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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This book was moving and powerful, as it narrates the navigation of difficult family arrangements in a time of grief and joy.
I appreciate the story and the idea, but found it pretty hard to follow with so many characters.
Loved the intertwining family dynamics and the intensity of the voice of the characters. I thought the writing of the characters and their specific journeys was very good and the ending was so fitting and beautiful, I cried.
Only complaint was that the sections and chapters were so long I had a hard time staying connected and focused while reading.
Only complaint was that the sections and chapters were so long I had a hard time staying connected and focused while reading.
I loved the first half of this audio book. I found the main character, Big Angel, to be such an interesting character with interesting observations and memories. I appreciated and could follow the family relationships - the hurts, joys and appreciations of each other. But about 2/3 of the way through, I found the story just got too far from the central idea (first a funeral, followed by a birthday celebration) with too many characters to keep up with. I got over 80% complete and my enjoyment was diminishing with each new layer of the story or shifting perspective. So, I consider it read because of the amount of time I invested.
The writing is beautiful and the audio narration adds a lot, particularly with the Spanish words (except for the character that speaks in a cookie monster voice - that was far too loud and grating for my taste). I wish I could stick with it to learn what happens but my patience is limited these days. Still, I do recommend this book as it has many fine points. Just not the right time for me.
The writing is beautiful and the audio narration adds a lot, particularly with the Spanish words (except for the character that speaks in a cookie monster voice - that was far too loud and grating for my taste). I wish I could stick with it to learn what happens but my patience is limited these days. Still, I do recommend this book as it has many fine points. Just not the right time for me.
This story was interesting to me. The family dynamic was unfamiliar to me as far as my own family goes. However, I married into a Mexican family and saw some definite similarities. And as can happen when my in-laws all get together, there were times that I lost track of who was who and who was related to who. Big Angel was an interesting character - sometimes likeable, sometimes not. Little Angel was a bit of a stranger and them started to fit in better. There was a lot going on and it kept the story moving and held my interest.
I liked the heart, but not the story. Bonus points to the author for reading his own book, loved his pronunciations.
But, yeah- just not for me.
But, yeah- just not for me.
DNF at 15%. COVID-19 is not the time to force yourself to read things that can't hold your attention. Maybe I'll come back to it later??
Though I did have a hard time keeping all the family members straight
After reading Yellowface, I went looking for other books by writers with different ethnic backgrounds. This was so good! There were spots of spice, violence, and love all twirled together with Spanish. It was a wild and crazy family--just like all familes--and I fell in love with them too!
While the book had a great story with many important themes, the writing was simply off for me. I felt I couldn’t keep track of the timeline and expansive list of characters.