A review by wandering_seal
Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Right. This story was very hot, and enjoyable to listen to. Loved all the food references. But wow was I not in love with Sully.

So, hi, immigrant here, and I struggle soooo much with second + gen families that make sweeping statements about where I'm from like they grew up there and know all the dirty laundry. The stereotyping can be wild when it's coming from people who say they're your people. Sully had that energy in spades. She had no real interest in understanding Kiskeya's perspectives, or how the two of them were different because they have different life experiences. If I was Kiskeya I wouldn't have found Sully hot, I'd have found her insufferable. And yes, it's great that
by the end Kiskeya felt more confident in being her authentic self
, but that doesn't mean I liked the journey she went on to get there. I also didn't like the unevenness of how the two MCs grew as a result of the relationship -
Kiskeya changed everything about her life, and Sully... got more confident? That thing that, within the text, she already was?


I so, so, so wanted to love this. I just didn't.
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