adambwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Probably more like a 4.5, but Goodreads still can't figure out half stars.
chloebunny's review against another edition
2.0
There's no doubt that the writing in this book was beautiful, and there were so many beautiful things about this book and a lot to love about this. But a lot of the time I felt weird and annoyed because I really didn't like some of the stereotyping and sexism in the book e.g.:
"One thing about Sam was that she didn't throw like a girl"
"For a gay guy, my dad was pretty straight"
Wth????
I absolutely loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, but this one... not so much.
"One thing about Sam was that she didn't throw like a girl"
"For a gay guy, my dad was pretty straight"
Wth????
I absolutely loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, but this one... not so much.
apricothopeful's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Cancer, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
elyseah's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so beautifully written. I love the characters all of them.
zquill's review against another edition
4.0
As an adopted kid, this is the first book I've read that really got the feeling of what it means to both belong and yet somehow not quite fit with your family without that invalidating the love you share with them. There's a lot of other stuff going on in this novel, and some of it (Salvador and Sam's friendship, Fito becoming a member of their group) is well done and genuine, but some of it's also overwrought and long-winded. Several issues I thought Sal had dealt with r at least made progress on are brought up again and again, only slightly restated from the first time. But Sal's beautiful relationship with his grandmother and the sudden and scary violent urges he just can't seem to get a handle of make this a very fine book.
anji's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I want to be friends and family with the characters in this book, and I think this should be required reading for humans. At times I struggled to keep reading because I had tears streaming, but I also smiled and laughed. I’m so thankful this book is in the world.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
looreads's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like this book could have been great but it just fell flat. The themes that the book explores, family, identity, death, the fear and uncertainty of the future, and the change that comes with growing up are very compelling and so universal but there were just so many little and big things that I just did not like about it.
The little things
For one, I kind of did not like Salvador, the protagonist/narrator of the book. There wasn't anything in particular that made me not like him, I try to like him, but I just didn't really click with him. It's not that I dislike him, I just felt indifference towards him for most of the novel. I was bored with him.
I was bored with Salvador and I was annoyed with Sam, Salvador's best friend. I'm not a fan of girl character who 'are not like other girls', who think that all the other girls are bitches. At first, I thought I could get past that, maybe she would change and grow as a character but she didn't.
Secondly, I didn't like the style in which the book was written. I was surprised by that because I love Mr.Sáenz other novel, "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" with all my heart and one of the things I found so charming about that book was the way it was written, which was so different and unique from other books that I had read. That style just work for Ari and Dante but with this book? not so much, at least not for me.
Thirdly, it was pretty obvious that this book was written by an old man who doesn't really know about teenagers and social media. It wasn't too bad or cringy but still.
Lastly, and this is pretty unimportant but why was Salvador nickname Sal and not Chava? Which is the common nickname given to Salvadores in Mexico. It's just one of those things, like how guys name William are called Bill guys named Salvador are called Chava. Especially when they are young guys/boys and not when they are old mature men and that is something that Sal in the book deals with. Not being a man yet but not a boy anymore. It's not like Mr.Sáenz wouldn't know that, I pretty sure he know so I wonder why he chose Sal.
I'm sad to say how disappointing this book was to me. After falling in love with Ari and Dante, I was hoping to love this book or at least actually enjoy it.
The big things
The way that sexual assault was handled in the book. I'm not even going to go into detail about it I'm sure there have been plenty other people discussing it but I'm really disappointed.
There was also this one thing that happened 100 or so into the book that just wouldn't leave my mind for the rest of the story.
At the end of the chapter title "My Uncles and Aunts (and Cigarettes)" P.108, one of Sal uncles calls his dad puto. Which, like many other Spanish slang/cuss words, has multiple meanings and usages but in Mexico and other Latin American countries the word puto carries a lot of homophobic connotations and it's often used as a derogatory term for gay men. It wasn't the usage of the word that stood out to me but the way the characters react to it, especially after the big deal it was made at the beginning of the novel with the word faggot.
I know it's not fair to compare those two words since they don't really mean the same thing and have different history but it just really threw me off how the character just laugh it off? After Sal got so upset and angry when his classmate called his dad a faggot but then his uncle calls him puto and it's all good? and it's never brought up or mention again?
I know they are not the same and that they were said in very different circumstances, and that Sal's uncle was saying it in a teasing manner but I felt that that was worth exploring more. Like there could've been a chapter where they talked about it like it could have parallel the talk Sal and his dad had when they were talking about the fight Sal had with his classmate.
The little things
For one, I kind of did not like Salvador, the protagonist/narrator of the book. There wasn't anything in particular that made me not like him, I try to like him, but I just didn't really click with him. It's not that I dislike him, I just felt indifference towards him for most of the novel. I was bored with him.
I was bored with Salvador and I was annoyed with Sam, Salvador's best friend. I'm not a fan of girl character who 'are not like other girls', who think that all the other girls are bitches. At first, I thought I could get past that, maybe she would change and grow as a character but she didn't.
Secondly, I didn't like the style in which the book was written. I was surprised by that because I love Mr.Sáenz other novel, "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" with all my heart and one of the things I found so charming about that book was the way it was written, which was so different and unique from other books that I had read. That style just work for Ari and Dante but with this book? not so much, at least not for me.
Thirdly, it was pretty obvious that this book was written by an old man who doesn't really know about teenagers and social media. It wasn't too bad or cringy but still.
Lastly, and this is pretty unimportant but why was Salvador nickname Sal and not Chava? Which is the common nickname given to Salvadores in Mexico. It's just one of those things, like how guys name William are called Bill guys named Salvador are called Chava. Especially when they are young guys/boys and not when they are old mature men and that is something that Sal in the book deals with. Not being a man yet but not a boy anymore. It's not like Mr.Sáenz wouldn't know that, I pretty sure he know so I wonder why he chose Sal.
I'm sad to say how disappointing this book was to me. After falling in love with Ari and Dante, I was hoping to love this book or at least actually enjoy it.
The big things
The way that sexual assault was handled in the book. I'm not even going to go into detail about it I'm sure there have been plenty other people discussing it but I'm really disappointed.
There was also this one thing that happened 100 or so into the book that just wouldn't leave my mind for the rest of the story.
Spoiler
At the end of the chapter title "My Uncles and Aunts (and Cigarettes)" P.108, one of Sal uncles calls his dad puto. Which, like many other Spanish slang/cuss words, has multiple meanings and usages but in Mexico and other Latin American countries the word puto carries a lot of homophobic connotations and it's often used as a derogatory term for gay men. It wasn't the usage of the word that stood out to me but the way the characters react to it, especially after the big deal it was made at the beginning of the novel with the word faggot.
I know it's not fair to compare those two words since they don't really mean the same thing and have different history but it just really threw me off how the character just laugh it off? After Sal got so upset and angry when his classmate called his dad a faggot but then his uncle calls him puto and it's all good? and it's never brought up or mention again?
I know they are not the same and that they were said in very different circumstances, and that Sal's uncle was saying it in a teasing manner but I felt that that was worth exploring more. Like there could've been a chapter where they talked about it like it could have parallel the talk Sal and his dad had when they were talking about the fight Sal had with his classmate.
sleeeplessnights's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5