Scan barcode
emmapaigereads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Alcoholism, Grief, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- 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
Oh gosh, I'm nervous to write this because I absolutely ADORE Elizabeth Acevedo. LET ME BE PERFECTLY CLEAR: I AM A MASSIVE FAN OF ELIZABETH ACEVEDO! I have read everything she has published and I have been absolutely *ENAMORED* with her work. She is a master class in novel-in-verse, and in powerful writing in general. I truly believe that. However, this was just an example of me being the biggest fangirl ever, and yet not loving something by one of my favorite authors. Believe me, this is as devastating for me as it is for yall!
I was so excited by the premise, and when I realized what this book was about! I love a multigenerational family saga, and following the women in the family who have magical gifts?! FUCKING INCREDIBLE PREMISE! Flor hosts a living wake and doesn't say who it is for and when the person will die?! Iconic behavior. However, overall, the novel just did not work for me. See: *me wistfully ruminating on how sad I am that I didn't love this*
My problem with this novel is the same problem I had with books like Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - there were too many characters' POVs, and to *fully* invest in, leaving me a bit flustered and frustrated when I had to switch POVs to someone else, just as I was getting pulled in to one character's arc/motivations/desires/hopes. I understand this is not a decision that only Acevedo makes, and I've seen it in other books, especially in thrillers (which I also love to read!). However, I don't think it was executed well in this book, and I could have done without three POVs; I still could have learned about the rest of the characters through the main POVs' chapters! I didn't feel that many of them were able to be fully fleshed out because of this choice to split up the story's POVs so much.
I've seen criticisms that the book has too much Spanish in the book that is not translated to English but I didn't mind Googling anything if I felt I was missing context. That's not a factor in my review; I actually really enjoy seeing more languages in books, and it consoles me that more books are being written with the authors' community in mind, rather than for the white gaze.
However, that last sentence is where this novel fell short for me. With the resolutions for certain characters by the end of the book, I felt like this was written for a white audience. The Spanish may not have been, but the actual plotline and storyline really felt like it was catering to what big publishing houses think the "market" wants, and that was super disappointing. I don't want to spoil anything obviously, and my opinion is not gospel, but this is just the vibe I got.
Anyway, I will go re-listen to The Poet X for now, and this doesn't mean I will never read a book by Acevedo again. GET REAL! I will continue to read her work, and I'm sad that this one just didn't hit for me.
steam rating: steam was sort-of open-door but not written as explicit smut if that makes sense! So yes, there's sexual content in here but it's not particularly the smut you'd read in another romcom, so just keep that in mind.
cw: infertility, infidelity, miscarriages, death, grief, fraught family dynamics
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Infertility, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Colonisation, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
cadence99's review against another edition
- 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
One think I didn’t LOVE here was that it felt VERY clear that the author was making their debut into adult fiction- there is no mistaking that there are adult themes at play, to an extent that they felt overused.
This book was an emotional, funny, and hopeful anthology of a family’s love. It left me feeling deeply connected to the characters and to their history
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical trauma, Violence, Alcohol, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Minor: Ableism, Classism, and Colonisation
mandi_lea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Grief, Death, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Child abuse
enlamont's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of parent, Infertility, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Incest, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Excrement, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexism, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Animal death
Minor: Incest, Slavery, Classism, Grief, Colonisation, Miscarriage, and Police brutality
Graphic: Ophidiophobia, menstruationcassielaj's review against another edition
- 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
The four Marte sisters and their two daughters have such distinct stories and voices that each chapter feels like a story of its own, yet they are interconnected so beautifully to create a complex and wonderful narrative of mothers and daughters, sisters and aunts and nieces, and the ways women love and care for one another across distance, time, and other, more internal barriers. Their magic, both individual and collective, fills this story in more ways than one. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time and going back to reference the many quotes I highlighted when I just need to read something incredible.
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Infidelity, Infertility, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Violence
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, Classism, Infertility, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Grief
micalyia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Onya gathers the stories of the women in her family so thoughtfully. I felt every striking word and cried when these women hurt.
The story follows the lives of 4 sisters and their 2 daughters. We see them grow up and come into their magic and the implications of it. But we also see their relationships (whether beautifully fulfilling or dysfunctional) and their hopes and dreams actualized.
I cannot wait for y’all to read this book.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Infertility, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Grief