Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

52 reviews

aweekinthelife's review

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funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

the book is structured as twelve interviews Cara Romero has with a job counselor, except you only get to hear/read Cara's words. Cara is open and candid, sharing all sorts of details about her life that get introduced in the first few interviews and further fleshed out in following ones. she's complicated and unapologetic about who she is and what she wants, but also shows remarkable growth throughout her life and these ~3 months that we spend with her. 

the audiobook narrator did a phenomenal job pulling the listener in from the very beginning. highly recommend on audio! 
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sofipitch's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The way Cara Romero talks was so like my grandmother and occasionally my dad it felt strange and comforting at the same time. Many of her beliefs echoed theirs too, the main difference is while Cara changes to where she becomes more open and loving to others, they haven't. But I guess it's meant to give you hope of that change, and I really appreciate how while there was some hope that maybe she would reconcile with her estranged son, he didn't owe it to her to come back
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lportilla's review against another edition

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funny 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

4.25

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angievansprang's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-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

4.75

This was a really entertaining audiobook! I absolutely fell in love with our main character, Cara Romero. She is so human that she feels like a real, off-page person. You get to know her so well and the author gives you just enough information to keep you always wanting more about Cara’s life. Beautifully told story.
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theabee's review against another edition

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emotional 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

3.5

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kaynova's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.0

the audio version of this book is the best thing ever. i was immersed into the story, the characters, and always hoped for the best for every character. rossmery almonte's voice is so riveting and pulls you in. 
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lizreadsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I found the structure of this novel to be really interesting— the narration is Cara’s Romero’s side of a series of conversations with her representative from a workforce program, interspersed with documents from the program and Cara’s landlord. The result is an interesting tension between the larger systemic forces working against Cara (gentrification and poverty) and her personal struggles and successes with family and friends. Through Cara’s stories, we witness her own trauma, flaws, and growth as she laments her estrangement from her son and considers her own role in that relationship. This is a novel about survival, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. Though there are some tough themes throughout, it has its moments of levity and ultimately feels hopeful. Liked it.
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emily_koopmann's review

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funny reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

4.5 stars. A sheer joy and a half to read. Angie Cruz has crafted what is effectively a 190-page monologue, showcasing what feels to me like one of the most distinct voices in recent literary memory. My sentimental heart was tearing up by the final few pages, but I’ll leave that for you to experience for yourself… :)

(And for anyone craving a multi-media (!) experience, reading it is well-paired with this episode of Thresholds: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5odDnfti2oq70ktRVZ4rdU?si=1379209cd6e14d86)
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booknerderika's review

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reflective fast-paced

5.0

This was such a raw story. Covering topics like gentrification, living in the U.S. without citizenship, and generational trauma all through one person's story. I wasn't completely sure in the beginning, but as the story went on, I was hooked. 

I highly recommend the audiobook for this one. It made the story so much more real. I was able to see my mom, my tías, my grandma in so many of the dominican women in this story. 🇩🇴
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