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baratheonbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence and Transphobia
theboricuabookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
“Something began in the dark. I’m talking about my dark now, I’m talking about myself. I’m talking about the feeling of being force-fed fistfuls of dirt by God himself.”
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Sena Bryer, who did a fantastic job. I highly recommend that format!
I recently made a video on why I don't need on-page or extremely detailed rape scenes, and while there are post-rape and mentions of rape in this book, they are not gratuitous or exploitative. I genuinely felt like CSV took great care in both forcing the audience to bear witness to the violence that the travestis endured every day by everyone, whether it was by romantic partners, Johns, the police, or simply society at large, AND ensuring to not cause more harm by being unnecessarily graphic.
Through vignettes, we follow Camila from childhood to young adulthood, as she comes into herself and inadvertently finds a new family of sex workers in Sarmiento Park, in the heart of Córdoba, Argentina. She finds care with Auntie Encarna, who is 178 years old, and their home of travestis finds a baby, whom they call "Sparkle in her eye". These women also encounter headless men who return from a war being shunned by society. The magical realism is quite fun, a bit strange, and honestly provided a much-needed levity to a sometimes-heavier narrative. Camila also is both deeply unserious and funny, even though her story does carry so much pain and sadness.
Camila went through so much in this book, from parental abuse, to police manipulation and bribery, to the grief of losing friends to suicide. However, she continues on, and aims to live a truthful existence, rather than hating herself how society wants her to. Though she still experiences deep loss and heartache, Camila's story is one that thoughtfully humanizes people who society wants to villainize and further marginalize.
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide
onlyonebookshelf's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, and Transphobia
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment
therecoveringbookworm's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Police brutality
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
vcriveros's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Blood, Excrement, and Grief
dar101's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Violence
cantfindmybookmark'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
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Transphobia, Police brutality, and Abandonment
solusipse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism
finnthehuman217'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? Yes
5.0
Reread Review: I think some of the most painful moments in the book are when the Travestis find out that one of their own is dead. The pain is so visceral. The performance of cena bryer makes it so sad.
One of those moments is when Incarna finds out one of the Travestis dead on the side of the road and she begins slamming the girl’s head against the ground while screaming “why didn’t you fight back”. It is dark and it shows Auntie’s feeling of guilt regarding saving her kids. This is a lot of pain to walk around with.
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia