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jamgrl's reviews
176 reviews
Crónica de Una Muerte Anunciada by Gabriel García Márquez
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Twice a Quinceañera by Yamile Saied Méndez
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cantoras by Caro De Robertis
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Torture, and Suicide
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Lobizona by Romina Garber
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
First off, I want to say: it is awesome to read/listen to a fantasy book so imbedded into a Latin American country’s culture: despite taking place entirely in Florida (when they aren’t in a magical realm), Argentina is very present in this story.
On the book: This book is not very subtle, but it is pretty interesting! I enjoyed the parallels of the fantasy world and the real world, the conversations about identity and belonging, the commentary on why categorizing people is bad (is this a response to the Hogwarts house system?? Because Garber is right.) and about immigration (being an immigrant and the immigration system and what it means to be an outsider). I just adore the fun of teenagers being together and doing fantasy stuff while also plotting plots. Also, all the Spanish! The fantasy world itself is lush and interesting and I love that everything in both the fantasy and real world societies has a dark political undertone. The romantic subplot was generally uninteresting to me, but I am aware I am not the target audience for adolescent lust/romance 😅.*
Warning: There is a large amount of Harry Potter references (named references by the protagonist) in addition to other books, like Pride and Prejudice and 100 Years of Solitude. This is something I don’t love in general/find awkward (think Bella Swan talking about Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet all the time), but the amount of Harry Potter specifically was a bit uncomfortable- be warned if reminders of Harry Potter are upsetting.
On the book: This book is not very subtle, but it is pretty interesting! I enjoyed the parallels of the fantasy world and the real world, the conversations about identity and belonging, the commentary on why categorizing people is bad (is this a response to the Hogwarts house system?? Because Garber is right.) and about immigration (being an immigrant and the immigration system and what it means to be an outsider). I just adore the fun of teenagers being together and doing fantasy stuff while also plotting plots. Also, all the Spanish! The fantasy world itself is lush and interesting and I love that everything in both the fantasy and real world societies has a dark political undertone. The romantic subplot was generally uninteresting to me, but I am aware I am not the target audience for adolescent lust/romance 😅.*
Warning: There is a large amount of Harry Potter references (named references by the protagonist) in addition to other books, like Pride and Prejudice and 100 Years of Solitude. This is something I don’t love in general/find awkward (think Bella Swan talking about Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet all the time), but the amount of Harry Potter specifically was a bit uncomfortable- be warned if reminders of Harry Potter are upsetting.
*Though, I did in fact whoop audibly when Manu walked in on Saysa and Cata 😂.
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is packed with adventure and has an interesting/expansive world. I enjoyed the Latina protagonist and her crew. I like the dynamics between Eva and Vakar and Eva and Pink, I just wish there had been more. A lot of the emotional stakes are built on Eva telling us she cares about people instead of us getting to really see her relationships, which is a shame because when the relationships are there, they are really good! It makes the adventures feel less important- I kind of came away thinking that too much happened, even though there are breadcrumbs dropped along for an interesting underlying plot/mystery which will clearly be revealed in future books… I just think we needed more upfront character time to care a bit more. The cats were also way underutilized (there might as well have only been one cat, which would have been fine and maybe better considering that only one was important.) That being said, I think there is something interesting going on here and I am curious about where it is going.