niamhbereading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the narrator of this book really made it for me. surprisingly, it is not oscar. instead, it's a character who we do not meet until about halfway through the book, and even then, he holds little stake in the plot. yunior (the narrator) has such a unique voice as he tells the story of oscar's family, & that made the tales of the trujillo-era dominican republic all the more interesting to me, a white american reader. oscar- the protagonist of this book- is actually never a narrator, even though the book is named after him. i think that adds such an interesting perspective to the story: everyone is talking about oscar, so the book takes you on a ride to finding out who he is through other people's lives. (note: one of the chapters is in the pov of oscar's sister, and there's no real distinction between who is narrating. you just gotta pay attention to how the story is being told to get it.)
this book travels through three generations of the de leon family: oscar and his sister lola, his mother beli, & beli's parents. though oscar & lola's stories are based in new jersey, beli & her parents are all living in the dominican republic under dictator trujillo. junot diaz does a wonderful job immersing the reader into each generation. in particular, some chapters have footnotes that give historical context, which i found really helpful. the dominican history bleeds through the pages.
ok spoiler time:
Spoiler
the de leon family is cursed w/ a fuku bc abelard, oscar's grandfather, defied trujillo. through the three generations, the de leon family is faced with extreme trauma. lots of death.this book has MAGICAL REALISM YAYYYY!!! the de leon family is cursed w/ a fuku that travels throughout the story. it's not too prominent, but when it's brought up, diaz knows how to bring it up. he has struck a good balance between a grounded-in-reality story & supernatural elements. also oscar is a sci-fi nerd so i like how both the character & his universe has an affinity for the unrealistic.
spoiler time again:
Spoiler
oscar dies in the very end :(great read!!! this was the second time i've read it but the first was when i was like fourteen, & this book only gets better w/ age. i would recommend this book to dominicans & latines who want to learn more about their history, nerdy outcast kids who grew into nerdy outcast adults, & those w/ an affinity towards tragedies. wonderful book <3
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization
Spoiler
in one point, it is implied that oscar almost killed himself on purpose. later on, he tries to kill himself by walking onto train tracks.eveymarie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, Death, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Murder, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
amariehoyos'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
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Colonisation, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
deebee223'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Cursing, Addiction, Blood, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Bullying, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Torture, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, War, Kidnapping, Cancer, and Classism
lucinotlucy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Injury/injury detail, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Medical content, Cancer, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Rape, Stalking, Terminal illness, Excrement, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Torture, and Abortion
lacifaeria'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
I see Oscar so much in the people I've known and in myself, the Nerd of Color. The deeper connection with the women in his family was so beautiful (Lola and Beli for sure! and a whole monument to La Inca), these beautiful complicated women creating the structures that he would develop within, complete with their own difficulty grappling with freedom and independence, womanhood and the role love plays within it, generations of de Leon's fantasizing about being saved. This was just - amazing.
Oscar, that lovable nerd, and the own nerdiness of the narrator, Lola's novio, was cringeworthy in accuracy and I laughed and cringed with each self-sabotaging, self-deprecating line. Being a teenage/early adult nerd in constant love was something I felt so deeply. That juxtaposed against his cultural pedigree, the reputation that smothered him about Dominican men and their lothario prowess, was a new level of angst and anxiety I have rarely articulated but wholeheartedly appreciated seeing in print.
And the cadence of the narrator? UGH -- amazing. I've heard this language, this perfect weaving of the profane and the obscene with salient witticism, was comfortably colloquial and so accessible. It felt like the stories you heard in hushed whispers once the relatives got enough liquor in them at the cookout. Like....nostalgia. Like home.
I don't want to go into detail because I think the story is so perfect that I'd rather someone read it first. It made me literally laugh out loud more times than I can count, and actually made me cry on no less than three occasions. Truly the best book I've read this year and there were some heaters on the list already but this was truly a fucking awesome read and I am now a Junot Diaz forever fan.
Stop reading this review and go read it. Just -- go read it right now!!!
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, and Misogyny
zsgj's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, Racial slurs, and Murder
greatsilverini's review against another edition
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Murder, Child death, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Rape, Abandonment, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
ekmook'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
3.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racism, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Child abuse, Colonisation, Abandonment, Torture, Misogyny, Injury/injury detail, Fatphobia, Death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Confinement, Cursing, Violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Chronic illness, Addiction, Infidelity, Abortion, and Terminal illness
clapyourshands'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Injury/injury detail, Homophobia, War, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Death, Alcohol, Grief, Drug use, Cursing, Colonisation, Classism, and Bullying