kaneebli's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Injury/injury detail, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Hate crime, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Rape, and Incest
amandaquotidianbooks's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.5
An excellent snapshot into the lives of Latinx immigrants to the US. My favorite plot was Major’s as he navigates his difficult father and becomes friends with Maribel, whose recent accident prompted her family to immigrate to enroll her in an American school. I loved seeing their relationship grow. Alma and Arturo’s dedication to making Maribel’s life easier was eternal and inspiring. Henriquez brings to life the little joys and everyday anxieties of moving to a country that doesn’t want you there.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Death, and Racism
chfairey's review
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Henriquez lets us (as readers) know exactly what she is doing, where she is going, from the start, and that transparency invites her readers to trust her to ferry us through. Alma and Mayor, her two central characters, circle each other, joined by their love of Maribel (Alma's 16-year-old daughter with minor brain damage from an accident a year ago, and Mayor's new neighbor in Delaware), are divided by the nature of that love. Alma feels protective love for her, but cannot see past her own memories of the girl that Maribel used to be; Mayor loves her for who she is, which Alma finds dangerous, and her husband finds disturbing. Henriquez subtly builds tension, performing sleight-of-hand with Alma's concern for her husband's job, her English lessons, her worry about the boy (Garrett) she saw trying to assault Maribel early in their days there, climbing to a well-earned and painful climax.
Throughout, Henriquez lends equal weight to various voices from the building, a conglomerate of immigrants (new and old) from Hispanic countries in South and Central America. There is no central line of messaging from all of them--some feel completely at home, some feel anger towards the racism they still experience, some have been able to thrive and flourish in their dreams in America, others have been run down and beaten by this country that was supposed to provide new life. The point is to know them, and to listen to the myriad of voices, to treat each story as important and worthwhile.
Another note: Henriquez is brilliant at portraying the voice of a teenager here. Often, work that takes teenagers' seriously is relegated to YA, but Henriquez treats Alma and Mayor with equal interest in their worldviews. One truly feels the righteous anger of a teenager, the rush of early love, the secrets and misunderstandings and fear of parents' power again when inhabiting Mayor's perspective.
Throughout, Henriquez lends equal weight to various voices from the building, a conglomerate of immigrants (new and old) from Hispanic countries in South and Central America. There is no central line of messaging from all of them--some feel completely at home, some feel anger towards the racism they still experience, some have been able to thrive and flourish in their dreams in America, others have been run down and beaten by this country that was supposed to provide new life. The point is to know them, and to listen to the myriad of voices, to treat each story as important and worthwhile.
Another note: Henriquez is brilliant at portraying the voice of a teenager here. Often, work that takes teenagers' seriously is relegated to YA, but Henriquez treats Alma and Mayor with equal interest in their worldviews. One truly feels the righteous anger of a teenager, the rush of early love, the secrets and misunderstandings and fear of parents' power again when inhabiting Mayor's perspective.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Hate crime
Minor: Sexual assault
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