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savannahtrice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Incest, and Injury/Injury detail
gemstone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Blood, and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide
h_andreanne'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, and Death of parent
lilymouse'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
Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Sexual harassment, Racism, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Colonisation, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
rain_bellin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War and Blood
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
dramaqueentears's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story really becomes connected in 2014 when Jeanette takes in a little girl named Ana when the girl’s mother is detained by ICE.
What I liked:
- The fact that the main plot point surrounding immigrant detention happens in 2014. We need more literature that holds President Obama accountable for his role in that.
- All of the Cuban/Cuban-American characters were so unlikable but their chapters were so good.
What I disliked:
- The book was so short that I didn’t feel very connected or even knowledgeable about the characters.
- Other than making a statement about ICE, there was really no reason to include a plot with two characters from El Salvador. They didn’t really add much to the story until the end and Gloria and Ana had no real personalities.
- The chapters jumped around so frequently. Not a big deal for the chapters written in the 1950’s or the 1890’s, but I had to do a lot of mental math to determine what was going on with the more present-day characters because one chapter would be written in 2019 and the next in 2015.
Overall, I think it could have been better but it was alright! The idea was great.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Cancer, and Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Medical content, and Medical trauma
evilo_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, Pedophilia, and Racism
Minor: Child abuse
pollyflorence's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse
mezzarella'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
4.0
Of Women and Salt focuses on several Latina women and how their lived experiences have been shaped by personal and political difficulties. At its highest moments, Garcia's work is engrossing and heart-wrenching. Although the pacing of the book itself is slow, I would also consider it a page turner. It was the characters and their challenges that keeps readers turning the pages. Because many of the chapters feel like short stories, when the ending arrives and connects all the histories together, it feels very much deserved.
At times, the narrative can be tangled and confusing. I believe this is intentional and also enhances the story. The women who are portrayed in this narrative are not simple and cannot live simple lives. Their past, present, and future will be untangled and touched by others, because they are simply the only ones capable of understanding the challenges each other has faced. Be warned while reading that this book has a slew of content warnings, such as pedophilia, sexual assault, death, addiction, deportation, and confinement. This book will likely be incredibly triggering for certain viewers, so please take care to look at the content warnings before reading this book.
Overall, it was the beautiful writing of Gabriella Garcia that really makes Of Women and Salt memorable. With it's release date right around the corner (April 6th), I'm thrilled to have had the chance to review this from NetGalley. Please make sure to preorder the book from your local bookstore.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Death, Alcoholism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Trafficking
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Drug abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Cancer, Death, Blood, and Alcoholism