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sienna_canread's review against another edition
3.0
I think this is an important book but I think I got too bored
xosarahirene's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful and powerful anthology collecting narratives across many different themes of acceptance, self confidence, painful goodbyes, new beginnings, and the importance of family. This was a time where there were too many beautiful passages to highlight. I will be reading many more of the authors’ works.
annadekinder's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked these book with a lot of different stories that make me think a lot about life and migration. I felt with the characters, wiped a tear away sometimes, or smiled when there was a lot of hope in some of the stories. I would recommend to read this book because every story is unique and they all have something valuable to say, about migration, about life, about pain, about love and so on...
adehond's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Come On In // edited by Adi Alsaid
When I first saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I am an immigrant myself that just recently became a citizen. But I am on the end of the spectrum of immigrants that is extremely privileged when it comes to the ease of receiving the papers that allowed me to come here, stay here, and then eventually become a citizen. I am also married to a person that is much closer to the other end of that spectrum. We’ve had many conversations about this in the past and it continues to be a frequent topic, especially in the current political climate.
There are 15 short stories in this anthology that have authors and characters from all over the world. While they speak about many different cultures, the thing they do have in common is that they – or their families – have or are crossing borders in these stories. Despite my own privilege that allowed me to avoid many of the struggles addressed here, I was touched by the many things I could relate to anyways, such as saying goodbye to the many little things in your life, the worry for your undocumented friends, the conflicting feelings about your homeland and your current home, the pull between who your family expects you to be and who you want to be, learning a new language through books, and closed borders.
I enjoyed the majority of the stories but often felt that they ended too soon. As soon as I got attached to the characters, we would get to the end and I would have to readjust to a new narrator. The way they ended though often left me with a very good feeling because of a lesson the narrator learned or a realization they had. I did really struggle with a couple short stories but overall, I was happy with them. My favorites are the last three in the book. They are Hard to Say by Sharon Morse, Confessions of an Ecuadorkian by Zoraida Cordova, and Fleeing, Leaving, Moving by Adi Alsaid. These and a few others are authors that I will be keeping my eye on in the future as they really struck something in me that is looking to read more from them!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I am an immigrant myself that just recently became a citizen. But I am on the end of the spectrum of immigrants that is extremely privileged when it comes to the ease of receiving the papers that allowed me to come here, stay here, and then eventually become a citizen. I am also married to a person that is much closer to the other end of that spectrum. We’ve had many conversations about this in the past and it continues to be a frequent topic, especially in the current political climate.
There are 15 short stories in this anthology that have authors and characters from all over the world. While they speak about many different cultures, the thing they do have in common is that they – or their families – have or are crossing borders in these stories. Despite my own privilege that allowed me to avoid many of the struggles addressed here, I was touched by the many things I could relate to anyways, such as saying goodbye to the many little things in your life, the worry for your undocumented friends, the conflicting feelings about your homeland and your current home, the pull between who your family expects you to be and who you want to be, learning a new language through books, and closed borders.
I enjoyed the majority of the stories but often felt that they ended too soon. As soon as I got attached to the characters, we would get to the end and I would have to readjust to a new narrator. The way they ended though often left me with a very good feeling because of a lesson the narrator learned or a realization they had. I did really struggle with a couple short stories but overall, I was happy with them. My favorites are the last three in the book. They are Hard to Say by Sharon Morse, Confessions of an Ecuadorkian by Zoraida Cordova, and Fleeing, Leaving, Moving by Adi Alsaid. These and a few others are authors that I will be keeping my eye on in the future as they really struck something in me that is looking to read more from them!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
lauren_soderberg's review against another edition
5.0
This anthology of essays is so pertinent to our time, and so poignant. It's the type of work that should be incorporated into lesson plans and school curriculums. There's a diverse representation of experiences and feelings that underscores the idea that there is beauty in all human experiences. I also appreciated how each essayist didn't shy away from the prejudice and harm that comes from those who would seek to exclude and to cage.
Come On In is a must-read, especially right now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Come On In is a must-read, especially right now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
anavae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
maryehavens's review against another edition
3.0
I was going to give this book 2 stars because I almost abandoned it but I ended up loving the second to last story so much I added a book by that author (Zoraida Cordova, if you were curious).
