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A review by mystic_dclouds
All You Knead Is Love by Tanya Guerrero
4.0
The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous and pulled me into this beautifully cooked story. I loved every aspect of the book, even when it made me cry or crave for the delicious bread or food mentioned. It had multiple references of music, gender identity, gender equality, self discovery and self acceptance.
We start off this story with Alba being sent off to Barcelona to live with her grandmother, who she barely remembers. Alba’s journey starts off with her facing a lot of insecurities and awkwardness but ends with her developing into a more confident, loving and vocal individual. One thing that made me love Alba is that she isn’t a perfect character. She has her weaknesses and gradually learns to heal in a city with new friends. That to me takes both courage and a willingness to accept one’s flaws.
Alba couldn’t have become the character she was at the end, without her friends. Every character in this book stood out; they were unique individuals with such pure personalities. I have to mention, my favorite characters were Abuela Lola, Toni, Marie and Manny. They just created a special place in my heart and I felt they were the best supports for Alba throughout this book. Abuela Lola is just an angel who supports Alba with the love and warmth she needs and desires from a family that she never had. But that’s not all; Abuela Lola also helps her own daughter heal from her past abusive relationship. Abuela Lola is really an individual we all need in life!
This story is descriptive. Through Alba’s view we get a lot of imagery on her surroundings and her friends. At times, it felt like I was in Barcelona experiencing all of it with Alba. I really enjoyed reading about Alba’s description of Manny’s house and the streets of Barcelona. Having not travelled outside of my city once, it was quite refreshing to read about. Also just to clarify, it’s not too description heavy in my opinion, it’s the right amount of descriptive. It helps build the story but also ensure the story doesn’t lag and moves on.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but I think Alba meeting all nice and caring friends in Barcelona was a bit too unrealistic although this is a work of fiction. Also, I wished there was more information on her life back in America especially regarding how her dad had become abusive. One of the most interesting parts of this book was the use of Spanish, Catalan and Tagalog languages interlaced throughout the book. There is a glossary at the end to help the reading smoother, and I definitely recommend getting a hard copy of the book for a better reading experience.
xxMysticxx
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
We start off this story with Alba being sent off to Barcelona to live with her grandmother, who she barely remembers. Alba’s journey starts off with her facing a lot of insecurities and awkwardness but ends with her developing into a more confident, loving and vocal individual. One thing that made me love Alba is that she isn’t a perfect character. She has her weaknesses and gradually learns to heal in a city with new friends. That to me takes both courage and a willingness to accept one’s flaws.
Alba couldn’t have become the character she was at the end, without her friends. Every character in this book stood out; they were unique individuals with such pure personalities. I have to mention, my favorite characters were Abuela Lola, Toni, Marie and Manny. They just created a special place in my heart and I felt they were the best supports for Alba throughout this book. Abuela Lola is just an angel who supports Alba with the love and warmth she needs and desires from a family that she never had. But that’s not all; Abuela Lola also helps her own daughter heal from her past abusive relationship. Abuela Lola is really an individual we all need in life!
This story is descriptive. Through Alba’s view we get a lot of imagery on her surroundings and her friends. At times, it felt like I was in Barcelona experiencing all of it with Alba. I really enjoyed reading about Alba’s description of Manny’s house and the streets of Barcelona. Having not travelled outside of my city once, it was quite refreshing to read about. Also just to clarify, it’s not too description heavy in my opinion, it’s the right amount of descriptive. It helps build the story but also ensure the story doesn’t lag and moves on.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but I think Alba meeting all nice and caring friends in Barcelona was a bit too unrealistic although this is a work of fiction. Also, I wished there was more information on her life back in America especially regarding how her dad had become abusive. One of the most interesting parts of this book was the use of Spanish, Catalan and Tagalog languages interlaced throughout the book. There is a glossary at the end to help the reading smoother, and I definitely recommend getting a hard copy of the book for a better reading experience.
xxMysticxx
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf