Scan barcode
ajudeholbert87's review against another edition
5.0
Hysterical, heartbreaking, relatable, tragic.
Claire Jimenez’s debut novel about a Puerto Rican family from Staten Island who has been searching for their missing sister, Ruthy, for over a decade. They discover that their sister may be on a dramatic reality TV show called “Catfight.” Ruthy’s sisters, Nina and Jessica, as well as their mother Delores and their mom’s friend Irene go on a road trip to the show’s set to find out: is this Ruthy? And if so, they were determined to bring her home.
As a native Staten Islander, Jimenez names real places on Staten Island, even down to the schools and bus lines, making Ruthy and the Ramirez family feel like a member of my own family. Jimenez makes the reader want to get in that car and find Ruthy with the family. The way Jimenez intertwines colonialism, racism, teen angst, humor, religion, Puerto Rican culture, New York City swagger, and wraps it up in a thrilling bow had me hooked.
Sure, there’s curse words laced all over the book, but family drama and devastation does not always include pretty language. Claire Jimenez kept it real in this book, and I look forward to what she will release next.
Claire Jimenez’s debut novel about a Puerto Rican family from Staten Island who has been searching for their missing sister, Ruthy, for over a decade. They discover that their sister may be on a dramatic reality TV show called “Catfight.” Ruthy’s sisters, Nina and Jessica, as well as their mother Delores and their mom’s friend Irene go on a road trip to the show’s set to find out: is this Ruthy? And if so, they were determined to bring her home.
As a native Staten Islander, Jimenez names real places on Staten Island, even down to the schools and bus lines, making Ruthy and the Ramirez family feel like a member of my own family. Jimenez makes the reader want to get in that car and find Ruthy with the family. The way Jimenez intertwines colonialism, racism, teen angst, humor, religion, Puerto Rican culture, New York City swagger, and wraps it up in a thrilling bow had me hooked.
Sure, there’s curse words laced all over the book, but family drama and devastation does not always include pretty language. Claire Jimenez kept it real in this book, and I look forward to what she will release next.
thebookishbollinger's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mnasadoo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
littleredd's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
catrinarayanne's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-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
endointhewild's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
allysonkreh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
chrissiewithanie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
dennasus's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
To me this was a powerful story about siblings and families and also for me a valuable insight into the difficult life of a Puerto Rican family in the US, doing their best to get by. It's mostly told from the point of view of Ruthy's older and younger sisters and while the drive of the story of course was to find Ruthy or get her back, we also learned a lot about what it is like to grow up in the US, when you're not part of the white middle-class. It also made me feel sad for all the thousands or more "Ruthy's" who disappear every year in the US and elsewhere. I thought the whole reality show bit - including the showdown - was a bit over-the-top and often silly. I don't know anything about the current state of reality shows., though. Maybe they actually are like that. (Written on 10 May 2024)
[I've stopped giving star ratings in May 2024]
[I've stopped giving star ratings in May 2024]
yoyoitsflo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is honestly not what you would expect from the summary in my opinion. But the author does a good job with the characters. I really wouldn’t recommend this to anybody honestly lol. But it could be more appealing to others! Just was not of interest to me because it felt like it was going nowhere for the longest time.