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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
it was quite interesting reading the reviews for this book as a lot of the reasons that people didn't like were the very reasons i liked it.
the characters were 2-dimensional, but for the most part, i think that was on purpose. it fit well.
and i loved the ppl saying that the author has obviously never lived near the border. living in los angeles and hearing the places and people described - i thought he was spot on.
all the situations happening to any one person are totally unrealistic, but it is just a story, and it works.
at any rate, it was an interesting take on the immigration 'problem' without offering any solutions. just a story about people involved and how the react when faced with situations.
enjoyed it, looking forward to more boyle.
the characters were 2-dimensional, but for the most part, i think that was on purpose. it fit well.
and i loved the ppl saying that the author has obviously never lived near the border. living in los angeles and hearing the places and people described - i thought he was spot on.
all the situations happening to any one person are totally unrealistic, but it is just a story, and it works.
at any rate, it was an interesting take on the immigration 'problem' without offering any solutions. just a story about people involved and how the react when faced with situations.
enjoyed it, looking forward to more boyle.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not once has a boom ever managed to ignite this rage in me, and that is not a compliment.
I get that it is supposed to be socially critical and all that but if you want to accurately protray the suffering a minority actually has to go through in order to point out white privelege and prejudiced racist thinking, I don't think this is the way to go.
All the respect for social novels, I think Boyle went to far with this one.
I get that it is supposed to be socially critical and all that but if you want to accurately protray the suffering a minority actually has to go through in order to point out white privelege and prejudiced racist thinking, I don't think this is the way to go.
All the respect for social novels, I think Boyle went to far with this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy
Minor: Child death
Anticipated this book going a different direction. I thought the lives of the well-off and immigrant couples would intertwine for the better. Instead there was a negative tone and connotation towards each other throughout the book. Goes to show, you don't understand what people are going through and in this case were quick to judge.
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
First of all I think the topic of the book is great and you can write a good book about it! At first I liked the book and thought it was interesting but then it got more and more boring chapter after chapter. Also I didn‘t like how the book is written. Definetly not my style!
I‘m sorry but I wouldn‘t recommend reading it :0
I‘m sorry but I wouldn‘t recommend reading it :0
This is the most relevant and important book I have ever read. It speaks to the tragedy of being complicit, to the monsters we gate in, and to the veneer of compassion that liberal society claims to uphold. Boyle's writing is vivid, sharp, and beautiful. It is one of the few books that I think absolutely everyone should read.
Well written and especially well narrated by the author. Got bored about 3/4 through, but was worth finishing for sure.
The first part was boring, the second and third were okay. I had to read this for school, the genre and topic are not my cup of tea. While reading, I want to forget about the problems our world is full of, I don't want a book to make me think even more about them.
Without a doubt, the most depressing slice-of-life book I've ever read.
I'm giving this book a four star rating because I love the author's dual perspective approach to the hot-button issue of illegal immigration. Also, because the use of imagery was abundant and highly effective.
I'm not giving it five stars because I think Boyle was a bit heavy-handed when it came to the never-ending onslaught of terrible luck visited on lead characters Cándido and América. Yes, it's meant to be an unflinching look at the horrors illegal immigrants face, but I think the narrative would have been well-served by a bit of contrast...even the most horrible day contains small moments of love, or hope, or goodness. The absence of these moments makes the story feel a bit two-dimensional and keeps readers from bonding more deeply with the characters.
I'm not giving it five stars because I think Boyle was a bit heavy-handed when it came to the never-ending onslaught of terrible luck visited on lead characters Cándido and América. Yes, it's meant to be an unflinching look at the horrors illegal immigrants face, but I think the narrative would have been well-served by a bit of contrast...even the most horrible day contains small moments of love, or hope, or goodness. The absence of these moments makes the story feel a bit two-dimensional and keeps readers from bonding more deeply with the characters.
A book that has aged surprisingly well. The ambivalence of woke (and occasionally fake) liberals towards Mexican illegals in California, set against a background of weather phenomena caused by global warning and the sheer hopelessness of the immigrants themselves, who struggle to establish themselves in the land of supposed opportunity while facing insurmountable odds, makes for a compelling tale.