alquemist's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
doctabird's review against another edition
2.0
I felt like this book was one long list, with a little bit of story thrown in there. It's been a while since I read the House on Mango Street, so I don't know if this is just Cisneros's style, but the endless lists were starting to drive me crazy.
shhh_tamis_reading's review against another edition
Interesting format but didn’t hold my interest enough to continue
nchaidez's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
nikkic66's review against another edition
5.0
The book was marvelous! The way Cisneros pieces her story together is wonderful! At first, the novel appears to be just snippets of stories of Celaya's family but as the story continues those snippets seem to come together and the reader has a better understanding of the family. Cisneros did a marvelous job in not only piecing her story but her usage of language--both english, spanish, mixed spanish, etc.--was phenomenal. She truly represents a girl in between cultures!
coco_loco33's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
happinessbooked's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lexlibris's review against another edition
I know this invented Latino-American lit but every Latino-American novel/memoir of the last 20 years ripped this off so completely that I was bored & annoyed by it. Sorry that’s not very mi gente Latino of me 🥴
gitli57's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
4.0
Loosely in the tradition of Latino multi-generational family epics. What sets this apart is the language and structure. Cisneros has found a path that feels both ancient and contemporary. Rooted in oral storytelling and telenovelas while being beautifully composed literature. At times, the detail, the lists, the fragmentation is almost overwhelming. But, in the end, Cisneros weaves all the threads together like a lovely rebozo, her main metaphor.
siluetas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
might elaborate later when it's not 2 am but this is beautiful and written in a way that only Latinos can write. it has that idas y vueltas, volver sobre lo mismo, ir al principio de nuevo, take a detour here to go there that's very present in oral storytelling. it's a family saga, an account of your shared history y un gran "porque lo que se hereda no se roba", but it's also just a story about telling stories. what stories do we tell ourselves? who gets to tell their story, what is lost along the way? how the same life or events is recounted and remembered completely differently depending on who's doing the telling. lovely lovely lovely, se siente como estar en casa, con lo hermoso y enmarañado que eso puede ser.