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A review by wxrldwalker
The Liars of Mariposa Island by Jennifer Mathieu
3.0
I don't really know what I expected from this book.
This is more of a character-driven book. There is no plot, and to me it read more like literary fiction- which I'm not a big fan of. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read. The story follows two siblings (Joaquin and Elena) and their mother. It details their lives in Texas in 1986, with flashbacks to their mothers life in the past.
I liked how the story unfolded. We get this account from three different perspectives. Elena is sixteen, and spirals into a weird phase in her life after meeting J.C, who gets her hooked on smoking, drugs and alcohol. Joaquin is eighteen, and is unsure what to do with his life, but unlike Elena, he wants to leave the island and isn't afraid to stand up to their Mami. Finally, we have Mami- an alcoholic- who is going mad, unable to forget her life of riches in Cuba.
I enjoyed the writing style and shift of perspectives. Joaquin's perspective was more enjoyable than Elena's and I liked learning about their mother. Elena to me was just this lost kid and I found myself disliking her more and more- she made a lot of stupid decisions despite being a smart girl. The ending was a bit abrupt. In my opinion the 'stakes' weren't high enough. The most intriguing part of this book was reading about Mami's struggle. I didn't know anything about the history of Cuba. Operation Pedro Pan was a programme that led to many Cuban children being taken to the U.S after Fidel Castro came into power. It was both heart-breaking and made me want to know more.
Overall, an interesting read, but not a 'psychological thriller' as advertised.
This is more of a character-driven book. There is no plot, and to me it read more like literary fiction- which I'm not a big fan of. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read. The story follows two siblings (Joaquin and Elena) and their mother. It details their lives in Texas in 1986, with flashbacks to their mothers life in the past.
I liked how the story unfolded. We get this account from three different perspectives. Elena is sixteen, and spirals into a weird phase in her life after meeting J.C, who gets her hooked on smoking, drugs and alcohol. Joaquin is eighteen, and is unsure what to do with his life, but unlike Elena, he wants to leave the island and isn't afraid to stand up to their Mami. Finally, we have Mami- an alcoholic- who is going mad, unable to forget her life of riches in Cuba.
I enjoyed the writing style and shift of perspectives. Joaquin's perspective was more enjoyable than Elena's and I liked learning about their mother. Elena to me was just this lost kid and I found myself disliking her more and more- she made a lot of stupid decisions despite being a smart girl. The ending was a bit abrupt. In my opinion the 'stakes' weren't high enough. The most intriguing part of this book was reading about Mami's struggle. I didn't know anything about the history of Cuba. Operation Pedro Pan was a programme that led to many Cuban children being taken to the U.S after Fidel Castro came into power. It was both heart-breaking and made me want to know more.
Overall, an interesting read, but not a 'psychological thriller' as advertised.