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musicalpopcorn's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.0
A series of poetic stories, The House on Mango Street paints a dreamlike picture of a community that is alive as the monkey’s garden.
I liked the way Mango Street was built in this story. How every neighbour is a main character in their own story that we just see fleetingly as Esperanza weaves in and out of their stories. I also appreciate Esperanza being the odd one out who doesn’t really seem to be able to see all up from the dream that is a childhood on Mango Street, but who desperately wants to make her own story.
I liked the way Mango Street was built in this story. How every neighbour is a main character in their own story that we just see fleetingly as Esperanza weaves in and out of their stories. I also appreciate Esperanza being the odd one out who doesn’t really seem to be able to see all up from the dream that is a childhood on Mango Street, but who desperately wants to make her own story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, and Sexual assault
emmainwonderland's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
lady_bountiful's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
sweetsxrrxw's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
woah. this book was so good that i actually feel a bit frustrated because i don't know anyone who could read it and enjoy it as much as i did.
first things first, if you are not a children of immigrants then you're probably not going to appreciate or even understand this story for what it is. and secondly, i think it was published in the 80s so its characters are definitely a product of its time and the society portrayed in the book might be unpleasant for you so, if you're way too sensitive to deal with that (which is okay, btw) then this book is not for you.
however if you come from a family of (specially poc) immigrants, then i'm sure there are lots of parts of this book that will ressonate with you. even if the book does not describe all of your experiences, i am pretty sure there will be at least one you, your siblings and parents can relate to.
this book is divided by multiple short vignettes of a esperanza's live (the mc). she is a child, she is only about 12 years old and she is a mexican living in the united states and she dreams of owning a pretty big house of her own. however, because of her social status, she has to live in a segregated neighborhood with other latinos.
the different vignettes give us a closer look to how is life in that neighborhood and in esperanza's house: the struggles of being a woman in these communities, of feeling like you don't belong in that place, of not having enough money and feeling like your dreams might not come true. we also get to see different characters on the neighborhood and while their personalities and depth might not be complex because of the shortness of the stories, but they still hit home. some examples of these kind of stories are "geraldo no last name", "no speak english", "papa who wakes up tired in the dark", "a smart cookie" and many many others.
i love how the message of the story is that, even when you have this kind of life, you can always improve it and become better. but you will eventually have to come back, for those who can't. you don't have to be attached to your roots forever, but you can't allow yourself to forget them.
i also love how the author decided to explain all of these stories and all of these lessons via a child's voice because it allows young and old readers to get into the story and it also makes it a little less raw, somehow.
it's true that some parts of this book might make it a bit confusing, like the lack of quotations or how sometimes it's not very clear who the narrator is. but in the worst case scenario, you can always look for an explanation or a summary of that specific chapter, lmao.
but yeah, i am just really glad i decided to read this book since not only it helped me to get over my reading slump but it was also really relatable for me, a daughter of immigrants.
first things first, if you are not a children of immigrants then you're probably not going to appreciate or even understand this story for what it is. and secondly, i think it was published in the 80s so its characters are definitely a product of its time and the society portrayed in the book might be unpleasant for you so, if you're way too sensitive to deal with that (which is okay, btw) then this book is not for you.
however if you come from a family of (specially poc) immigrants, then i'm sure there are lots of parts of this book that will ressonate with you. even if the book does not describe all of your experiences, i am pretty sure there will be at least one you, your siblings and parents can relate to.
this book is divided by multiple short vignettes of a esperanza's live (the mc). she is a child, she is only about 12 years old and she is a mexican living in the united states and she dreams of owning a pretty big house of her own. however, because of her social status, she has to live in a segregated neighborhood with other latinos.
the different vignettes give us a closer look to how is life in that neighborhood and in esperanza's house: the struggles of being a woman in these communities, of feeling like you don't belong in that place, of not having enough money and feeling like your dreams might not come true. we also get to see different characters on the neighborhood and while their personalities and depth might not be complex because of the shortness of the stories, but they still hit home. some examples of these kind of stories are "geraldo no last name", "no speak english", "papa who wakes up tired in the dark", "a smart cookie" and many many others.
i also love how the author decided to explain all of these stories and all of these lessons via a child's voice because it allows young and old readers to get into the story and it also makes it a little less raw, somehow.
it's true that some parts of this book might make it a bit confusing, like the lack of quotations or how sometimes it's not very clear who the narrator is. but in the worst case scenario, you can always look for an explanation or a summary of that specific chapter, lmao.
but yeah, i am just really glad i decided to read this book since not only it helped me to get over my reading slump but it was also really relatable for me, a daughter of immigrants.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
unicorngirl's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I picked this up from the library hearing all of these amazing things about it, and started reading it. Maybe because I read it too fast, maybe because it was very short, but I felt like I couldn't connect with the characters. They felt flat the descriptions of the characters all felt the same, and there were so many names, I felt they were just copy and paste the same character with a few differences. The setting was described very little, but there was some of it, but it was mostly left to the person's imagination. It just felt meh all throughout the book until a little bit at the end. Oh, well. Some hits and some misses. Sadly this one was a miss.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
annamay1021's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Rape
ios_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book. It had a pleasant read within it that touches on a lot of Latin struggles within the US specifically. I gave me a different perspective on familial instances of my own, and has become one of my favorite reads and one of my top books of all time. Sandra captures the reader with her fruitful progression and stark imagery that does not lack in all senses. You could literally paint the pictures you were reading. I recommend this as a must read from such a strong Latin author!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
keraturner20's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
annabananareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse