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snarkycrafter'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? Yes
5.0
- Anita was so friggin' sassy and I loved it so much!
- Jack wanted all the control and power in the dynamic. He can leave when he wants, if he wants. But him? He cannot be “leavable.” She cannot leave him.
- He's the typical needy, mediocre white man who needs his own personal cheerleader at all times. He needs his ego constantly fed.
- On top of everything he needs to be her hero. He needs to be her comforter and soother. He needs to be needed.
- Margot and Claire's entitlement and racism is fricking enraging! The only way a woman of color con obtain a position over them is a result of affirmative action? Please!! Ugh. This section had me screaming in rage.
- Anita's first show in New York is followed by a panel called "How women's art practices have affected male artists social attitudes." Not only was Anita not on the panel but there were NO women on the panel.
- Nick getting Raquel tummy control party hose had me seeing red.
- Narcissists will always accuse you of being the narcissist.
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual content
kaneebli'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia, Excrement, and Lesbophobia
bestknownfor's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying and Eating disorder
dr_aimz's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Alcohol
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
facciosp's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Disappointing to find out from other reviews that this was inspired by a true story when that wasn’t mentioned in the book.
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, and Eating disorder
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Anita de Monte is based on the life of Ana Mendieta who was an artist who died in 1985 when she fell or was pushed out of an apartment window (and was married to sculptor Carl Andre). As someone who loves art, this book (and others like Still Life by Sarah Winman) make you think about how few women artists we really know. Author Xochitl Gonzalez found Ana Mendieta in an art history class.
Anita de Monte tells her story as a ghost, recalling the event that caused her death and moments with her husband Jack after her death.
In another timeline, Raquel is in art history classes at Brown studying Jack and and discovers Anita de Monte. We find similarities between their relationships and the way women artists are treated and valued.
There is also some magical realism woven into this story as she tells it from a ghost’s perspective and her interactions with her husband (iykyk).
“And, from what I was eavesdropping in the gallery that night, most of these men not only hated feminist art, but I suspected, hated women as well.”
“And then. And then I was sent to America, and rendered invisible. Rendered lifeless. Alone.”
“Well, it felt like even when I bury myself in your f*ing soil, I’m still not American enough. … To prostrate myself, in some way, for having gone to such pains to become one with a place that rejected me over and over and over again.”
“ presume her to be grateful for it, even - was only possible because he had told her, in ways great and small, that he knew best and she had signaled that he was correct.”
“She realized that so much of what she thought as good art had simply been that which had been elevated by John Temple, because it was understood by and spoke to and created by men just like John. And that in the omission of things that were made by or understood by or in conversation with people like her, Raquel had, unconsciously, begun to see those things as lesser. And that revelation sparked one that was even more painful: the reason that Raquel subconsciously believed that Nick knew “better” than her was that it was Nick’s point of view had been affirmed and internalized by the white walls of every museum or gallery that had ever been told was worth looking at.”
“…she had firmly placed them behind a wall called her past; a section of her mind she didn’t like to visit much.”
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting
minimicropup's review against another edition
4.5
Energy: Intrepid. Vibrant. Raw.
Scene: 🇺🇸 🇨🇺 Set in Providence, Rhode Island (1990s), NYC (1970s-1980s) and Havana, Jaruco, and Varadero Cuba (1980s).
Perspective: In the 1980s, we follow an artist who meets an untimely end as their marriage unravels with perspective from their spouse. In the 1990s, we follow a graduate student questioning their world as they learn more about the spouse of the male artist whose work they are writing about.
🐕 Howls: I find post-death or beyond-the-grave perspectives difficult, but that’s just me!
🐩 Tail Wags: Raquel. Imperfect characters. The balance of show-not-tell commentary. Overall energy and thoughtfulness. The portrayal of how established art is dictated and how limiting and destructive that is.
🤔 Random Thoughts:
This is a book you’ll want to be in the headspace for. Even though I haven’t lived the character’s experiences and identities, it felt so relatable and understandable. There’s a wide span of commentary, but it never felt shallow or heavy-handed. I loved the symbolism of connecting across time and supporting the growth of each other’s spirits.
The exploration the 'man-child' and toxic gender roles was well done, too. I hated Jack, but I was glad we got his perspective because it gave us insight into how people like him justify their actions. This didn’t feel misandrist (not all men are jerks), and it explored the role of women in enabling these behaviours too.
----
🎬 Tale-Telling: Poetic and expressive but dense with long chapters.
🤓 Reader Role: Anita is talking to us directly and from beyond the grave. We are also tagging along with Raquel with a narrator who gives insight into her thoughts and actions.
🗺️ World-Building: Effortlessly 1990s and 1980s. Musical, too. This is a great book to read along with the songs listed.
🔥 Fuel: We know right away that Anita died, but there’s an unravelling mystery around how and what led to it. Will the truth be found out? Will her art survive? Raquel’s portion has relationship and coming-of-age suspense, and some research sleuthing.
📖 Cred: Hyper-realistic magical realism
🚙 Journey: Spending an afternoon lost in a book or movie, feeling all the feels.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
- Seagulls. Salt-scented air. Honking traffic. Elevator music. Studio light. Polite laughter. Sand and ocean waves. Hip hop.
- Elements of magical realism and good-for-her revenge
- Literary fiction with new adult experiences and breaking free from patriarchal and White-normalized expectations
Content Heads-Up: Prejudice/bias (class, privilege, ancestry, race). Racism (systemic, relationships, academia). Domestic abuse (physical and verbal). Toxic masculinity. Suicide (implied, on page). Murder (on page). Death, life after death (on page). Bullying. Sexism, misogyny. Body shaming. Eating disorder (brief mention). Controlling relationships. Alcohol use (intoxication).
Rep: Cuban American. Puerto Rican. Latina, Lebanese, French, Black, and White Americans. Cisgender. Gay. Lesbian. Heterosexual. Diverse body sizes. Diverse skin colours. Santería.
📚 Format: Paperback
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Suicide
lngoldstein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
thecriticalreader'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
1.5
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror and Eating disorder