Reviews

It's hard to say I liked a book when it wasn't exactly a happy read. The writing was certainly enjoyable. T.C. Boyle did a fantastic job of describing the San Fernando Valley. Some characters felt a little hollow, especially his Caucasian characters, but maybe that was the point he was trying to make.

I read the entire book with a sense of dread just because you know nothing good is going to happen to Candido. Although, living in LA, you do see the kind of hardship day laborers and undocumented immigrants have to go through while the rest of us take it for granted, there were some parts that were uncomfortable to read through. It did make me feel guilty about those times where I turn a blind eye to a pan handler, or a group of men waiting around on the sidewalk.

I don't know if Boyle was experimenting with writing when he did Delaney's pieces about nature, but I found them pretty annoying and ended up skipping the rest of his "writing." I may have been too eager to get back to the "what happened" part of the book. Or more like the "what *doesn't* happen to them?" part of the book.

I would have liked to know more about the denture guy with the backwards cap. What was his deal? Why did Boyle write him in? What was his purpose in the story other than being a villain?

michaelerdman's review against another edition

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dark inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

gesanollen's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

sars05's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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