears and concerns regarding college and meeting the expectations of their parents “American Dream.” Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone essay, which also adds to its approachability for folks that might not typically choose a book focused on race, white supremacy, and first-gen experiences.
bent's review against another edition
2.0
I had mixed feelings about this book. Some of it was interesting, some of it was boring and some of it just seemed to be there. She made some good points about the education system, stretched too hard in places to make points about race, told some amusing stories and some boring stories. I can't seem to write this review without getting bogged down in listing details, so I'll leave it at that. Definitely nothing in this book that warrants book-burning, but really, what can justify that?
hanna_rose's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
this is the first book i've read in both it's style and content. needless to say i will be reading more, especially if it's by crucet. she's an amazing author and i adore her style of writing. this book is really eye opening, especially as a white girl. it challenged what my ideas of race are and how race affects a person's day to day life. highly, highly recommend this book.
queencolleen's review against another edition
4.0
I have yet to read Jennine’s fiction, but put this book on my list after I saw an article about students burning this book after a campus visit. She is a talented writer and shares her perspective on being Cuban both in Miami and Nebraska. Overall the book was quick and thought provoking. There were just several times in the first half where I felt the stories could have been expounded upon more. Sometimes it felt like stories were glossed over but morals and messages were attributed to them that could have been inferred if she just dove in a little more. But I did understand that there were some stories that she just wasn’t ready to tell yet.