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mycatmycatandme's review
slow-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
3.0
I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Addiction
bookloversofi's review
3.0
I want to thank Edelweiss+ and Soho Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
TW: Drug Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Underage/Adult Relationship & Violence
I was very excited to read this book, it has many factors that I find fascinating, especially when I just knew what it said in the blurb, but it turns out that the book isn't what I expected and I guess that's why I ended up surprising, although unfortunately, it wasn't a pleasant way, I must say. I find that the writing style is very beautiful and without doubt, I would read something more from the author in the future, just the plot contains quite problematic and uncomfortable situations for me, so that's why my rating is low.
I have so many mixed feelings about this book, and I feel that it has been one of the most difficult to give a rating to.
2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️💫
You can find this one and more of my reviews on my blog A Book. A Thought.
In All of Us with Wings we follow a 17-year-old Mexican-American girl named Xochi, she has been fleeing from a very hard/dark past that she wants to leave behind and in the process her path intersects with Pallas', an 11-year-old girl that lives in a Victorian house with her rockstar family and they establish an unique relationship, of understanding and friendship, so Xochi accepts the position of being Pallas governess and soon finds her place in the house. Until one night, during the Vernal Equinox, the girls are playing what seems like a meaningless and innocent game, and end up invoking creatures that will aim to take revenge on those people who have made Xochi suffer during his life and will depend only on her and Pallas stop the situation.
I want to start talking about what I liked and a lot, and that was the writing style, this book is told with a very beautiful and lyrical style, it's different to what I'm used to and I must say that I love it, that's why I would love to read more by the author, I think that she has a unique talent to write.
Then I also think that it has VERY well created scenes, especially when there's magic and magical-realism happening. The way in which it's explored and described is very beautiful to read and I wanted those scenes to have lasted a little longer. I also adore Mexican-American representation, I always support Latinx writers and Latinx characters as well.
Well, now we'll talk about what I didn't like. This book is much impactful and more explicit in content than I thought it would be, and maybe it was my mistake for misinterpreting the idea of the book, but having known the amount of inappropriate scenes that involve a minor with an adult man, maybe I wouldn't chosen this book to read in the first place. I can't talk about this "romance" as such because if someone wants to read the book would be spoilers, but I can tell you that it's about "romanticize" or "normalize" a situation that's out of place, not only by the underage involved but by the fact that it's a power abuse of a man who's employing the other person, you know?. It's very complicated and twisty in many ways. What worried me the most and bothered me about this situation, besides the sexual scenes, was the look that everyone else had on what was happening, they literally made jokes about it or said that it was something like "normal" because rockstars, and cause she's so mature for her age and that shit. I was like "REALLY?!" I couldn't control my temperament and in general guys, I am very open mind with romance, and age differences don't scare me, but this was very uncomfortable for me and I didn't manage to feel that this was the right thing at any time. Maybe it works for you, though, but definitely not for me.
The main characters of this book live in a house where there are continually parties since it's a rock star family, so, for example, Pallas is involved in a excesses life from a very young age, she sees people get high all the time and I was in shock when just, in the beginning, there's a scene when Xochi finds Pallas smoking, and she's only 11 years old, maybe this is something cultural?, but I doubt it. Things like that, though, are thousands in the book, and this is why, among other things, I think the book shouldn't be cataloged as YA, I think the book feels a lot like an Adult book that follows young characters, you know?
I didn't feel particularly close to any of the characters, maybe because I was more focused on other things that were happening
It's very difficult to talk about a book that can be so solid in certain aspects, but so weak in others. This will be the kind of books that you love or hate, I feel there will not be many who share a middle term. It's difficult for me to recommend it, in fact, I prefer not to do it, but if you feel curious and want to read it remember the trigger warnings, and also that it's a book for those who maybe like YA, but they want to try something more daring and dark, or for those who enjoy Adult genre and Magical-Realism/Coming of Age stories. Not my cup of tea, but maybe it's yours
nicolepiermanwriter's review against another edition
4.0
First and foremost, this book is for readers that had traumatic childhoods and want to find a book that's relatable. Not everyone wants to read about happy endings; some readers want a book that's dark but relatable because not everyone had a happy childhood full of flowers and unicorns.
I’m finally going to say it because this has been bothering me for nearly a year:
For everyone saying this supports pedophilia—learn the definition before you use words so flippantly because y’all are embarrassing yourselves. It’s as simple as a google search.
