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pastelwriter 's review for:
Under the Feet of Jesus
by Helena María Viramontes
4.5 stars
I actually found it really difficult to take notes on this book as I read it. It was only when I reread it to write an essay on it for class that I was able to slightly put into words why I enjoyed it. I have to be honest, though, and admit that my first time reading this, I hardly internalized anything going on. The writing style really diverted my attention from the plot. Regardless, I ended up falling in love with this book.
This novel heavily featured metaphors, and they were wonderful. Overall, it was beautifully written, and, if you take your time reading the sentences, you’re guaranteed to fall in love with the beauty of how the novel was crafted and how the words were chosen and organized. The word choice was just stunning.
Furthermore, the characterization of all the characters was super interesting. Although they’re not “fleshed out” in the traditional sense of the word, the metaphors and their actions and interactions really do paint a picture of them and make a point. Any of these characters would be super interesting to study in detail. Estrella may be the “main” character, but she’s not the only one that there’s a lot to talk about.
Finally, although this book doesn’t reach a satisfactory conclusion where all loose ends are wrapped up neatly, I still thought it tackled the subjects of migration, farm labor, the exploitation of laborers, the consequences of growing up in this world, and desperation really well. I would definitely recommend picking this up.
I actually found it really difficult to take notes on this book as I read it. It was only when I reread it to write an essay on it for class that I was able to slightly put into words why I enjoyed it. I have to be honest, though, and admit that my first time reading this, I hardly internalized anything going on. The writing style really diverted my attention from the plot. Regardless, I ended up falling in love with this book.
This novel heavily featured metaphors, and they were wonderful. Overall, it was beautifully written, and, if you take your time reading the sentences, you’re guaranteed to fall in love with the beauty of how the novel was crafted and how the words were chosen and organized. The word choice was just stunning.
Furthermore, the characterization of all the characters was super interesting. Although they’re not “fleshed out” in the traditional sense of the word, the metaphors and their actions and interactions really do paint a picture of them and make a point. Any of these characters would be super interesting to study in detail. Estrella may be the “main” character, but she’s not the only one that there’s a lot to talk about.
Finally, although this book doesn’t reach a satisfactory conclusion where all loose ends are wrapped up neatly, I still thought it tackled the subjects of migration, farm labor, the exploitation of laborers, the consequences of growing up in this world, and desperation really well. I would definitely recommend picking this up.