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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
bridge_paez's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Alcohol
just_one_more_paige'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
4.0
Goodreads does a great job with this blurb, so I'm just gonna copy it over here and save myself some effort: In 1985, Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret. But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
First, I listened to the audiobook for this and it was one of the most dramatically narrated audiobooks I have ever experienced. These narrators gave it all their effort and acting, which was such an immersive experience (though did involve a lot of volume adjustments, as things got heated and voices raised...which happened quite often).
As to the story as a whole, I am partial to Olga, if I'm being honest. However, this was still *really* good. I honestly think the primary reason is that the very real, as in emotionally intense, aspects of this one were harder hitting to me personally. Both novels do a fantastic job of creating an entertaining and enjoyable story, balanced with diverse and interesting plot, great - and varied - character development (of note here: I love how some characters were exactly as bad as expected, and some were able to surprise you with their willingness to consider a challenged POV...that is a large part of what made this story and these characters more than just caricatures, what made it truly compelling), and a heavy dose of salient social (justice) commentary. This one though, had me mired in dread for about two thirds of the total reading experience. The train wrecks of these relationships, the patterns of manipulation and abuse and gaslighting are hard to read. Raquel’s sections were especially difficult, claustrophobic, to read. So, shout out to González for writing that was that palpable. But also, warning to other potential readers if that is content that is tough for you.
One of the major themes of this novel was the straddling of worlds, as it were: the parallel of being caught between the US and Cuba, for Anita, and between socioeconomic statuses, for Raquel. (Of particular note, Raquel’s difficulties with the social lines of respect and casual-ness with her professor, lines that seemed to come so easily to those from a different social background, was a quietly done but spectacular example of the intangibles of privilege. And in the end, as she finds that comfort for herself, we see that it's born out of self-confidence, with a strong and important commentary about how that self-confidence is harder to come by/maintain based on social messages about your worth that you receive as the norm.) Both were struggling to figure out how to follow their own passions and live their own lives, even when their past says that makes them traitors/“changed,” and the current day questions whether they deserve to be there or if following their interests/heart makes them “taking advantage of” the partner’s wealth/access. There is no winning, really. And if you aren’t steadfast in who you are/what you want, it’s so easy to lose yourself in that push-pull. Watching both Anita and Raquel live through this, even with a generation of change between them, is so frustrating and heartbreaking. Especially in light of another major theme of the novel: the power of visibility for art and artists - who is allowed to have access to that audience and who controls it and creates barriers to it. Perhaps, if Anita's name and work had been given space and allowed to stand in the public eye, then Raquel wouldn't have had to feel as alone as she did.
To start, I felt like these parallel women and stories as a stylistic device seemed obvious. But as the story unfolded, the depth of the women and their stories, the emotional intensity of their narratives, separately and in juxtaposition with each other, had me invested. So, obvious it may have been, but it was skillfully enough done that I was riveted. And there were elements that weren't anticipated, and they were enough for me to keep this story unique. In particular, the way González conveyed the power of loneliness and thinking/hoping things would be different next time, the need to matter to someone, thoroughly touched my heart. I also really enjoyed the messaging about the way our identity and culture and upbringing can influence both our art and the way we see others’ art. It's so important that we not dismiss or ignore or not consider that, for ourselves or others. Art and the artist - and the viewer - cannot be separated or considered in silos, not if we're being honest.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Xenophobia, and Classism
Minor: Drug use and Eating disorder
sailormar'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
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Classism
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
adventurebound7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Classism
annie_l_h'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? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Body shaming 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