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bianca_therese's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jordynkw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
jgwatt's review
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
gafubba's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-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
ballen790's review
2.0
I wanted to read this for so long. I finally got around to it and I was disappointed.
The writing is beautiful and full. This is not a quick read and you need to really being pay attention while reading.
There were way too many characters to keep track of. The Ana, Betty , Carla (abc ) was strangely annoying to me lol like where they character a b and c and then just given names? It was distracting which is probably a me thing and completely irrelevant to anyone else.
The story itself was good and interesting but I just feel like we didn’t get the relevant things fleshed out. It was always just on the verge of being juicy but didn’t go in depth about what was going on.
The last page was finally like what!? But even that wasn’t as dramatic and juicy as it could have been. I wanted to know more in depth about how the characters were feeling. Ana (I think .. too many people to keep track of) was having a pretty hard time and felt so alone and in survival mode even with her husband there with her and even staying with family. This was a reminder that not everyone is keeping your best interests in mind. People are focusing on themselves and sadly you should to. Even Lucho was barely paying attention or helping her. This book was sad but I didn’t feel sorry for the characters because it wasn’t deep enough. (I hope that makes sense)
The writing is beautiful and full. This is not a quick read and you need to really being pay attention while reading.
There were way too many characters to keep track of. The Ana, Betty , Carla (abc ) was strangely annoying to me lol like where they character a b and c and then just given names? It was distracting which is probably a me thing and completely irrelevant to anyone else.
The story itself was good and interesting but I just feel like we didn’t get the relevant things fleshed out. It was always just on the verge of being juicy but didn’t go in depth about what was going on.
The last page was finally like what!? But even that wasn’t as dramatic and juicy as it could have been. I wanted to know more in depth about how the characters were feeling. Ana (I think .. too many people to keep track of) was having a pretty hard time and felt so alone and in survival mode even with her husband there with her and even staying with family. This was a reminder that not everyone is keeping your best interests in mind. People are focusing on themselves and sadly you should to. Even Lucho was barely paying attention or helping her. This book was sad but I didn’t feel sorry for the characters because it wasn’t deep enough. (I hope that makes sense)
mollyisfullybooked's review
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
THE AFFAIRS OF THE FALCÓNS is the story of one woman who will do anything to ensure that her family stays together. Ana Falcón, her husband Lucho, and her two children Victoria and Pedro, are undocumented immigrants from Peru. They recently relocated to New York City and live with Lucho’s cousin Valeria, yet Valeria has made it abundantly clear that Ana and her family have overstayed their welcome. To make matters worse, there is tension at Ana’s employment as most women who work there are undocumented, as well as Ana’s short payments to a loan shark called Mama.
This story had many moving pieces to it, adding layers of complexity and uncertainty as the story unfolded. However, I found the characters one sided and without a true personality. The author does have a unique writing style, but it didn’t work for me. Oftentimes, the writing just described moments without really revealing too much of what a character is thinking or feeling. It is definitely a passive way of writing that did not work for me.
However, the dialogue between characters was what redeemed this book: the conversations between Ana and her husband towards the end of the novel made me feel the anxiety and desperation of the Falcóns’ situation. It almost read like a telenovela at times just within the dialogue.
In all, I found the characters dull and the writing unaffected, but it was the realistic dialogue that saved this book for me. I would definitely watch a telenovela of this story or a movie, but overall the book was just underwhelming. However the topic of immigration and those who live in the US undocumented is a story and a perspective that we need more of. I appreciate that the author drew upon her own experiences to write this novel. It is, unfortunately, a timely piece of literature that is just as relevant now as it was twenty years ago.
THE AFFAIRS OF THE FALCÓNS is the story of one woman who will do anything to ensure that her family stays together. Ana Falcón, her husband Lucho, and her two children Victoria and Pedro, are undocumented immigrants from Peru. They recently relocated to New York City and live with Lucho’s cousin Valeria, yet Valeria has made it abundantly clear that Ana and her family have overstayed their welcome. To make matters worse, there is tension at Ana’s employment as most women who work there are undocumented, as well as Ana’s short payments to a loan shark called Mama.
This story had many moving pieces to it, adding layers of complexity and uncertainty as the story unfolded. However, I found the characters one sided and without a true personality. The author does have a unique writing style, but it didn’t work for me. Oftentimes, the writing just described moments without really revealing too much of what a character is thinking or feeling. It is definitely a passive way of writing that did not work for me.
However, the dialogue between characters was what redeemed this book: the conversations between Ana and her husband towards the end of the novel made me feel the anxiety and desperation of the Falcóns’ situation. It almost read like a telenovela at times just within the dialogue.
In all, I found the characters dull and the writing unaffected, but it was the realistic dialogue that saved this book for me. I would definitely watch a telenovela of this story or a movie, but overall the book was just underwhelming. However the topic of immigration and those who live in the US undocumented is a story and a perspective that we need more of. I appreciate that the author drew upon her own experiences to write this novel. It is, unfortunately, a timely piece of literature that is just as relevant now as it was twenty years ago.
bookofcinz's review against another edition
3.0
And that’s the thing about this place. You always need help. It’s not enough that we work hard. Doesn’t that tell you something?
I wanted to love this one but I did not. Maybe it is case of "me", but the overall the book fell flat for me. The Affairs of the Falcons follows the lives of the Falcon family, Peruvian by birth, they are currently living and working in New York. Some of the Falcons are documented, majority, specifically Anna, her husband and her two children are undocumented. Ana and her family have to rely on the help of her husband's family when they hit rock bottom.
This book read like a series of one unfortunate event after another, after awhile I stopped caring. Yes, I know, I sound awful but I just kept wondering "exactly how much hardship can one person take?"... the answer is A LOT. Ana was faced with one difficulty after the next.
I do applaud Melissa Rivero for telling the immigrant experience from a Peruvian point of view.
I wanted to love this one but I did not. Maybe it is case of "me", but the overall the book fell flat for me. The Affairs of the Falcons follows the lives of the Falcon family, Peruvian by birth, they are currently living and working in New York. Some of the Falcons are documented, majority, specifically Anna, her husband and her two children are undocumented. Ana and her family have to rely on the help of her husband's family when they hit rock bottom.
This book read like a series of one unfortunate event after another, after awhile I stopped caring. Yes, I know, I sound awful but I just kept wondering "exactly how much hardship can one person take?"... the answer is A LOT. Ana was faced with one difficulty after the next.
I do applaud Melissa Rivero for telling the immigrant experience from a Peruvian point of view.
bibliobethica's review
4.0
Ana is a complex, well-developed character. Through her experiences and thoughts, the reader can feel her emotions. The plight of the undocumented immigrant is something most of us can imagine enduring. Ana's story is one of hope, but with many struggles along the way. Most of the novel was compelling, however, I would have like to see the other family members' thoughts and motives explored more deeply. A perfect nominee for the Aspen Words Prize for "illuminating a vital contemporary issue" - immigration.
manaledi's review
3.0
DNF. This was fine, but nothing drew me in nor kept me in. Fairly standard in the real world it's tough to be an immigrant in the US genre. Definitely parts of it I liked (and a bias for the Peruvianness), but not enough.