A review by syazahaniss
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense slow-paced
  • 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

3.25

My colleague recommended me this book because she said this author is her favourite - she even gave me a copy of my own since she had an extra one - and so I had pretty high expectations.

Unfortunately, the book itself didn’t really match up.

It was arguably the slowest burn in the world. The burn would be more delicious if Aiden and Vanessa refrained from doing anything intimate/sexual until later on in the book but this was borderline draggy. I personally feel like the initial 5-6 chapters of buildup (aka just Vanessa constantly bitching about Aiden and how much she wanted to quit being his assistant) could’ve been weaved into the story in just 2-3 sentences. I found myself flipping pages to see how far I was from the end of the chapter more times than I could count. 

Genuinely the only thing that kept me going reading this behemoth of a book was this reel I came across on Instagram that had spoilers of what happened in the book in terms of what Aiden said.

The fact that it was such a thick book (~700 pages) also meant that there were billions of details to remember which, unsurprisingly, I did not. 

I think I would be more emotionally invested in the story/relationship development if I liked the characters a bit more. In particular, it was so hard to like Aiden, especially in the beginning because he gives off major caveman vibes; I like my men surly and brooding but this is next level grumpy and I’m not exactly a fan. I also had trouble picturing him; Vanessa kept using the word big/giant/huge when it came to describing him and so all I could picture was a dude who looks like he’s jacked up on steroids even though she also clearly states he’s not. Like, I like my men muscular too but on the lean side and not Hulk level muscular (which is also what she used to describe him countless times) so already looks- and personality-wise not my type.

Plot-wise, it was pretty easy to keep up with. However, the author has this habit of skipping over scenes that I assumed would be pretty significant to the story (Vanessa going back to El Paso for her mom’s birthday and arguing with Susie to the point where Ricky hurt her, how Zac fractured his ankle) and then merely making references to it in the next chapter, more in a recalling way than it happening in the present. Quite ironic considering she spent literally paragraphs upon paragraphs or even chapters upon chapters describing one thing and then putting what assumed would be turning points in the story on the back burner. 

There were also some attempts at jealousy and misunderstanding when it came to Cain and Vanessa’s history but it felt very half-assed. That said, a lot of aspects of the story (Cain, Vanessa’s mom, her family/siblings) seemed like they were left hanging. A quick summary of what happened/didn’t happen with them in the epilogue would have sufficed.
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