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curlzymas's review against another edition
3.0
I’m still kinda confused about what this book is about.
mayatorres's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
So I was lowkey afraid this was going to be too similar to Dominica (the book Angie Cruz published after this one) but thankfully neither books are that much alike in terms of plot. While I do believe a lot of Dominicans seem to view New York as a Mecca, maybe it was because this was one of the view states where a Spanish community were able to “thrive” or at least have a secure job compared to other states? I always wondered why not Florida or somewhere closer but 🤷🏽♀️
Anyways, this book did a great job at having Spanish interwoven with English but the Spanish made sense like other authors who sprinkle it in for no real discernible reason. We really get a sense of the confusion and loss Don Chan experiences when he struggles to live in a brand new place after living the majority of his adult life in DR. We see the struggles his son and his daughter in law face with their children. Death is somewhat predictable but rebirth is also possible. A slice of life about making it in America and wondering what went wrong with DR politics. A lot of flashbacks to the 60’s/70’s ish era before “present day” mid 1990’s.
Anyways, this book did a great job at having Spanish interwoven with English but the Spanish made sense like other authors who sprinkle it in for no real discernible reason. We really get a sense of the confusion and loss Don Chan experiences when he struggles to live in a brand new place after living the majority of his adult life in DR. We see the struggles his son and his daughter in law face with their children. Death is somewhat predictable but rebirth is also possible. A slice of life about making it in America and wondering what went wrong with DR politics. A lot of flashbacks to the 60’s/70’s ish era before “present day” mid 1990’s.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: War and Pregnancy
vegisupreme's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
dearbhlaq's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
charlottepaigee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
liked this the more I read it after first worries about it being pretty thematically similar to Dominicana (which I really liked but which I didn’t need to read another version of!) glad it changed shape and took some bold risks to be a more interesting story of family and our histories and home
kdominey's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
busolarrr's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5