Like any collection, there were some highlights, a very low point that made me want to abandon the book (and, I think if I were reading it, I would have skipped that story. I kept thinking it would get better but it didn't. I HATED the main character!!), and some just o.k. stories. It was hard not to compare it to Hope Nation which I listened to over the summer. There were so many EXCELLENT stories in that collection - I walked away with some amazing new writers to investigate.
I expected a lot of the collection as well since the subject matter of immigration is such a rich topic. I just didn't connect with many of the stories. I enjoyed the ones that felt more like non-fiction/memoir than the fiction so maybe that was it.
Highlights: Where I'm From, Salvation and the Sea, The Curandera and the Alchemist, First Words (librarian LOVE!), and, my favorite, Confessions of an Ecuadorkian. I mean, how can you not love such a clever play on words? It was meant as an insult but I can see it being a lovely embrace of multiple identities.
So....yeah. Maybe lower expectations and some skipping would have made this a more enjoyable experience. Looking forward to reading Cordova's Brooklyn Brujas!!
Like any collection, there were some highlights, a very low point that made me want to abandon the book (and, I think if I were reading it, I would have skipped that story. I kept thinking it would get better but it didn't. I HATED the main character!!), and some just o.k. stories. It was hard not to compare it to Hope Nation which I listened to over the summer. There were so many EXCELLENT stories in that collection - I walked away with some amazing new writers to investigate.
I expected a lot of the collection as well since the subject matter of immigration is such a rich topic. I just didn't connect with many of the stories. I enjoyed the ones that felt more like non-fiction/memoir than the fiction so maybe that was it.
Highlights: Where I'm From, Salvation and the Sea, The Curandera and the Alchemist, First Words (librarian LOVE!), and, my favorite, Confessions of an Ecuadorkian. I mean, how can you not love such a clever play on words? It was meant as an insult but I can see it being a lovely embrace of multiple identities.
So....yeah. Maybe lower expectations and some skipping would have made this a more enjoyable experience. Looking forward to reading Cordova's Brooklyn Brujas!!
lynnsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Great book!! So many different writing styles and perspectives on the world. It was interesting to learn a tiny bit more about the struggles immigrants go through at such a young age.
bookishlychar's review against another edition
4.0
Come on In is an anthology that talks about immigration in many different facets. I am not an immigrant, however these own voices stories gave me real insight into another persons experiences; the struggle, grief and success that exists. I loved that each story comes with their own unique perspective which added to my experience of the book, the emotion that the characters experiences engaged me fully.
As with most anthologies I read, I found that some were a hit with me, and some were a miss. I think that in this anthology, some will hook you in and you never know which ones. A couple of my personal favourites were: "The Trip" by Sona Charaipotra and "The Wedding" by Sara Farizan. For some stories I struggled to know if some of them were fiction or non-fiction and found myself if these were actual lived experience by the writer, or if they were based on events that have or could have happened. I wish that would have been more clear, just for my own knowledge.
Overall, this book was an eye-opening educational read, and led me to think of things in a different way. This is what I am looking for when I am reading a book like this. This is a YA book, however I would recommend this book to not only teens, but to adults as well. I believe it can add great insight into things many people have not had to experience or endure. I think that this anthology would also be a good way to prompt discussions, which may be good in either book clubs or a classroom.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.
As with most anthologies I read, I found that some were a hit with me, and some were a miss. I think that in this anthology, some will hook you in and you never know which ones. A couple of my personal favourites were: "The Trip" by Sona Charaipotra and "The Wedding" by Sara Farizan. For some stories I struggled to know if some of them were fiction or non-fiction and found myself if these were actual lived experience by the writer, or if they were based on events that have or could have happened. I wish that would have been more clear, just for my own knowledge.
Overall, this book was an eye-opening educational read, and led me to think of things in a different way. This is what I am looking for when I am reading a book like this. This is a YA book, however I would recommend this book to not only teens, but to adults as well. I believe it can add great insight into things many people have not had to experience or endure. I think that this anthology would also be a good way to prompt discussions, which may be good in either book clubs or a classroom.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.