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mllycrzr's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There’s no doubt this book is flawed, especially in the way it falls back on a lot of the tropes of immigrant stories and kind of breezes over its historical context, but I still found it engaging and compelling.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Racism
pastelwriter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I did it! I managed to finish this before the year ended! I feel so powerful 🔥
Anyway. I thought this was a solid book. It was well written and had characters that grew as the story progressed.
Nevertheless, this wasn’t really my cup of tea. When I started this book I was sure I would love it, but I just didn’t. I understand why the book has been heavily promoted and has gotten high praise, but it just wasn’t for me.
Still. I recognize the problem is me and not the book, so that’s why I still rated it 4 stars. I would recommend picking it up if it sounds interesting to you.
Anyway. I thought this was a solid book. It was well written and had characters that grew as the story progressed.
Nevertheless, this wasn’t really my cup of tea. When I started this book I was sure I would love it, but I just didn’t. I understand why the book has been heavily promoted and has gotten high praise, but it just wasn’t for me.
Still. I recognize the problem is me and not the book, so that’s why I still rated it 4 stars. I would recommend picking it up if it sounds interesting to you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
aquakerwitch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Racism, Incest, Grief, and Emotional abuse
annbutnotanne's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was very good. Not quite a favorite, but a very good book. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm in an emotional state at the moment or because it was just that well done but this book had me in my feelings.
I really loved Cruz's writing here, I just found it to hit the emotions right on the head for most of the book, and aside from some...interesting word choices, there are passages I don't think I could willingly forget because they hit home so perfectly.
I find it so interesting how Cruz created all these interesting dynamics involving Ana, her family, even some of the friends she does make, and yet the character I arguably know the least about...is Ana. I've just spent 300 pages in her mind, and I can't list a single personality trait. I know she both misses and does not miss her family, that she's afraid of her husband, I even know that she does care about appearances, and yet I'm not entirely sure whether she's a self-absorbed person, if she carries grudges, none of that.
But my biggest complaint of them all is how unaddressed it is by the narrative that Cesar goes after his teenage sister-in-law. It's clearly established that Cesar, while not in his thirties like his brother, is an adult, and Ana is a teenager when this romance does take place. After the halfway point certain events make it a little difficult for both the audience and the narrative to remember that Ana is still 15, but she is. A 15 year old who's easily more mature than both of the brothers she's involved with, but a 15 year old nonetheless. And, while this is written in first person and Ana as a character would see him in a good light, we don't see a hint of how predatory this relationship is.
And, to be frank, their love story is the weakest part of the novel. I can't really tell you why Ana falls for Cesar, but he does, and vice versa. It was very much "we did some things and then I fell for him" and just dealing with that for a good third of the book. If this specific romance was not there I would have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars. Because, aside from this, it addressed so many difficult and complex subjects full-on and exactly the way I wanted them to be handled.
The way colorism in the Dominican community is shown in this book is perfectly captured, I can't say I've read many books that discussed it in this much detail. The mother-daughter dynamic was complicated as hell but still rings so true to life, the lives they've lived in particular. The sexualization of underage girls in DR was and continues to be an everpresent issue, and it's genuinely horrifying how easy it was (and likely still is) to marry an underage girl with no one asking any questions about it. I'm not going to forget about any of these elements, because they all hit home.
All in all, this book is important. Not perfect, but definitely important, and I hope it's available in spanish, because more Dominicans should read this story to see their culture and maybe even a bit of themselves within it.
I really loved Cruz's writing here, I just found it to hit the emotions right on the head for most of the book, and aside from some...interesting word choices, there are passages I don't think I could willingly forget because they hit home so perfectly.
I find it so interesting how Cruz created all these interesting dynamics involving Ana, her family, even some of the friends she does make, and yet the character I arguably know the least about...is Ana. I've just spent 300 pages in her mind, and I can't list a single personality trait. I know she both misses and does not miss her family, that she's afraid of her husband, I even know that she does care about appearances, and yet I'm not entirely sure whether she's a self-absorbed person, if she carries grudges, none of that.
But my biggest complaint of them all is how unaddressed it is by the narrative that Cesar goes after his teenage sister-in-law. It's clearly established that Cesar, while not in his thirties like his brother, is an adult, and Ana is a teenager when this romance does take place. After the halfway point certain events make it a little difficult for both the audience and the narrative to remember that Ana is still 15, but she is. A 15 year old who's easily more mature than both of the brothers she's involved with, but a 15 year old nonetheless. And, while this is written in first person and Ana as a character would see him in a good light, we don't see a hint of how predatory this relationship is.
And, to be frank, their love story is the weakest part of the novel. I can't really tell you why Ana falls for Cesar, but he does, and vice versa. It was very much "we did some things and then I fell for him" and just dealing with that for a good third of the book. If this specific romance was not there I would have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars. Because, aside from this, it addressed so many difficult and complex subjects full-on and exactly the way I wanted them to be handled.
The way colorism in the Dominican community is shown in this book is perfectly captured, I can't say I've read many books that discussed it in this much detail. The mother-daughter dynamic was complicated as hell but still rings so true to life, the lives they've lived in particular. The sexualization of underage girls in DR was and continues to be an everpresent issue, and it's genuinely horrifying how easy it was (and likely still is) to marry an underage girl with no one asking any questions about it. I'm not going to forget about any of these elements, because they all hit home.
All in all, this book is important. Not perfect, but definitely important, and I hope it's available in spanish, because more Dominicans should read this story to see their culture and maybe even a bit of themselves within it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Adult/minor relationship
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit, Police brutality, and Medical trauma
georgiawye's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I thought this was well-written and easy to read in terms of not getting bogged down in heavy prose. I’m conscious of the fact that this story is based in truth and real history, both of the author’s mother but also of so many other women, however I found it to be largely without hope and therefore not the most enjoyable to read. I understand that this is reality, but as a novel I found it somewhat unsatisfying, perhaps a epilogue or some further reflection of would have made for a more conclusive feel at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape
scarlettreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Fifteen year old Ana Canción is proposed to by Juan Ruiz, promising her he will take her to New York City. He’s twice her age and there is no love between them, but for the sake of her family’s future, she must say yes. This is the opportunity for her family to finally emigrate to the United States. In 1965, Ana leaves everything behind to begin her new life in an apartment building in Washington Heights. As the Dominican Republic slides into political turmoil, Juan must return to save the family assets. Now, Ana is finally free to learn English and earn money of her own. But when Juan returns, she must choose between her heart and her head.
I’ve got to admit I expected a bit more from a book shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. I found the first half of the book difficult to get through due to the slow pace. But the second half of the book captured me, and I finally started to enjoy it; by the end, I was really invested in Ana’s storyline. I did also learn a lot about the history of the Dominican Republic and their relationship between the USA.
I’m still glad I read this as part of the #londonbookfriends book club pick for September, in honour of #latinxheritagemonth, and pushed me out of my reading comfort zone
I’ve got to admit I expected a bit more from a book shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. I found the first half of the book difficult to get through due to the slow pace. But the second half of the book captured me, and I finally started to enjoy it; by the end, I was really invested in Ana’s storyline. I did also learn a lot about the history of the Dominican Republic and their relationship between the USA.
I’m still glad I read this as part of the #londonbookfriends book club pick for September, in honour of #latinxheritagemonth, and pushed me out of my reading comfort zone
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship
words_and_coffee's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
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