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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
"How do we live with these secrets locked within us?...How do we laugh and feel happiness despite the buried things growing inside?"
This YA coming of age story is told from the perspective of the daughter of two illegal immigrants. Raised in Chicago, she faces trial after trial, not the least of which is trying to unravel who her dead sister was.
I can't say I enjoyed this book. The subject matter was generally depressing, and the narrator's voice wasn't one that I connected with. However, I think it shows an important aspect of society, and it depicts challenges faced by the youth, by the poor, and by immigrants.
This YA coming of age story is told from the perspective of the daughter of two illegal immigrants. Raised in Chicago, she faces trial after trial, not the least of which is trying to unravel who her dead sister was.
I can't say I enjoyed this book. The subject matter was generally depressing, and the narrator's voice wasn't one that I connected with. However, I think it shows an important aspect of society, and it depicts challenges faced by the youth, by the poor, and by immigrants.
Whiny main character, probably good for other. I think it's over hyped
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Definitely some tough topics. Strong female character working through some tough times. Good friends, hard family relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Suicide attempt
This was a pretty decent book, but I found it really ironic for something that even goes so far as to name-drop A Clockwork Orange, the author chose to just hold the audience's hand regarding the Spanish for the most part, rather than integrate it into the story enough that a non-Spanish-speaking reader can pick up on it on their own. I'd give it more like a 3.5 than a 3, because Mr. Ingman was a boss, but other than that, for the most part, at its core, it wasn't anything I hadn't read before. Maybe someone who's not as familiar with the culture already would think it's more cutting-edge and wouldn't mind the hand-holding, but Anthony Burgess managed to create an entirely new dialect without holding anyone's hand, and Sánchez has more than likely read that enough to want to name-drop it. It probably could've used another editing pass just to integrate the linguistic and culture a little more seamlessly.
Or maybe it didn't really stand out to me because it's basically just another angsty teen book with romance, and the "teen wanting to date" part felt like it was competing with the "teen wanting to solve the mystery of what her sister was up to" part. Even though there was a sense of urgency in theory, the writing didn't really make it feel risky enough to believe Julia would ever really suffer serious consequences that weren't self-inflicted. Also, it's kind of weird that every book and musician name-dropped in this book is really, really old. Maybe I'm just disappointed Selena never popped up and Leaves of Ass did. I don't know.
Anyway, for a debut novel, it was solid enough, and if Sánchez were to write a second one, I'd probably check it out, especially if it were something entirely new instead of a sequel.
Or maybe it didn't really stand out to me because it's basically just another angsty teen book with romance, and the "teen wanting to date" part felt like it was competing with the "teen wanting to solve the mystery of what her sister was up to" part. Even though there was a sense of urgency in theory, the writing didn't really make it feel risky enough to believe Julia would ever really suffer serious consequences that weren't self-inflicted.
Spoiler
Even the threat of being sent back to Mexico, which actually happened, just led to Julia being spoon-fed some angsty plot about her parents and introduced to a guy who had no real point being there aside from being eye candy.Anyway, for a debut novel, it was solid enough, and if Sánchez were to write a second one, I'd probably check it out, especially if it were something entirely new instead of a sequel.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An interesting plot — older sister dies (not a spoiler, as it happens before the present action of the book begins) who seems the pinnacle of Mexican daughter perfection. Younger sister must come to terms with her perceived inferiority, ie being not perfect in her parents’ eyes. Then revelations of family secrets abound, complicating the narrator’s already fraught identity further.
I liked the plot a lot but not necessarily the rendering of it. I read this after The Poet X and has a similar experience as when I read Dear Martin after The Hate You Give. In each case, the first novel I read was so compelling that the subsequent book read, while possessing some similarities in terms of plot and characterization (in this case, conflicts between mother and daughter over cultural expectations, especially around education and sex), fell a bit flat in comparison. I wonder if I would have felt the same way if I had read them in a different order. Not sure.
Still, I liked the protagonist’s voice and her unapologetically imperfect, brash and introspective self.
I liked the plot a lot but not necessarily the rendering of it. I read this after The Poet X and has a similar experience as when I read Dear Martin after The Hate You Give. In each case, the first novel I read was so compelling that the subsequent book read, while possessing some similarities in terms of plot and characterization (in this case, conflicts between mother and daughter over cultural expectations, especially around education and sex), fell a bit flat in comparison. I wonder if I would have felt the same way if I had read them in a different order. Not sure.
Still, I liked the protagonist’s voice and her unapologetically imperfect, brash and introspective self.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes