averydappercat's review against another edition
5.0
Carolina DeRobertis wrote a story that made me wish it were true. Her prose is beautiful and doesn't feel long-winded or hard to read. The book feels as much a history lesson as a poignant story about 5 queer women finding each other and forming a family. If you like found family stories, I highly recommend.
Though I do think it is necessary to put a trigger warning for this book as it delves into some sensitive topics: sexual assault, conversion therapy, physical assault from authorities, and cheating. There are sex scenes in the book, but none are graphically depicted. Also, in my opinion the handling of these sensitive matters is very well-done. It is clear that Robertis did thorough research on everything that appears in this book. And though there is triggering material, I found the story as a whole to be inspiring and thought-provoking.
Since I grew up in a time with a loud LGBT rights movement, it's incredibly humbling to think about the times before this movement and the things people had to go through to get this far.
Though I do think it is necessary to put a trigger warning for this book as it delves into some sensitive topics: sexual assault, conversion therapy, physical assault from authorities, and cheating. There are sex scenes in the book, but none are graphically depicted. Also, in my opinion the handling of these sensitive matters is very well-done. It is clear that Robertis did thorough research on everything that appears in this book. And though there is triggering material, I found the story as a whole to be inspiring and thought-provoking.
Since I grew up in a time with a loud LGBT rights movement, it's incredibly humbling to think about the times before this movement and the things people had to go through to get this far.
evilanchovy's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book even though it ripped my heart out. Queerness, queer love, chosen family, and queer resilience were all so well-portrayed.
lmpf2012's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
p4skud4's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
3.5
worm_book's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautiful, powerful and poignant, this is a book I know I'll be thinking about for a long time.
joannemiro1948's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
- 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
4.75
ctrlaultdelete's review against another edition
4.5
A book with a giant heart and richly drawn characters, emphasizing the hard won intimacies and spaces of marginalized queer life (and maybe an apologia for gentrification and tourism though it’s only lightly touched upon). Though the book had soaring evocations of grief, of deep connection, of fear and trauma (and was often pretty sexy), there were a few clunky moments, though as another reader noted they were often short lived. Knowing that Uruguay hasn’t been spared from global fascism made the ending of the book somewhat darker but perhaps the better for it. I did like all the complexities that the author was able to hold in writing (about sex, about marriage and commitment, home and multiple forms of intimacy, etc)