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taryn_araksi's review
DNF — disappointed because I remember loving house on mango street back in high school. I generally don’t love child narrators so that may have been the main hold up. Maybe not a total DNF — but not right for me right now.
2000s's review against another edition
3.5
Think this would have worked better as a collection of linked short stories or short vignettes…the premise and stories told here were interesting but the structure of a typical novel didn’t really suit them.
ari76's review against another edition
4.0
Once I got into this (~100 pages), I couldn't stop until I was too immersed in the complex Reyes' family history. There are few writers who can describe a conversation, a memory, a feeling, like Cisneros and for that I give her the utmost praise. I also enjoyed the historical footnotes looped into the family narrative. That being said, sometimes it was laborious to keep the plot threads straight and Celaya's stream of consciousness took extra time to process. Still, a great one.
kshertz's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It wasn’t a book that was meant for me. I had to look up a lot and didn’t relate. But I could see that if you grew up the same as this girl, it would be an amazing book for you! I think it’s just a specific niche group that this book is for.
carmenghia's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I spent forever on this, it feels like. Because it is a collection of vignettes across three generations, there's no real central driving plot. It's more of a dawdling series of snapshots of family flaws.
alexawild's review
5.0
I had to read this for a class and I didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. As a Mexican American I loved reading a realistic book that I could relate to. I think we all know of a mother in law like the awful grandmother. I also enjoyed the way the book was formatted I think it was essential to the plot.
maralib's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
hooleigha's review
3.0
Lala has six older brothers and struggles to find privacy and identity in the mix of her loud, crowded, very traditional family. Accompanied by her uncles, aunts, and cousins, Lala's family spends the summers driving down to Mexico City to see the Awful Grandmother and little Grandfather until a family secret is revealed that sours already-precarious relationships. The book is comprised of vignettes, poetry, and classic fiction writing, culminating in three parts that follow a family legacy through the twentieth century. Themes include: family and tradition, Mexican-American culture, generational curses, abandonment, forgiveness, immigration, the balance between lying and storytelling, mysticism, and family heirlooms.