Scan barcode
leontyna's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book! The story was really touching and I really liked the way it was told, through session transcripts and job applications. The main character and all her community seemed so realistic and vivid and I finished the book wanting to hear more stories about them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Medical content
alexisgarcia's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
4.5
i would HIGHLY recommend the audiobook for this. the main character was incredibly lovable and felt like someone i might know and love in my own life. while on the surface the main characters “monologue” seems surface level, there is actually so much depth in it. i felt like the main character became so well rounded and real as the book went on. i also loved the formatting of this book surprisingly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, and Infidelity
lvd92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
slow-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
4.0
This book was quite a surprise. The main character is Cara, a woman in her sixties who fled her home country many years ago. She lost her job in a factory two years ago as that company moved its production outside of the US, and now needs to find a job because her benefits will expire. She receives assistance to find a job as part of some program which she qualifies for due to her age, which means she has to come in for appointments. The whole book is essentially her telling this job assistance worker about her struggles in life.
The moment I realised what it was, I considered not continuing it because this type of storytelling tends not to work for me. However, I gave it some more time and I am really glad I did. To be honest, I am not sure how I would have fared with reading it physically - I think this story was made for audio. Cara was such an engaging character and storyteller, she drew me in completely. The voice actor who portrayed her did an amazing job. She feels incredibly real as a flawed human being who is doing her best to stay afloat and help people around her. Tough themes are addressed in this book, such as family drama, starting out with nothing, being a foreigner in a strange country, physical abuse, being a person subjected to rigid procedures, etc. I think they were handled well - not sugar coating without being too heavy, in a slice of life kind of way.
Truly a solid read.
The moment I realised what it was, I considered not continuing it because this type of storytelling tends not to work for me. However, I gave it some more time and I am really glad I did. To be honest, I am not sure how I would have fared with reading it physically - I think this story was made for audio. Cara was such an engaging character and storyteller, she drew me in completely. The voice actor who portrayed her did an amazing job. She feels incredibly real as a flawed human being who is doing her best to stay afloat and help people around her. Tough themes are addressed in this book, such as family drama, starting out with nothing, being a foreigner in a strange country, physical abuse, being a person subjected to rigid procedures, etc. I think they were handled well - not sugar coating without being too heavy, in a slice of life kind of way.
Truly a solid read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
The main character has treated her gay son quite horribly in the past. The main character does not see what she has done wrong at first, because she sees it as trying to protect her son from a harsh world. She does not understand why her son has broken off contact and runs when he sees her. The narrative does not reward this, in my interpretation, but I think you should know before starting this book. Gradually, due to her own desire to mend things with her son, but also because of pushback from others, she is trying to do better. Towards the end of the book, she has not completed this arc of character growth, but it is clear she is now somewhere on that path.blakeandbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Homophobia
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-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
3.25
This one didn't really do it for me, but I feel like if it was a one-woman show on a stage, I would be in. I think it was just a format thing? I'm not sure what else was missing for me, but I appreciated the whimsical style of the author, and I would read Ms. Cruz again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content and Infidelity
aweekinthelife's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-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
4.5
the book is structured as twelve interviews Cara Romero has with a job counselor, except you only get to hear/read Cara's words. Cara is open and candid, sharing all sorts of details about her life that get introduced in the first few interviews and further fleshed out in following ones. she's complicated and unapologetic about who she is and what she wants, but also shows remarkable growth throughout her life and these ~3 months that we spend with her.
the audiobook narrator did a phenomenal job pulling the listener in from the very beginning. highly recommend on audio!
the audiobook narrator did a phenomenal job pulling the listener in from the very beginning. highly recommend on audio!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Infidelity
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, and Child abuse
theabee's review
emotional
sad
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage and Addiction
bella_cavicchi's review
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.5
4.5 stars. A sheer joy and a half to read. Angie Cruz has crafted what is effectively a 190-page monologue, showcasing what feels to me like one of the most distinct voices in recent literary memory. My sentimental heart was tearing up by the final few pages, but I’ll leave that for you to experience for yourself… :)
(And for anyone craving a multi-media (!) experience, reading it is well-paired with this episode of Thresholds: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5odDnfti2oq70ktRVZ4rdU?si=1379209cd6e14d86)
(And for anyone craving a multi-media (!) experience, reading it is well-paired with this episode of Thresholds: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5odDnfti2oq70ktRVZ4rdU?si=1379209cd6e14d86)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, and Death
Minor: Miscarriage and Infidelity
rayannotates's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault
Minor: Kidnapping and Pedophilia
reads_eats_explores's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
It’s 2009, and while “El Obama” works to piece together a shattered US economy, Cara Romero, at age 56, must find a job of her own or face her benefits ceased.
She’s been unemployed for two years since the factory where she worked most of her life moved its operations abroad.
Cars attends ‘La Escuelita’ as part of a Senior Workforce Program in New York, where she sits down with a city employee, a younger Dominican American woman, for 12 sessions, during which they will work together to find Cara a job that matches her skills and interests.
Throughout the sessions, with wit and warmth, Cara recounts her upbringing in the Dominican Republic, her journey to the United States, estrangement from her only child, relationships with her sister and extended family, and commitment to her largely disadvantaged immigrant Washington Heights community.
The potency of Cara’s first-person voice as she speaks to the job counsellor is stunning, including some delectable multilingual turns of phrase that only heighten Cara’s authenticity. Cruz intersperses the 12 sessions with documents like rent notices and job application materials she must complete, including a “Career Skills Matcher,” all of which work together to demonstrate both the power of bureaucracy to complicate a person’s life and the ability of paperwork to tell one version of a person’s story while often hiding their reality and what makes life truly rich.
Despite all the hardships that Cara faces, the book also resounds with the sense that Cara loves and believes in herself. She is one strong lady, but behind the facade, she battles plenty of inner turmoil.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is beautiful, a thoroughly engaging read that I devoured in one sitting.
Sure, haven't we all felt the need at one time or another to ‘desahogar’? A Spanish phrase, which translated, literally means “to un-drown.” To pour one’s heart out and cry until there is no need to cry anymore. 5⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in return for an honest review.
She’s been unemployed for two years since the factory where she worked most of her life moved its operations abroad.
Cars attends ‘La Escuelita’ as part of a Senior Workforce Program in New York, where she sits down with a city employee, a younger Dominican American woman, for 12 sessions, during which they will work together to find Cara a job that matches her skills and interests.
Throughout the sessions, with wit and warmth, Cara recounts her upbringing in the Dominican Republic, her journey to the United States, estrangement from her only child, relationships with her sister and extended family, and commitment to her largely disadvantaged immigrant Washington Heights community.
The potency of Cara’s first-person voice as she speaks to the job counsellor is stunning, including some delectable multilingual turns of phrase that only heighten Cara’s authenticity. Cruz intersperses the 12 sessions with documents like rent notices and job application materials she must complete, including a “Career Skills Matcher,” all of which work together to demonstrate both the power of bureaucracy to complicate a person’s life and the ability of paperwork to tell one version of a person’s story while often hiding their reality and what makes life truly rich.
Despite all the hardships that Cara faces, the book also resounds with the sense that Cara loves and believes in herself. She is one strong lady, but behind the facade, she battles plenty of inner turmoil.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is beautiful, a thoroughly engaging read that I devoured in one sitting.
Sure, haven't we all felt the need at one time or another to ‘desahogar’? A Spanish phrase, which translated, literally means “to un-drown.” To pour one’s heart out and cry until there is no need to cry anymore. 5⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in return for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death, Cancer, Medical content, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Police brutality, Classism, Violence, and Miscarriage