I’m finally going to say it because this has been bothering me for nearly a year:
For everyone saying this supports pedophilia—learn the definition before you use words so flippantly because y’all are embarrassing yourselves. It’s as simple as a google search.
kiwiwonder's review against another edition
3.0
I don't normally say this, but in this case it bears saying...
Other reviewers have written in-depth reviews / discussions about this book that say pretty much everything I have to say about it, already, and better than I can state it. However, I'll do a summary of my thoughts - and if you're interested, I'd fully recommend checking out other reviews.
* This is not a YA book. As a couple others have said, I feel this is more new adults / adult book, that happens to have a couple (only two) non-adult main characters. The themes are tough, and whilst YA readers can often handle tough themes, the presentation of them is a little more grey than I think we expect of YA readers. Considering that teens often read up, I don't think it's fair to label this as YA. It's a decent book, with very real themes - but adult.
* The main quasi-relationship-interest is problematic. Flirting with problematic relationships themselves isn't necessarily unrealistic, but in light of other themes dealt with in the book, it almost starts to feel like the author is missing her own point.
* The magical realism in this seems hotly debated whether it "works" or not... but that was the main aspect keeping me reading. I loved Peasblossom as a character, and kind of want more of that.
* I hated the ending.
Other reviewers have written in-depth reviews / discussions about this book that say pretty much everything I have to say about it, already, and better than I can state it. However, I'll do a summary of my thoughts - and if you're interested, I'd fully recommend checking out other reviews.
* This is not a YA book. As a couple others have said, I feel this is more new adults / adult book, that happens to have a couple (only two) non-adult main characters. The themes are tough, and whilst YA readers can often handle tough themes, the presentation of them is a little more grey than I think we expect of YA readers. Considering that teens often read up, I don't think it's fair to label this as YA. It's a decent book, with very real themes - but adult.
* The main quasi-relationship-interest is problematic. Flirting with problematic relationships themselves isn't necessarily unrealistic, but in light of other themes dealt with in the book, it almost starts to feel like the author is missing her own point.
Spoiler
* The magical realism in this seems hotly debated whether it "works" or not... but that was the main aspect keeping me reading. I loved Peasblossom as a character, and kind of want more of that.
* I hated the ending.
jugglingpup's review
2.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I read yet another book based on the cover. Look at that. Gorgeous. The colors, the details, the Golden Gate Bridge (weird fact about me, stories set in SF make me cry and feel homesick despite not liking living in California when I lived there).
Hands down, the best part of this book for me was the cover. The second best part was the writing. The writing was gorgeous. I loved the writing. It put me in this trance where I just felt like I was wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and fog. It was magical. I would read more things by Keil without question.
The issue I had with this book falls down on the plot. The plot described on the cover (I ACTUALLY READ THE SYNOPSIS!) is really like a side plot. The healing and revenge are all secondary, or at least feel secondary through most of the book. The real plot is the romance between a 17 year old girl and her boss/landlord a 28 year old man. There were a few instances where people were like “wow, she is too young”. They were then talked out of that by others or they were just ignored or it was revealed the real issue they had was there were worried about the man’s emotional safety. So I did some research. The book does not specify a time period, but it appears to be in the 80’s/90’s, though there was enough graphic talk about HIV/AIDS, that I am leaning more 90’s. The age of consent in California is 18. So statutory rape. It is compounded by the issue that he is also her boss and her landlord since she is a live in nanny for his 12 year old daughter. So so many reasons why this should not happen logically. We haven’t even touched ethically why it is wrong to engage in a relationship with a minor.
The story revolves so heavily around this romance that it was bad. The issue that finally resolved itself in the end was she would move out so they could be together, maybe. She was fired. The relationship didn’t end. All of this was done in the name of “free love”, which was the old school way of saying poly (ish, not quite) or having sex with less boundaries. Sooooo not going to go into that rage since it should never have existed since she is UNDER THE AGE OF CONSENT.
To be fair, there is no scene where they technically have sex. If I have to say “technically, it isn’t pedophilia” then there is something fishy happening. It technically isn’t pedophilia since she is too old for that label, but it is illegal and immoral. The book had so many issues like that it was hard to get through.
