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A review by ajudeholbert87
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez
5.0
Hysterical, heartbreaking, relatable, tragic.
Claire Jimenez’s debut novel about a Puerto Rican family from Staten Island who has been searching for their missing sister, Ruthy, for over a decade. They discover that their sister may be on a dramatic reality TV show called “Catfight.” Ruthy’s sisters, Nina and Jessica, as well as their mother Delores and their mom’s friend Irene go on a road trip to the show’s set to find out: is this Ruthy? And if so, they were determined to bring her home.
As a native Staten Islander, Jimenez names real places on Staten Island, even down to the schools and bus lines, making Ruthy and the Ramirez family feel like a member of my own family. Jimenez makes the reader want to get in that car and find Ruthy with the family. The way Jimenez intertwines colonialism, racism, teen angst, humor, religion, Puerto Rican culture, New York City swagger, and wraps it up in a thrilling bow had me hooked.
Sure, there’s curse words laced all over the book, but family drama and devastation does not always include pretty language. Claire Jimenez kept it real in this book, and I look forward to what she will release next.
Claire Jimenez’s debut novel about a Puerto Rican family from Staten Island who has been searching for their missing sister, Ruthy, for over a decade. They discover that their sister may be on a dramatic reality TV show called “Catfight.” Ruthy’s sisters, Nina and Jessica, as well as their mother Delores and their mom’s friend Irene go on a road trip to the show’s set to find out: is this Ruthy? And if so, they were determined to bring her home.
As a native Staten Islander, Jimenez names real places on Staten Island, even down to the schools and bus lines, making Ruthy and the Ramirez family feel like a member of my own family. Jimenez makes the reader want to get in that car and find Ruthy with the family. The way Jimenez intertwines colonialism, racism, teen angst, humor, religion, Puerto Rican culture, New York City swagger, and wraps it up in a thrilling bow had me hooked.
Sure, there’s curse words laced all over the book, but family drama and devastation does not always include pretty language. Claire Jimenez kept it real in this book, and I look forward to what she will release next.