Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 - [audiobook] enjoyed it, but fulfilling the dual aim of making a strongly built narration/style as well as educating readers about Puerto Rico & making points about its oppression was a challenge not quite surmounted - I felt the flow and rhythm of the story suffered for the background building the author did both in the mother’s letters and in the characters’ conversation. Sometimes sacrificed style to make it really clear where the author stands
I wanted this story to be like In The Heights. I liked the premise and I liked a story from another culture/background. Something that differs from my own. But I also did not like the characters or their decisions/reactions. Olga is annoying. Ultimately, did not love this. I found it annoying that things like a hurricane and a rape moved the plot forward, but without actually skimming over the actual occurrence. I found it annoying that Olga judged and lamented about people, their choices and life, but wasn't actually ever helpful or happy herself. Sad.
Good reads made it seem like everyone loved this book. To me it lacked a plot and therefore it dragged on forever.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Buddy read this with my friend and we both absolutely hated this book. It started out with promise, but quickly went downhill. It tried to be so authentic and came across as the complete opposite. The dialogue was stunted and unrealistic, the romance was forced upon us, severe issues that could have made actual valid plot points (such as mental illness and alcoholism) were glossed over, ignored, or romanticized, and the motivations for characters were kept secret for so long that when they finally dropped over halfway through the book they were anticlimactic and pathetic. The book had multiple POVs with some of them being completely unnecessary. I'll never cape for white people, but the ones in this book were cartoonishly evil the way they were written (I'm not denying that their actions are based on real events just that the portrayal was ridiculous). I'm not a native NYer. I've lived in Brooklyn for 7 years now and, personally, my first red flag came up when Olga witnessed children playing in the street and wondered if they still pop the caps off the fire hydrants in the summer and play with them... girl... just bc Brooklyn has changed a fuckton since the 90s doesn't mean children aren't up to the same shit. It's a staple every summer. It just gave someone who is clutching onto a snapshot of NY so hard that they don't even realize that same city they loved is still here it just isn't as prevalent (I am directing this at the author). Also, felt that the author should have just written a non-fiction instead of this disaster.
I'm glad I listened to the audiobook version of this. The narration was fantastic and the accents and pronunciation of Spanish words by the narrators gave life to this story in a way that I would not have experienced reading it in my own voice. I enjoyed this book despite it feeling a little slow in the middle.
Based on the way that this book has stayed with me and prompted some thinking for me, I just increased my rating.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
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
This was such a beautiful exploration of identity, trauma and how our experiences shape us. I really loved reading a book with an 'older' main character too!
Another brilliant, beautiful, and educational novel by González. Anxiously awaiting anything she writes next.