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agostonc's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shelfexplanatory's review against another edition
4.0
DOMINICANA by Angie Cruz is the story of a 15 year old girl named Ana, who is forced to leave her family in the Dominican Republic to immigrate to New York with her new husband. This book takes place in the mid-60's, and although it is a relatively short book, it covers a variety of themes such as immigration, migrant workers, colorism, and the American Dream.
Cruz does a great job at humanizing all the characters, which is what really stood out to me about DOMINICANA. Ana's husband Juan is twice her age, controlling to the point of abusive, and generally not a lovable character. We follow Ana's point of view for the entire book and see her resentment for Juan firsthand.
In between the lines, though, I was also able to understand Juan's flaws and see that as a migrant worker, he is making sacrifices of his own in order to succeed in the American Dream. While this isn't enough to absolve him in the eyes of the reader, it provides us insight to the difficult situations that migrant workers and immigrants have to navigate in order to make it in America.
Ana's character arc was also both satisfying and eye-opening. I had to constantly remind myself of how young Ana is throughout, and how the situation she was in forced her to grow up too quickly.
cw: sexual content, domestic abuse, abuse of a minor (physical and sexual), pregnancy, extramarital affairs
Cruz does a great job at humanizing all the characters, which is what really stood out to me about DOMINICANA. Ana's husband Juan is twice her age, controlling to the point of abusive, and generally not a lovable character. We follow Ana's point of view for the entire book and see her resentment for Juan firsthand.
In between the lines, though, I was also able to understand Juan's flaws and see that as a migrant worker, he is making sacrifices of his own in order to succeed in the American Dream. While this isn't enough to absolve him in the eyes of the reader, it provides us insight to the difficult situations that migrant workers and immigrants have to navigate in order to make it in America.
Ana's character arc was also both satisfying and eye-opening. I had to constantly remind myself of how young Ana is throughout, and how the situation she was in forced her to grow up too quickly.
cw: sexual content, domestic abuse, abuse of a minor (physical and sexual), pregnancy, extramarital affairs
liorehk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.5
emily_mad's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
fieldsandfeels's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This story was hard to read at times, because it captured so well the reality of being a Dominican immigrant in the mid-20th century. The hatred and rivalry toward Puerto Ricans, rampant colorism, citizenship struggles, bigotry, familismo, American imperialism, the importance of community, coming of age, the isolation in immigration, love and marriage - it’s all there. It’s so complete, without feeling forced or unrealistic. And that speaks to the point, that immigrating to NYC where you know and trust no one, don’t speak the language, haven’t experienced the lifestyle, and are still trying to figure out your own identity, is one of the hardest things anyone can do, other adversity aside. Ana’s story is heartbreaking, and very, very, close to home for so many people, and yet it’s still accessible and full of hope. And acceptance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape and Racism
urdadsbeanie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
tessyoung's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. The themes of migration and displacement are those I gravitate towards and I was totally rewarded with this novel. There's a lightness of touch and a tenderness that honours the various characters and the situation in which they find themselves. While behaviours may be monstrous at times the characters never become caricatures. The narrative deals with loss and sacrifice and the decisions made not for immediate gain but for long term and even inter-generational gain, by young characters and old. The juxtapositioning of all that is familiar and alien is handled really well, as is the historical and geopolitical context. I don't want to say anything to spoil this book for others, but I recommend it whole heartedly.
tamara_danielle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
riitaa_s's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5