Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

The Making of Yolanda La Bruja by Lorraine Avila

10 reviews

ncq's review

dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

peachybear's review

slow-paced

3.0

I liked the premise of the book and the bruja influences. I think it was super slow at times and I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character. Definitely check the trigger warnings though. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, and Mass/school shootings

drbex's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Mass/school shootings

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism

cboddie's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

8th & up

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Mass/school shootings

racbuckallew's review

hopeful informative tense slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense 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

3.0

There is a lot that happens in this book, that's packed with a lot of relevant social topics that are worth exploring! At times, though, it felt like a little too much and that the story went on for a little longer than it needed to. I was also a bit thrown off by the incorporation of COVID at the end, and I do wish there would have been a little more warning about that becuase I still think it's too soon.

But I digress! The premise of this book is lovely, even if it wasn't quite as fantasy-esque as I expected. The topics are hard hitting, and it is overall well-written; a different editor might have taken out some of the more unncessary plotlines.

All in all, I really wanted to like this one more than I actually did. But this will definitely be an author to watch in the future!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

lettuce_read's review against another edition

emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic

amobrien's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.5

A difficult story told with a compelling, poetic voice. I loved how this story touched on spirituality as it discussed race, education, and justice. If you love Elizabeth Acevedo, I would highly recommend this book for you! Please check content warnings before reading.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Mass/school shootings

yadira315's review

challenging emotional reflective

• 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

Thank you so much NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with this arc. 

Wow! What an incredible book. I resonated so much with Yo and what she was going through. There were so many heavy issues of racism, gender, ableism and gun violence that were challenged and  handled extremely well. The writer has these amazing prose throughout the book that beautifully capture the characters emotions and the depth of the situations they were out in. The diverse cast of characters in this book have dealt with so much trauma and this novel really hones down the message that our ancestors are here to guide us and they went through so much so that we can have a little bit more freedom to continue the fight. All the side characters also play such and important role and add so much to the story. I love that we got to see them hold each other accountable for their flaws and are there to support each other through each of their own personal journeys.  This book has such amazing representation across the Black diaspora. 

I will definitely be reading Lorraine other works! 

Content warning: Racism, classism, gun violence, mental health

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Mass/school shootings, and Classism