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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
This work is a collection of short stories that are all connected in various ways. They follow an extended family who are from the Dominican Republic originally. The stories explore themes of mental health, race, displacement, identity. sexuality, and family and include some moments of magical realism.
I really enjoyed this read. The author excellently wove together several short stories that had some repeating characters and explored important themes. While the author didn’t have a full book to develop the characters, they weren’t lacking in depth or feeling. They all felt relatable and realistic in a way that brought their stories to life. I also loved the story that utilized some magical realism to convey a family’s history through the eyes of its women.
I listened to the audiobook of this work. The narrator did an excellent job with these stories; I highly recommend giving it a listen! And I look forward to reading more works by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I really enjoyed this read. The author excellently wove together several short stories that had some repeating characters and explored important themes. While the author didn’t have a full book to develop the characters, they weren’t lacking in depth or feeling. They all felt relatable and realistic in a way that brought their stories to life. I also loved the story that utilized some magical realism to convey a family’s history through the eyes of its women.
I listened to the audiobook of this work. The narrator did an excellent job with these stories; I highly recommend giving it a listen! And I look forward to reading more works by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Linked short stories based on the Author's life. Each story is a wave pulling the past and future together. Well written with a vibrant story line and characters.
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I really enjoyed this book! I see a lot of potential from this debut author and her writing and characters and the way she explores topics like family and machismo and the elderly and how the youth are passed on their teachings but also paving their own mannerisms and path to forming their own identity.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’d recommend this if you want to read a lite version of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. I thought it would be a collection of short stories with a central theme and it is but the theme is the family. You’re reading a story about multiple members of this large family and it was such a fun scavenger hunt to find how they interconnected. Sometimes characters from previous stories made a cameo and it was fun trying to map the family tree.
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
With simplicity Gomera-Tavarez tells such a vibrant collection of intergenerational connected stories that speak to family, migration, love, and identity.
There was a lot to relate to in these stories: the colourism on the island, the importance of language and the link to familial lands; how children and grandchildren interact with their sexuality and existing mental illness knowing the stigma that is held by family members and the impact of religion and superstitious beliefs in approaching them.
The clarity with which Gomera-Tavarez evoked a domino game, the rebelliousness of teenagers, and the use of banishment to the island as a form of discipline were all so familiar and on point that I could not stop reading.
The coming-of-age stories, the use of the supernatural to share a history passed down through women, and the fear of not truly belonging to this family endeared these characters to me and I wanted more of their stories and more time with them.
There was a lot to relate to in these stories: the colourism on the island, the importance of language and the link to familial lands; how children and grandchildren interact with their sexuality and existing mental illness knowing the stigma that is held by family members and the impact of religion and superstitious beliefs in approaching them.
The clarity with which Gomera-Tavarez evoked a domino game, the rebelliousness of teenagers, and the use of banishment to the island as a form of discipline were all so familiar and on point that I could not stop reading.
The coming-of-age stories, the use of the supernatural to share a history passed down through women, and the fear of not truly belonging to this family endeared these characters to me and I wanted more of their stories and more time with them.