Reviews

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

maisonmarsiela's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars - beautifully written, touching, and heartbreaking, though difficult to read at times. check content warnings

sindibookworm's review against another edition

4.0

Heartbreaking. Real. Community.

valeriedittrich's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

wept in public when i finished this 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Racism, Ableism, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child death

veganheathen's review against another edition

4.0

This book is a love letter to Scarborough and all of the people in it, especially those who might feel invisible so often. I really enjoyed the varying perspectives from the children and parents who benefited from the literacy centre. The one connecting thread from them all is needing to feel seen and heard and needing a kind person in their lives. I hope everyone meets a Hina Hassani when they need it. I hope people reading this book can open their eyes to the struggles of people who don't have the same privileges and realize that we are all just people trying to do our best with what we have.

worldwidewebb's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

This book is so raw and real and beautifully written. People are just trying their best and sometimes that's enough (and sometimes it's not). The last chapter destroyed me.

Also, go unions. 

csgiansante's review against another edition

5.0

Got through this in one sitting. A beautiful, moving, and heavy story about the interconnectedness of a community. I think it hit harder being familiar with the area and being able to see parallels between some of the characters and people I've met over the years.

butterscotch_doodles's review against another edition

4.0

As someone who has lived in Scarborough I found this book particularly interesting!
The author did a great job of describing the many different faucets of a diverse and multicultural area.
I liked that there were a variety of characters with different circumstances, races and hardships. And the chapters are written from multiples POVs so you get a better understanding of the characters.
There was also a balance of joyful moments and tragedy so that the book wasn't too heavy; although one particular moment in the book was very tragic.
But overall I think this book is a good discussion piece because it shows how socioeconomic factors, race and societal norms are very intertwined and has a huge impact on the quality of life that we live.

exhausted__reader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

goose_friends's review against another edition

5.0

I am hesitating between 5 and like 4.5 stars right now but I think these characters will live with me forever. The way that Hernandez wrote was so real, with incredible tone shifts between all of the characters. They were conversational, but not in a cringey way. They had thoughts that were so poignant and relatable and devastating and i cried three times at the end. Now that I've written this, I think it's a 5 star. Thank you Catherine!!

lookatjimmy's review against another edition

5.0

not me openly weeping on public transit as I finished the last few chapters