A review by onepgatatime
Carmelo or Puro Cuento by Sandra Cisneros

3.0

I had a lot of hope for this book, and for this reason it is hard for me to tell if the books writing left me unfulfilled or if my expectations did. The thought of reading a book I could relate to on the level of my Mexican American but not so Mexican self, super Mexican dad, not so Mexican mom, Spanglish speaking home really excited with. And in that sense I believe I was fulfilled. There were great moments in the novel that warmed my heart, mad me laugh, and really made me feel understood. But those moments were lost in the unnecessary chapters and overexplainations. It took me quite awhile to get through this story as it couldn't keep my focus. I think the author tried to address too many topics, too many moments, too many stories at once. And it just got out of hand.

I have a strong desire to reread this story at a later date without my strict expectations. We'll see if that changes anything.