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spicycronereads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
The goddess responds to the girls because of their strong friendship and we see that as one of the central themes of this book. Living in a world where Brown girls are subject to interlocking oppressions of gender and race, the girls have fierce love for one another that helps them survive. Their experiences with the goddess lead them beyond surviving to claim their power and ultimately thrive. One of my favorite quotes is “Everything about her could be considered a nightmare, but I wasn’t scared. She flowed with fury, beauty, and power” (loc. 352).
This is not a romance genre book but there is a bit of romance (and some spice!) between Fernanda and Pauline’s brother, Ruben. The romance plot serves primarily as a catalyst for Fernanda’s embracing of her pleasure and pursuing her own desires and goals. So I give it an unexpected 🌶️🌶️. There is really not much romance or spice but what is there is swoony, steamy, and undeniably intersectional feminist.
Speaking of which, the novella has lots of diverse representation- the five Latina girls being the foremost. Even among them we see diversity in class representation with Lourdes having to work a lot to help support her family and care for younger siblings to help her mother in the wake of an absentee stepfather. The other girls’ families seem more financially stable, though still working class or lower middle class. Fernanda is the only one headed to an Ivy League college with a slate of scholarships.
Overall I really liked this short horror novella. I did find that I had the same reaction here that I often have with short stories - really liked it on an intellectual or conceptual level but it was too short for me to feel emotionally invested. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read about young women of color claiming their power in a world of patriarchy and white supremacy that operates through school, family, and church. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Genocide, Torture, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Colonisation
mermaidsherbet's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
booking_along's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
the idea of girls that are at a place in their lives where they want and wish to be somewhere else but their circumstances won’t allow them to do that and them trying to reach out to something -anything- to help themselves was great idea.
that turning dark and twisted was one as well.
but the rest wasn’t for me.
it just dragged on and on, became too focused on sex and unnecessarily bloody without real explanation as to way or how that helped the story along other then provoking and vulgarity.
i enjoy the shock horror moments more than drawn out suspenseful horror, so this was just not what i look for.
it wasn’t bad just not for me.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, and Blood
wrensreadingroom's review
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail