just_one_more_paige's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was browsing through NetGalley months ago when the cover of this one caught my eye, and the description was intriguing enough that I requested it. So first, thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for granting said request. And then, I actually happened upon a physical ARC that had been sent to the library that was up for grabs, so I had oodles of ways to read this...and it still took me until months after publication to actually get to it. Best laid plans and all that...
Years ago, when she was 13 years old, Ruthy Ramirez disappeared after track practice without a trace. And over a decade later, the rest of the Ramirez women - her older sister Jessica, her younger sister Nina, and her mother Dolores - are all still deeply affected by the mystery of what happened to her, as well as the daily mundanities and trials of their individual lives. When Jessica spots someone she is sure is Ruthy, on a late night reality tv show, she sets into motion an amateur family sleuthing project, tracking down details and making a plan to drive to the show's shooting location and bring maybe-Ruthy back home. Whether or not the woman in the show actually is Ruthy or not, the road trip and subsequent reckoning will force the family to finally face the past and deal with what's next.
Well, in addition to all the other copies of this I had, I waited long enough to read it that I was also able to get the audiobook from my library. So to just really quickly start with that listening experience, Jiménez narrates herself and I really enjoyed it. There was a spoken word quality to her performance that adds great rhythm and expression to the storytelling. I had to listen at a much slower rate than I normally do, as a result, but it was worth it. As for the writing itself, and the narration most definitely deepened this impression, it was incredibly raw. There was so much emotion and personality in it, stylistically. Although I felt like, at times, there was also a choppiness to it, that grew on me as I read/listened, and by the end I could see the way that, too, fit the energy of the book.
I also really liked the way this novel was told from the perspectives of each of the Ramirez women, including a "day of the disappearance" unfolding from Ruthy's perspective. Each of the women had a strong, distinct voice (Dolores' in particular was quite robust, and really reminded me of the live-wire-ness of the MC/narrator in How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, which I loved). And for Ruthy, I loved the look we got at the typical, everyday things she was enjoying and dealing with on that final day. It provides a heartbreaking look at the lost girls - brown and Black girls specifically - that don't make the big headlines that get public attention and support. And that they are complex and real and human in all the same ways and despite the greatness or smallness of whatever their lives are, they deserve the same care and attention and support. Jiménez takes this even further with Jessica and Nina's perspectives, that of those who are left behind and/or who face their own hidden traumas because of cultural norms, shame and stigma of talking about it. The way she is able to portray the ways they too are lost/missing - in the cracks - in their own unique ways, is spectacularly affecting.
Overall, this novel was more about the family and their reactions than it was about the sudden reappearance of Ruthy and tracking her down. And while I'm not against that, it did feel just a bit different than advertised, so I'm just sharing for future reader awareness. And I do want to leave this review with the feeling the novel left me with. The pain of everlasting hope for a "happy" ending, without the closure that would allow one to move one from that, is palpable here. Jiménez presents here a devastating face-on consideration of how the many people who live this as a daily reality move through that pain. This is fiction reflective of, and with commentary on, reality at its finest.
“I strongly believe that we all should be able to choose our own ways to be ashamed.”
"Say something is bigger than you, like much bigger, like a lot; is it really your fault if you cannot stop it?"
“How many girls in the world were there who looked like Ruthy, talked like Ruthy? Laughed like her? How many of us were missing?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Grief
Moderate: Death, Violence, Bullying, and Child death
Minor: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
eggplantia5's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I wish there was a little more fleshing out of all the characters. They all felt very realized and I wanted to know more about them.
Spoiler
I found the ending to be a big letdown, what a disappointing end. You follow in this journey of grief and then the ending is wrapped up in a couple of paragraphs?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Grief
haileyspencer's review
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Racial slurs
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Murder
goldenjunegem's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, and Bullying
readergrl37's review
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse
seyermk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
the debut novel from Claire Jimenez has plenty of voice and personality through the lives of Nina, Jessica, Dolores, and Ruthy Ramirez.
i enjoyed reading this, and finished it within a day (which goes to show how intense it was)! still, though, it was sometimes hard to remember that each Ramirez woman was distinct and individual in their voices, they sometimes flowed together and got muddled. I also felt that some topics uncovered from their past were revealed, then never mentioned or processed ever again. regardless, the ending hits you right in the gut, and you find yourself mirroring the feelings of especially Dolores and Jessica as you process Ruthy’s story.
this is definitely a debut worth reading, and it comes out this tuesday! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this.
i enjoyed reading this, and finished it within a day (which goes to show how intense it was)! still, though, it was sometimes hard to remember that each Ramirez woman was distinct and individual in their voices, they sometimes flowed together and got muddled. I also felt that some topics uncovered from their past were revealed, then never mentioned or processed ever again. regardless, the ending hits you right in the gut, and you find yourself mirroring the feelings of especially Dolores and Jessica as you process Ruthy’s story.
this is definitely a debut worth reading, and it comes out this tuesday! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Bullying, Grief, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Death, and Murder
carlissa904's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
This book had an interesting premise, but it just didn't pan out for me. The story was disjointed and very boring. I thought this was an adult fiction, but it was written as if it was for middle schoolers with way too much cursing. I won't be recommending it to anyone.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for letting me read and review.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for letting me read and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Bullying, Cursing, and Child death
Moderate: Racial slurs and Child death
spinesinaline's review
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such a compelling read, many CWs for sexual assault, pedophilia, physical abuse. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for an ARC!
This is not only the story of the Ramirez’s search for their missing sister but of the violence and harassment that each woman in the family has faced and beyond that, of the wider societal issue of violence against women, especially women of colour. It’s a sad and upsetting read, but also one of the incredible love of this family, their fights and making up, and their hilarious humour.
There was some questionable fatphobic portrayal so a heads up for that. The comments that focused on one character’s weight and diets in relation to their grief felt unnecessary to the story.
I really enjoyed this story while also feeling the visceral grief of this family and other women who’ve been in this position. A great read to start off my year.
This is not only the story of the Ramirez’s search for their missing sister but of the violence and harassment that each woman in the family has faced and beyond that, of the wider societal issue of violence against women, especially women of colour. It’s a sad and upsetting read, but also one of the incredible love of this family, their fights and making up, and their hilarious humour.
There was some questionable fatphobic portrayal so a heads up for that. The comments that focused on one character’s weight and diets in relation to their grief felt unnecessary to the story.
I really enjoyed this story while also feeling the visceral grief of this family and other women who’ve been in this position. A great read to start off my year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Cursing, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Racism
Minor: Fatphobia
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