Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Finding Joy

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera

9 reviews

jess_always_reading's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Well... I so wanted to love this book, the story seemed like it had so much potential. However, it was a struggle to get through it, I was constantly feeling like I was left wanting more. Herrera introduces some excellent critiques of foreign aid and the saviourism that often goes with it but it feels very surface level, there's one character who's almost a caricature in his obvious plot-device state that takes a lot of the critique as if this would ever be an individual problem and not a systemic issue. Also, Desta's own saviourism is barely touched on and immediately forgiven with very little reflection or reparations.

Additionally, while I have loved complex characters who are deeply flawed in the past, Desta just comes across as completely self-absorbed to the point where Elias loses dimensionality. There's very little I could tell you about Elias because we just don't see a lot of exploration of his character despite this apparently incredible love they have for each other and the complex experiences he has had (the unsafe environment for queer people feels like it's treated as a convenient plot device).

There are also several instances where Elias could really use Desta's support and he ends up being the one to comfort and support Desta, exceptionally problematic when you consider that Desta wants to become a social worker (I'm one myself so this was really upsetting).

Honestly, I also really wanted more of Ethiopia! This was supposed to be a love letter to the country and I don't feel like the setting was explored enough. We get some surface-level descriptions and really inconsistent ones at that.

they're constantly described wearing sweaters and cooler weather clothes but then we find out at the end that it's actually been summer this whole time, as someone who's been in this part of the world this doesn't track at all

I had really been hoping for something more like Julian Winter's approach to describing and integrating Santa Monica into his novel The Summer of Everything (rich description with emotion).

Lastly, the writing/character voices were rough. It felt very juvenile for two adult characters and we (the reader) were constantly being force-fed information (telling instead of showing).

I know this is Herrera's first novel so I have hope for her later work. I'm just left wanting so much more with Finding Joy.

Would not recommend.

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amberinpieces's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-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

3.75

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alexandryareads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

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duckyreads's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was sweet and heartwarming romance between Desta and Elias in Ethiopia. The descriptions of the sights, food, and people made me want to plan a trip! Both Destra and Elias have complicated lives, but at their core are just looking for love and direction in life. Celebrating their connection was a highlight of the story, especially with how Destra slowly adapted to Ethiopian life. This story definitely lives up to its name.

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lochanreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? No

2.0

This book is such a tender and passionate read. I loved how innocent and sincere the romance was. The conflict that Desta and Elias met with towards the end was delightfully emotional. I loved that these two characters fell hard and fast for each other and the steamy lustfulness of it but then there's also the tension of them not having a lot of time left together and the difficult decisions they each have to make in their personal lives.
So why only two stingy stars? Well inasmuchas I loved the mood in this romance and its infectious main characters, the story wasn't written well. The writing got a lot better in the second half of the book but for the most part, it felt forced, there were lots of typos, the pacing and time jumps between paragraphs felt disorienting and it was telling, such that I couldn't fully enjoy the romance as much as I wanted to.
Also Sam got way to much airtime.

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wardenred's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.0

I chose myself, konjo, and you, if you still want me.

This was a really nice, heartwarming read. I loved all the vivid descriptions of life in Ethiopia, and I also loved that both leads were such genuinely good, kind people. It was wonderful to see them get their happiness, and while both of them had to face their share of troubles, joyful and happy moments absolutely prevailed, true to the book's name. All in all, this was a great summer read.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed hanging out with these characters, it was a bit hard to get invested in the romance itself, but that's totally a "me" thing. I often find it difficult to emotionally process romantic plots that begin as a crush/sexual attraction as opposed to an emotional connection coming first. Once feelings got involved, though, the story immediately grew even more compelling.

I have a couple of minor gripes with the writing style; the dialogue didn't always sound natural to me, and I felt like there was a bit too much telling instead of showing. However, what really kept me hooked on the prose was literally every description. It was like I was seeing all those places, tasting all that food, and drinking all that coffee. And I'm always here for a book that makes me feel like I'm drinking a nice cup of coffee! :)

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted 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

This was a great read. In such a short amount of time Herrera was able to establish a series of believable, rounded characters and their interrelationships. The star of the show was obviously the romance between Elias and Desta. It was just SO. SWEET. I could tell that they had really deep feelings for one another, but they also had amazing chemistry.

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watson_my_shelf's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This book was SO CUTE. I immediately fell in love with the two main characters, Desta and Elias, and was invested in their love story from the beginning. This book goes beyond just a romance story, though, and brings up important topics, such as cultural identity and homophobia. The story is set in Ethiopia and discusses their lack of LGBTQIA+ rights, which is something I knew nothing about before reading this and am so glad I got to learn about this topic. It's easy to forget that other cultures are so different from mine and I appreciate stories that remind me there are so many different cultures out there with with a different set of standards and rules. Be prepared for *steam* in this book as well!

I listened to the audio version & it was good! The narrator did a good job and would recommend on audio.

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madroxreads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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