It is so gorgeous and I loved it, but I hated the content. The plot is usually what pulls me through a story. The writing isn’t enough for me to recommend this book. In the first fifty pages, I was recommending it to everyone. By the hundredth page I was taking back recommendations since enough of my friends have had similar lives and so have I. It is not something I would recommend, as it is so graphic and difficult to read. I do give props to Keil for giving a content and trigger warning at the beginning of the book. The warning was not descriptive enough for me to turn this book away since I didn’t think it would have the statutory rape love plot being a main focus.
I read yet another book based on the cover. Look at that. Gorgeous. The colors, the details, the Golden Gate Bridge (weird fact about me, stories set in SF make me cry and feel homesick despite not liking living in California when I lived there).
Hands down, the best part of this book for me was the cover. The second best part was the writing. The writing was gorgeous. I loved the writing. It put me in this trance where I just felt like I was wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and fog. It was magical. I would read more things by Keil without question.
The issue I had with this book falls down on the plot. The plot described on the cover (I ACTUALLY READ THE SYNOPSIS!) is really like a side plot. The healing and revenge are all secondary, or at least feel secondary through most of the book. The real plot is the romance between a 17 year old girl and her boss/landlord a 28 year old man. There were a few instances where people were like “wow, she is too young”. They were then talked out of that by others or they were just ignored or it was revealed the real issue they had was there were worried about the man’s emotional safety. So I did some research. The book does not specify a time period, but it appears to be in the 80’s/90’s, though there was enough graphic talk about HIV/AIDS, that I am leaning more 90’s. The age of consent in California is 18. So statutory rape. It is compounded by the issue that he is also her boss and her landlord since she is a live in nanny for his 12 year old daughter. So so many reasons why this should not happen logically. We haven’t even touched ethically why it is wrong to engage in a relationship with a minor.
The story revolves so heavily around this romance that it was bad. The issue that finally resolved itself in the end was she would move out so they could be together, maybe. She was fired. The relationship didn’t end. All of this was done in the name of “free love”, which was the old school way of saying poly (ish, not quite) or having sex with less boundaries. Sooooo not going to go into that rage since it should never have existed since she is UNDER THE AGE OF CONSENT.
To be fair, there is no scene where they technically have sex. If I have to say “technically, it isn’t pedophilia” then there is something fishy happening. It technically isn’t pedophilia since she is too old for that label, but it is illegal and immoral. The book had so many issues like that it was hard to get through.
It is so gorgeous and I loved it, but I hated the content. The plot is usually what pulls me through a story. The writing isn’t enough for me to recommend this book. In the first fifty pages, I was recommending it to everyone. By the hundredth page I was taking back recommendations since enough of my friends have had similar lives and so have I. It is not something I would recommend, as it is so graphic and difficult to read. I do give props to Keil for giving a content and trigger warning at the beginning of the book. The warning was not descriptive enough for me to turn this book away since I didn’t think it would have the statutory rape love plot being a main focus.
megatsunami's review
4.0
3-4 stars (I can't quite decide). I feel this would have been better marketed as an adult novel rather than YA (just having a teenage protagonist doesn't automatically mean something is a YA novel). I enjoyed the Francesca-Lia-Block-esque detailed portrayal of 80's San Francisco and a loving (and complicated) countercultural polyamorous chosen family. I appreciated the use of magic and the portrayal of healing.
There has been controversy about the romance between 17-year-old Xochi and 28-year-old Lev in this book. Some people are referring to it as "pedophilia" which is not accurate (Xochi is a teenager, not a child) and others are getting super hung up on the legal age of consent. Which, yes, is 18 in California (so 17-year-olds are not technically allowed to have sex with ANYONE, regardless of age difference). But would this relationship be any different if Xochi were 3 months older and legally of age? No. The age difference and the power differential are the problems here. In those regards, this relationship is very problematic.
I felt Xochi's attraction to Lev was psychologically realistic, as was his attraction to her. And I thought it was realistic that their relationship is complex and not about good and evil (on one level they are just two human beings who feel a connection; on another level he is her employer and is much older and has a responsibility to act differently). But I also wondered why the author chose to portray this problematic relationship here. It took emphasis away from the other elements of the story.
