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lindsaybethlyons's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Racism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Racial slurs and Suicide
valareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Abandonment
anna_rubin'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
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol
sachachi'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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Rape and War
Minor: Sexual violence
patatepotato's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I will say the second half of the book was a bit slow and frustrating but the ending really helped bring it together. It felt raw and real when some of the other stuff didn’t.
Moderate: Sexual violence
astoriareader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
- Olga & Pedro (“Pierto”) Acevedo are siblings, who were born & raised in Brooklyn. Olga is a wedding planner for rich folks, and Pierto is a Congressman. They are in their 40s.
- Both siblings are smart, savvy, educated, and Puerto Rican.
- Their father died when they were young, and their mother abandoned them prior to their dad’s death. Their mother is an estranged radical, who is fighting for the liberation of Puerto Rico.
- When Hurricane Maria hits, many issues come up for the siblings.
- I wanted to like this novel, as it nice to see Puerto Rican representation in literature, but this fell flat for me. Although, clearly, I am an outlier with the rave reviews.
- There were too many plots going on at once.
- The writing style felt very juvenile, YA to me.
- I didn’t find the two main characters very likable. I also didn’t like how the author portrayed them.
- I didn’t find being closeted in NYC in 2017 to be very believable.
- Some of the characters felt like caricatures & not realistic.
- I appreciated a lot of points made about colonization & Puerto Rico, but I felt the author wasn’t clear where she actually landed. The “radical” group of revolutionaries are vilified throughout the book, and government intervention is equally criticized. It makes it unclear what route people should support.
Graphic: Abandonment and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
crabbytaco'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
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Genocide, Misogyny, Grief, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
julieriley99'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? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, Abortion, and Deportation