noodlebrie's review
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Emotional abuse
stevia333k's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
This book is very much of the baby boomer generation (I had to use an inflation calculator), the setting is a single year circa 1977-1984. I'm not sure how much is historically accurate. There's obsolete parts.
This had been on my to read list since I was a little kid. I finally got an audiobook copy from my library today & it was only 2h19m long. Circa 2014 i was reading chapters of this book out of order because i approached it as an anthology similar to "chicken noodle souo for the [fill in the blank] soul". Also my reading speed back then sucked.
Um, let's just say there's a massive rape culture, massive domestic violence, and there's at least 1 murder. Also suicidality. There's a part in the book where the girls are parroting transphobic biological essentialism, but to be fair that part of the story kind of calls out the academics who do that as people with power making just-so stories in order to maintain how they outrank others (hence calling this sort of queerphobia as naive).
I feel like this book was presented way back in my day how "braiding sweetgrass" is these days. I'm not sure how to feel about that. The book "settlers" by j sakai was contemporary to this book. IDK why this book became the popular book for including Latinx/hispanic people in academia.
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Car accident, Classism, and Excrement
dlsmk'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? No
2.75
Included below are the trigger warnings not given as options in the click boxes.
Moderately mentioned; teen pregnancy, emotional abuse, assault
Lightly sprinkled; poverty
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Suicide, and Classism
_bobatea_'s review
- 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: Rape, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Classism, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Xenophobia
directorpurry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Child death and Death
classicpseudonym's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
anyway, i highly, highly recommend this book. please read it.
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death
ooo'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
3.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child death, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexism, and Rape
galaech's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It's not my style in the sense that it's very poetic, many short stories, all quite vague and open to interpretation. There isn't much relation between all the stories, even though I know that's Cisnero's intention.
However, I liked how sexism, patriarchy, abuse and the life of being raised as a low-clas "latina" are told in this story. It is told through the lens of a young girl, who doesn't relly understand why things work like they do, but deep down she knows something's wrong.
I'd recommend it for people who enjoy reading poetic books that can be deeply analysed.
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
wends_nblw's review
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racism, and Toxic relationship
clapyourshands's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, and Rape