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charlieeee's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Trafficking, Violence, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
Minor: Torture, Deportation, Racial slurs, Excrement, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Grief
At first I thought this was going to be a deep-dive into the immigrant experience in Trinidad, but it just reads like ‘middle class folkx are uncomfortable boo-hoo poor us’. Casual fat phobia throughout, stereotypes and constant sexualisation of Latinas with a general shrug of ‘what can you do’ rather than developing these women into complex characters in a complex situation. Megan and Vanessa deserved better writing.outer_books's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was such a fun read, despite the annoying childish Yola, holy moly. This is a medium paced read and it centers around the situation that immigrants from Venezuela had to go through and lose when they had to run away from the rule of Maduro. It's really sad but the author gave it humor, even if I laughed at a 3 or 5 lines.
The reason why I didn't give it a full 5 is because of the writing style. This is a debut novel so I understand that it won't be a smooth type writing but the long, I don't know what to call it, puns or negative talks you link to a show or actor to make it more funny, breaks the immersion as well as it drags some of the situation.
Though it was much more tolerable when listening to the audiobook. I am happy to get this book and try something outside of my comfort zone.
The reason why I didn't give it a full 5 is because of the writing style. This is a debut novel so I understand that it won't be a smooth type writing but the long, I don't know what to call it, puns or negative talks you link to a show or actor to make it more funny, breaks the immersion as well as it drags some of the situation.
Though it was much more tolerable when listening to the audiobook. I am happy to get this book and try something outside of my comfort zone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Cursing
Moderate: Misogyny, Grief, Slavery, Trafficking, Classism, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Animal death, and Alcoholism
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It took me a long time to decide how to rate this one and I still feel conflicted about my decision. I really enjoyed this quirky story and its hilarious cast of characters. While reading it, I thought the author did an excellent job of conveying the hardships these immigrant families face, and how they can be taken advantage of because they can't go to any authorities for help. However, I was put off by the author's note, which revealed that the author, while Trinidadian, is not Venezuelan like the fictional Palacio family. In retrospect, I should have done more research before picking it up (and in my own defense, they hired a Spanish-speaking narrator for the audiobook, which caused me to let down my guard). Suddenly what I thought were "in jokes" seemed more like punching down, and the internalized misogyny from the main character felt more like a bad stereotype than a critique of the author's own culture. This book left a bad taste in my mouth, but I suppose I should chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Trafficking
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Xenophobia
crystalisreading's review against another edition
I requested an advanced copy of One Year of Ugly, excited to read a novel that gave me some perspective on the experience of Venezuelan emigrants, and of life in Trinidad, in a "fun, fresh" style. My initial due diligence prior to requesting the book confirmed that the author was from Trinidad, which gave me some confidence that the perspective would be authentic.
However, when I finally opened the book to read it this week, I was immediately put off by the language the author used to refer to the main characters' home country, calling Venezuela a "socialist cesspit". Something about the tone of that first chapter set my teeth on edge. it didn't seem like language that a family would use after fleeing their home country, or would use about each other. It sounded like a sneering perspective of someone more socially and economically stable than the characters she was writing.
So I did some more in-depth research on the author, only to realize that Caroline Mckenzie is a white Trinidadian attempting to write from the perspective of Venezuelans, emigrants, debtors, people of color--people significantly less privileged than her. A story that might be compelling in the hands of an #ownvoices author instead feels condescending and exploitative, disrespectful to the characters, their country of origin, and the majority of the people represented in their new homeland. That's not even to mention the transphobia, ableism, and sexualization of Latine women that other reviewers have called out. This feels like classic colonizer writing, and it is not for me, which is why I did not finish this book, nor will I be doing so, nor will I be recommending this book to anyone.
Thanks anyway to #NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an #advancedcopy of #OneYearofUgly.
However, when I finally opened the book to read it this week, I was immediately put off by the language the author used to refer to the main characters' home country, calling Venezuela a "socialist cesspit". Something about the tone of that first chapter set my teeth on edge. it didn't seem like language that a family would use after fleeing their home country, or would use about each other. It sounded like a sneering perspective of someone more socially and economically stable than the characters she was writing.
So I did some more in-depth research on the author, only to realize that Caroline Mckenzie is a white Trinidadian attempting to write from the perspective of Venezuelans, emigrants, debtors, people of color--people significantly less privileged than her. A story that might be compelling in the hands of an #ownvoices author instead feels condescending and exploitative, disrespectful to the characters, their country of origin, and the majority of the people represented in their new homeland. That's not even to mention the transphobia, ableism, and sexualization of Latine women that other reviewers have called out. This feels like classic colonizer writing, and it is not for me, which is why I did not finish this book, nor will I be doing so, nor will I be recommending this book to anyone.
Thanks anyway to #NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an #advancedcopy of #OneYearofUgly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Transphobia, Ableism, Xenophobia, and Misogyny
This is a privileged white Trinidadian author attempting to write a book from the perspective of a Latine family who fled Venezuela for Trinidad. it is chock full of bigotry. Proceed with caution, if you must proceed at all.readwithchar's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Transphobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
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