Reviews

Meh, this was okay! I was hoping I’d be so moved by the ending the rest was worth it, and i could see it trying, and there were some lovely moments, but just didn’t do it for me. The audiobook though really went hard and gave very radio-play vibes which they rarely do.

akabah's review against another edition

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funny 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

4.0

Beautifully rendered and really engaging.

hayley_s's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

4.25

thatsoneforthebooks's review against another edition

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5.0

✨ Review ✨ How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz; Narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell; Rossmery Almonte

This is hands down my favorite audiobook I've ever listened to. Rossmery Almonte knocks this one OUT OF THE PARK. I laughed. I cried. I raved about it to anyone who would listen.

The book takes place as a series of one-sided interviews (monologues, I guess?) by Cara Romero, a 50-something Dominican woman in NYC, who has recently started an unemployment program for seniors trying to reenter the workforce. These stream-of-consciousness style chapters slowly moves through layers of Cara's life story while also building up the world of people around her in her Washington Heights apartment building. Interludes between chapters provide excerpts from the training program, job applications and listings, rent bills, and more. Throughout the book, Cara spills the tea as she gives you all the chisme.

What started as an absolute riot of a book grew more serious as it progressed, shining light into the struggles faced by urban residents through gentrification and evictions, unemployment and underemployment, caretaking expectations, immigration and citizenship processes, and so much more. While I still laughed at parts throughout the book, I also thought Cruz, and Almonte, through her reading, humanized Cara and people like her in such a brilliant way. Understanding that Cara's unemployment in part stems from her caretaking of friends, family, kids, pets, elders, and disabled folks around her, helped me see her in a deeper way.

The style of the book was more experimental, and will probably frustrate some readers, but I loved it and thought it translated so well to the audio format. This brilliant book will be sticking with me for a long time!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: literary fiction
Location: NYC
Reminds me of: Dominicana (also by Angie Cruz), In the Heights
Pub Date: Sept 13, 2022

Read this if you like:
⭕️ experimental literary fiction
⭕️ strong Latina / Dominicana voices
⭕️ chisme worthy of giggles and gasps
⭕️ AMAZING audio narration that brings the story to life

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

supermarioctopus's review

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sad medium-paced

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

3.0

taylerreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

niestein's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

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