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Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'
The Girl, the Ring, and the Baseball Bat by Camille Gomera-Tavarez
1 review
yasidiaz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
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
4.5
This is the first book I got sent over to review and because of that, it will have a special place in my heart.
However, that doesn't mean I am not going to be objective about this book. I loved the characters from the get-go, especially Zeke who is my absolute favorite. But it didn't exactly pull me in immediately. I liked it but I didn't yet love it. As a Puerto Rican, a Caribbean, there are so many things I was able to relate to and appreciate about the characters and their stories. But it wasn't until I was about 75% into the story that I found myself actually loving the story and being unable to let it go.
It felt slow at times during the first three-quarters of the book, and although the pace went back up towards the end, I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been like that since the start or at least a lot sooner. It's honestly the only reason why this is getting 4.5 stars instead of 5.
Again, the strength of this book it's the characters and their relationships to each other. Zeke is my boy and I'll do anything for him. From queer tortured poet to another queer tortured poet. Rosie's and Caro's relationships felt so realistic to me, from how complicated yet strong their bond was, to their contrasting personalities. Caro was the most complicated character for me, but I loved her nonetheless, she's ruthless, and takes bullshit from anyone, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need her mom's love and acceptance.
And as much I love going on and about the importance of stories with supportive parental figures, especially in BIPOC queer stories, it doesn't negate the need for stories with complicating parental figures. It is important to talk about this, especially from the perspective of BIPOC authors, as they can do this without the demonization of BIPOC parents, which I grew up seeing being perpetuated by white creators way too many times.
However, that doesn't mean I am not going to be objective about this book. I loved the characters from the get-go, especially Zeke who is my absolute favorite. But it didn't exactly pull me in immediately. I liked it but I didn't yet love it. As a Puerto Rican, a Caribbean, there are so many things I was able to relate to and appreciate about the characters and their stories. But it wasn't until I was about 75% into the story that I found myself actually loving the story and being unable to let it go.
It felt slow at times during the first three-quarters of the book, and although the pace went back up towards the end, I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been like that since the start or at least a lot sooner. It's honestly the only reason why this is getting 4.5 stars instead of 5.
Again, the strength of this book it's the characters and their relationships to each other. Zeke is my boy and I'll do anything for him. From queer tortured poet to another queer tortured poet. Rosie's and Caro's relationships felt so realistic to me, from how complicated yet strong their bond was, to their contrasting personalities. Caro was the most complicated character for me, but I loved her nonetheless, she's ruthless, and takes bullshit from anyone, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need her mom's love and acceptance.
And as much I love going on and about the importance of stories with supportive parental figures, especially in BIPOC queer stories, it doesn't negate the need for stories with complicating parental figures. It is important to talk about this, especially from the perspective of BIPOC authors, as they can do this without the demonization of BIPOC parents, which I grew up seeing being perpetuated by white creators way too many times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction
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