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A review by azagee
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu
4.0
I almost put this book down.
The first chapter- the most important part of a novel, according to some -was abysmal. As if the stiff writing style and perpetually immature characters weren't enough, the narrative seems almost desperate for the reader to know that MT, our main character, is 'Spanish' (ie, Hispanic), but not one of those dark-skinned, dark-haired, 'obvious' immigrants (ie, Latina). Though she does call herself Latino halfway through the book- Honestly, the author doesn't seem to explain much beyond the fact that she's from Argentina and she's ESL, which isn't saying much: There are extremely white people who live in Argentina, thanks to the high population of German descendants. So, yeah... Came off just a little bit racist in those first few pages.
However, the parts that weren't outright bad were actually extremely emotionally compelling, and I decided to keep reading.
I am so glad that I did.
Written by an immigrant herself, this book is one of the most evocative stories I've ever read. It deals with the daily struggles of MT and her family in a blunt, no-frills way that only serves to expose every tender spot and emotion in our cast of characters. The plot, which at first seems to go nowhere, meanders from heartbreak to heartbreak, and breaks the the reader's heart as well.
Even I, a very white and natural-born America, could relate to MT. From the flashes of my own family I saw in her's, to the desperation for some kind of respite in her depression, there was a universal sorrow in MT's character.
All in all, this is a brilliant, poignant story, and one that does not get told enough. (I did have to take off one star for that beginning, though.)
p.s. I hope Josh and MT hang out a lot in Connecticut, where they make fun of Siobhan and listen to good music together. BFF.
The first chapter- the most important part of a novel, according to some -was abysmal. As if the stiff writing style and perpetually immature characters weren't enough, the narrative seems almost desperate for the reader to know that MT, our main character, is 'Spanish' (ie, Hispanic), but not one of those dark-skinned, dark-haired, 'obvious' immigrants (ie, Latina). Though she does call herself Latino halfway through the book- Honestly, the author doesn't seem to explain much beyond the fact that she's from Argentina and she's ESL, which isn't saying much: There are extremely white people who live in Argentina, thanks to the high population of German descendants. So, yeah... Came off just a little bit racist in those first few pages.
However, the parts that weren't outright bad were actually extremely emotionally compelling, and I decided to keep reading.
I am so glad that I did.
Written by an immigrant herself, this book is one of the most evocative stories I've ever read. It deals with the daily struggles of MT and her family in a blunt, no-frills way that only serves to expose every tender spot and emotion in our cast of characters. The plot, which at first seems to go nowhere, meanders from heartbreak to heartbreak, and breaks the the reader's heart as well.
Even I, a very white and natural-born America, could relate to MT. From the flashes of my own family I saw in her's, to the desperation for some kind of respite in her depression, there was a universal sorrow in MT's character.
All in all, this is a brilliant, poignant story, and one that does not get told enough. (I did have to take off one star for that beginning, though.)
p.s. I hope Josh and MT hang out a lot in Connecticut, where they make fun of Siobhan and listen to good music together. BFF.