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wispygirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Ordinary Girls
Author: Jaquira Diaz
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Autobiography, LGBT
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Genre: Autobiography
Recommended Age: 16+ (mental illness, sexual assault TW, depression, questioning your sexuality)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Ordinary Girls is a fierce, beautiful, and unflinching memoir from a wildly talented debut author. While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Díaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and home, she found instead a life upended by violence. From her own struggles with depression and sexual assault to Puerto Rico’s history of colonialism, every page of Ordinary Girls vibrates with music and lyricism. Díaz triumphantly maps a way out of despair toward love and hope to become her version of the girl she always wanted to be.
Review: I really liked this book! I thought the book was very well done. The writing was captivating and the character development was the heart of this book. The pacing was also very on point. I really liked this memoir and I loved how open and honest the author was with the audience, especially on such sensitive topics.
My only issues with the book are that the world building wasn’t that well done in my opinion and I felt like some of the minor characters weren’t that well developed. Other than those things, I highly recommend this novel!
Verdict: A very well done memoir.
Book: Ordinary Girls
Author: Jaquira Diaz
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Autobiography, LGBT
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Genre: Autobiography
Recommended Age: 16+ (mental illness, sexual assault TW, depression, questioning your sexuality)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Ordinary Girls is a fierce, beautiful, and unflinching memoir from a wildly talented debut author. While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Díaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and home, she found instead a life upended by violence. From her own struggles with depression and sexual assault to Puerto Rico’s history of colonialism, every page of Ordinary Girls vibrates with music and lyricism. Díaz triumphantly maps a way out of despair toward love and hope to become her version of the girl she always wanted to be.
Review: I really liked this book! I thought the book was very well done. The writing was captivating and the character development was the heart of this book. The pacing was also very on point. I really liked this memoir and I loved how open and honest the author was with the audience, especially on such sensitive topics.
My only issues with the book are that the world building wasn’t that well done in my opinion and I felt like some of the minor characters weren’t that well developed. Other than those things, I highly recommend this novel!
Verdict: A very well done memoir.
cafeyre's review against another edition
4.0
This book shows the full story of a girl who through fight finally becomes someone she always wanted to be. It’s a long way she had to go through with many hurtful events in the middle, but it all led her to where she is now.
Jaquira Díaz’s life can be described in many ways. From the early years, she had to take care of herself but also her mother and little sister. She had to grow up very fast and the consequences of it appeared very early. Her life was very hard, for most of the time she lived with her mother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts more than once and drowning her sorrows in alcohol daily. The constant parting and meeting people of the streets also discovered her to dangerous situations like multiple sexual assaults. These scenes described in the book were honestly very painful to read. Especially considering the young age of the author, when her first time wasn’t her choice, and saying no wasn’t an option. When I was reading this book, I realized how much my childhood differed from hers and how lucky I was to be born into a family like mine with a stable life and loving parents. That’s a privilege people don’t recognize in their lives.
Ordinary Girls are touching aspects people don’t like to talk about. They are considered shameful or uncomfortable. It’s also shown in the book when young girls are keeping the secrets about being sexually harassed to themselves instead of going to the police or someone trustworthy. They think they deserved it or that no one will even believe them. So, they go on with their life, drink, even more, drop the school and live on the streets with people like them.
Reading this book was very painful, especially that I knew that it’s all based on the author’s life. I couldn’t even imagine going through all of this and sharing it all with people. I’m sure it had to be a long and hard process to go through. However, I know that this book would connect girls like her and send them the message that they are not alone. Moreover, it is eyes opening, it’s teaches people that they shouldn’t judge people without knowing their story and life situation. We see young homeless people and think all wrong about them, but the truth may be completely different.
This book shows the full story of a girl who through fight finally becomes someone she always wanted to be. It’s a long way she had to go through with many hurtful events in the middle, but it all led her to where she is now.
For the story and quality of the book and writing, I would give this book five stars. However, I felt confused so many times while reading this book because I was jumping through the years and events. I know that it was done on purpose, but I didn’t like it. I had to go back to see which situation was this year connected and how old she was. I think it would be much better if the events would happen in chronological order.
I would like to thank Algonquin Books and Jaquira Díaz for inviting me to be a part of this amazing blog tour and for providing me with such an inspiring book.
Jaquira Díaz’s life can be described in many ways. From the early years, she had to take care of herself but also her mother and little sister. She had to grow up very fast and the consequences of it appeared very early. Her life was very hard, for most of the time she lived with her mother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts more than once and drowning her sorrows in alcohol daily. The constant parting and meeting people of the streets also discovered her to dangerous situations like multiple sexual assaults. These scenes described in the book were honestly very painful to read. Especially considering the young age of the author, when her first time wasn’t her choice, and saying no wasn’t an option. When I was reading this book, I realized how much my childhood differed from hers and how lucky I was to be born into a family like mine with a stable life and loving parents. That’s a privilege people don’t recognize in their lives.
Ordinary Girls are touching aspects people don’t like to talk about. They are considered shameful or uncomfortable. It’s also shown in the book when young girls are keeping the secrets about being sexually harassed to themselves instead of going to the police or someone trustworthy. They think they deserved it or that no one will even believe them. So, they go on with their life, drink, even more, drop the school and live on the streets with people like them.
Reading this book was very painful, especially that I knew that it’s all based on the author’s life. I couldn’t even imagine going through all of this and sharing it all with people. I’m sure it had to be a long and hard process to go through. However, I know that this book would connect girls like her and send them the message that they are not alone. Moreover, it is eyes opening, it’s teaches people that they shouldn’t judge people without knowing their story and life situation. We see young homeless people and think all wrong about them, but the truth may be completely different.
This book shows the full story of a girl who through fight finally becomes someone she always wanted to be. It’s a long way she had to go through with many hurtful events in the middle, but it all led her to where she is now.
For the story and quality of the book and writing, I would give this book five stars. However, I felt confused so many times while reading this book because I was jumping through the years and events. I know that it was done on purpose, but I didn’t like it. I had to go back to see which situation was this year connected and how old she was. I think it would be much better if the events would happen in chronological order.
I would like to thank Algonquin Books and Jaquira Díaz for inviting me to be a part of this amazing blog tour and for providing me with such an inspiring book.
earthtokb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying
kshea1's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
As a parent, I wanted to reach through the pages and help that little girl who went through so much pain and it was no fault of her own.
As a parent, I wanted to reach through the pages and help that little girl who went through so much pain and it was no fault of her own.