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kendragaylelee's review against another edition
3.0
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez ultimately left me wanting more. Which is not to say that it isn’t good. Only to say that I see a lot of promise in Claire Jimenez’s writing & I’m excited to see what she does next.
Weaving the story from 4 different perspectives requires a depth of nuance in the characters. Which Jimenez was building toward but didn’t ultimately achieve. Although the descriptions of Ruthy’s two sisters depicted them as vastly different in personality & approach to life—sometimes I’d have to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see whose account I was reading. Which is part of what made me feel like the novel needed to be longer to flesh out the story Jimenez was ultimately trying to tell.
There were gut-punch moments about assimilation, about what happens when imperfect girls go missing, about the dichotomies that make up the personalities of the people we love. And there were parts where I laughed out loud. I wanted to know what happened to Ruthy. And I cared about how her family wound up at the critical point in the narrative.
I just wish there’s been more of all of it.
Weaving the story from 4 different perspectives requires a depth of nuance in the characters. Which Jimenez was building toward but didn’t ultimately achieve. Although the descriptions of Ruthy’s two sisters depicted them as vastly different in personality & approach to life—sometimes I’d have to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see whose account I was reading. Which is part of what made me feel like the novel needed to be longer to flesh out the story Jimenez was ultimately trying to tell.
There were gut-punch moments about assimilation, about what happens when imperfect girls go missing, about the dichotomies that make up the personalities of the people we love. And there were parts where I laughed out loud. I wanted to know what happened to Ruthy. And I cared about how her family wound up at the critical point in the narrative.
I just wish there’s been more of all of it.
_astronomay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
msmaldonado's review against another edition
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
ermw0's review against another edition
4.75
A fantastic debut! I loved the premise of this and felt so hopeful for the family along the way. I love how the author wrote in Ruthie's perspective throughout the book. I fell in love with this family and connected to them so much, I missed them when the book was over.
The ending ... jaw dropping. You know in your mind that this is how stories like this always end, but the author does an incredible job planting the seeds towards making you think this time could be different. And then she sharply reveals the heartbreak that, no, Ruthie has been gone this entire time. But there's a bittersweet feeling knowing they might have closure from this. But fuck!!!! What an ending.
raichoreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
This was a tremendously enjoyable book to listen to. I feel sad coming to the end and also deeply satisfied. Each of the women in this family were complicated and surprising in refreshing ways. It was easy to slip into the experience of each character. Super dense for a short read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Child death, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
nicole6653's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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? No
3.75
omstre1's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
I am still figuring out my feelings on this one. Not at all what I thought it would be. The plot kept me interested but a large portion of the book was just “no plot just vibes” with the characters. I merrily trotted a long and did not expect the gut punches that would spring out of nowhere. A unique read with an important message about brown girls everywhere.
notesonbookmarks's review against another edition
4.25
I enjoyed this. Interested all the way though!
juanitamfm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
3.5
This book hopped around a lot and it kind of dragged in places. The good parts were where the author showed the personalities of Jessica, Nina and Dolores, but it didn’t get too deep and I really just wanted to read the beginning and the end to see what happened to Ruthy.