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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I'm sure this is a charming book to those who enjoy this style. I have nothing against the story or the writing, I just don't usually enjoy the vignette style of storytelling. For me, I feel like it doesn't give me a chance to learn anything about the characters, and so I don't come to care for them. But if you enjoy novels told more as a series of short stories than as a standard novel, I think you will enjoy this one.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault
3.0/5.0 Stars
I thought this one was just alright. I was expecting this to be a novel, but it's more of a short story collection. Generally short stories are hard to execute, and that showed sometimes in this book. If you only have a page or so to make a story, it's doubly as hard to develop a good plot or build characters that the audience cares for. I think this book forgoes attempting either, instead focusing on delivering vague poetry chapter-by-chapter. Threw me off-guard a little because it's described as a novel, but I'd already started it so had to finish. I'm not the biggest poetry fan and found a lot of the chapters, especially in the first half, to be ineffective at delivering any sort of message at all. There were a few star moments. I think my experience mostly just has to do with me being poetry jumpscared, the average person would probably enjoy way more than I did.
I thought this one was just alright. I was expecting this to be a novel, but it's more of a short story collection. Generally short stories are hard to execute, and that showed sometimes in this book. If you only have a page or so to make a story, it's doubly as hard to develop a good plot or build characters that the audience cares for. I think this book forgoes attempting either, instead focusing on delivering vague poetry chapter-by-chapter. Threw me off-guard a little because it's described as a novel, but I'd already started it so had to finish. I'm not the biggest poetry fan and found a lot of the chapters, especially in the first half, to be ineffective at delivering any sort of message at all. There were a few star moments. I think my experience mostly just has to do with me being poetry jumpscared, the average person would probably enjoy way more than I did.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
absolutely phenomenal. very easy read. filled with the type of darkness that is so normal in the everyday life of poor immigrants and it’s absolutely heartbreaking
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is beautifully written. I love how the story unfolds through the vignettes. They are incomplete, raw. I very much enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
It is a particular voice that captures a specific time and place, including some language that is offensive today (but was not widely viewed as offensive when it was written).
It is a particular voice that captures a specific time and place, including some language that is offensive today (but was not widely viewed as offensive when it was written).
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Classism
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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
This is a really beautiful story told through easily consumable vignettes. The only downside isn’t incredibly memorable.