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katievasquez's reviews
305 reviews
Startup by Doree Shafrir
4.0
Startup was a quick read, which was nice for me since I had finished a rather heavier book before. Startup is the perfect summer read, I found myself laughing out loud constantly while reading, the characters are almost too accurate and real at times, not in a bad way but I feel like I see these types of people on a regular basis, constant Twitter posts, snapchat selfies, etc. I also enjoyed the commentary on women in the tech scene/any workforce for that matter. Doree Shafrir also does an excellent job depicting female characters from different age groups and the sexism and ageism that exists in the male workforce. I found myself lost at times, not because of the writing but because I felt a little old among the young techies, I don't have a ton of apps on my phone, I don't have a twitter or snapchat, but this book honestly made me glad I didn't! I had so much fun reading this book and gaining insight into the young tech scene! Pick this up for the summer!
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez
4.0
Things we Lost in the Fire is an eerie, unsettling, and surreal collection of short stories by Mariana Enriquez. I did not know what to expect when I started reading, and I was pleasantly surprised by Mariana’s style of writing. Mariana tackles poverty, violence, and crime within Argentina…the darker side of Argentina. Many stories bring aspects of the surreal, ghost stories, strange houses, etc. Adela’s House focuses on three kids and an abandoned house. Once inside the house they find horrors and the aftermath of the visit is just written fantastically. The writing is beautifully frightening. Another story I enjoyed was The Neighbor’s Courtyard; I love reading about spaces. i.e. homes, apartments, rooms and the effects they have on individual characters. Mostly I love when one narrator handles a story like this, and The Neighbor’s Courtyard does this perfectly. Paula allows us to see things from her point of view, her terrace. Spiderweb is another story I enjoyed; I find stories about married couples interesting and love when we mostly have the perspective of one spouse. I never really know they can be trusted when it comes to how we perceive the spouse. We do have other characters who see parts of the marriage and give their opinions, but they are very surface observations so who is to be trusted? Things we Lost in the Fire has stories I will definitely re-read. I recommend this to anyone who loves the surreal!