There has been controversy about the romance between 17-year-old Xochi and 28-year-old Lev in this book. Some people are referring to it as "pedophilia" which is not accurate (Xochi is a teenager, not a child) and others are getting super hung up on the legal age of consent. Which, yes, is 18 in California (so 17-year-olds are not technically allowed to have sex with ANYONE, regardless of age difference). But would this relationship be any different if Xochi were 3 months older and legally of age? No. The age difference and the power differential are the problems here. In those regards, this relationship is very problematic.
I felt Xochi's attraction to Lev was psychologically realistic, as was his attraction to her. And I thought it was realistic that their relationship is complex and not about good and evil (on one level they are just two human beings who feel a connection; on another level he is her employer and is much older and has a responsibility to act differently). But I also wondered why the author chose to portray this problematic relationship here. It took emphasis away from the other elements of the story.
juliterario's review
3.0
Hace tiempo que quería leer All of Us With Wings. Admito que no sabía mucho de esta novela, pero hace tiempo que su sinopsis y su portada me intrigaban. Tras leer la nota de la autora al inicio del libro cuando finalmente le di una oportunidad, quedé sumamente sorprendida. Se veía como un gran libro. Pensaba que estaba a punto de leer una historia fascinante. Ahora, lamento decir que me dejó mucho que desear. No es un libro que recomiendo :(
Primero que nada, este NO es un libro juvenil. Lo han difundido mucho como tal, pero no creo que sea una novela para adolescentes. Hay contenidos MUY fuertes en este libro, desde abuso sexual, abuso y negligencia infantil, uso severo de drogas, etc, etc, etc. MUCHO MÁS. Es un libro difícil, y no parece estar para naaada apuntado a la audiencia juvenil. No lo digo solo por los temas que trata, sino por todo respecto al libro. Hay algo muy mal respecto al marketing de All of Us With Wings. No me gustó el romance, no disfruté de la escritura, el realismo mágico en el medio fue taaaaaan confuso. No sé. Sólo le doy 3 estrellas a esta novela porque es un libro importante. No hay muchas historias como la de All of Us With Wings ahí afuera, y es una novela necesaria. Pero más allá de eso, podría extenderme muchísimo más sobre lo que no me gustó y lo que considero problemático. Así que...
Primero que nada, este NO es un libro juvenil. Lo han difundido mucho como tal, pero no creo que sea una novela para adolescentes. Hay contenidos MUY fuertes en este libro, desde abuso sexual, abuso y negligencia infantil, uso severo de drogas, etc, etc, etc. MUCHO MÁS. Es un libro difícil, y no parece estar para naaada apuntado a la audiencia juvenil. No lo digo solo por los temas que trata, sino por todo respecto al libro. Hay algo muy mal respecto al marketing de All of Us With Wings. No me gustó el romance, no disfruté de la escritura, el realismo mágico en el medio fue taaaaaan confuso. No sé. Sólo le doy 3 estrellas a esta novela porque es un libro importante. No hay muchas historias como la de All of Us With Wings ahí afuera, y es una novela necesaria. Pero más allá de eso, podría extenderme muchísimo más sobre lo que no me gustó y lo que considero problemático. Así que...
wildthorns's review against another edition
2.0
This rating is not a testament to the quality of the book's structure, characters, and plot. Those were excellent. I simply am giving it this rating because it's not really my kind of book. There are some people who I'm sure would love it, but this kind of a love story doesn't really appeal to me
vsrkive's review against another edition
WHY did no one tell me about this book? It sounds amazing
onecrab's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
Thanks for making me suffer through this gross book, Popsugar challenge.
What looks like a YA fantasy book set in San Francisco with hints of fantasy is really a story of grooming children into pedophilia.
What looks like a YA fantasy book set in San Francisco with hints of fantasy is really a story of grooming children into pedophilia.
This book is a horrible representation of polyamory and paganism.
Tongue piercing 101: the initial bar is so long it inhibits speech. Once the swelling has gone down, the permanent bar is put in. Drinking beer or wine is a total no no. But the piercer probably knew Xochi was all magical and wouldn't have to endure normal bodily processes.
Giving an underaged child free beer and whiskey because "pretty girls are good for business" 🤮 I hope your liquor license is revoked.
Oh a 29 year old grown man f*cking a 17 year old girl while his daughter is battling a fever? Hella classy.
I do not support banning books but this one makes me think an exception should be made.
I do not support banning books but this one makes me think an exception should be made.