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A review by bandysbooks
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Catalina is the story of a young woman who was born in Ecuador, lost both of her parents, was brought to the US illegally to be raised by her grandparents, and gets admitted to Harvard only to realize that she has no path towards citizenship and her grandparents might get deported. If it sounds like a lot going on, that’s because it is.
I was very excited to delve into Catalina because of the themes. I love deep explorations of complex subjects and this book is loaded with them. Not only does this book discuss immigration, but it also talks about how “illegal” status affects varying members of the community, sexism/misogyny, classism, fetishization, and femicide. I love a book that makes me think and this definitely does that.
That said, when I opened it and saw that it was a stream of consciousness, I groaned internally. This is one of my least favorite storytelling methods. As expected, I struggled a fair bit with it. It made the book read as rambling and I felt like I was jolted from moment to moment.
I also struggled a bit with Catalina. So she’s in a clearly difficult spot and despite her best efforts, she’s having a hard time. At times I felt it was hard to empathize with her because she was making some pretty toxic choices. I think that’s the point though. Essentially, look at this very smart girl and all the horrific choices she has to make to just exist.
All in all, this is a book that has good bones, but was not a stylistic match for me. I gave it a 3.5 because it covers so many important topics. That said, I think whether it resonates or not will depend on how you feel about the way it was written.
I was very excited to delve into Catalina because of the themes. I love deep explorations of complex subjects and this book is loaded with them. Not only does this book discuss immigration, but it also talks about how “illegal” status affects varying members of the community, sexism/misogyny, classism, fetishization, and femicide. I love a book that makes me think and this definitely does that.
That said, when I opened it and saw that it was a stream of consciousness, I groaned internally. This is one of my least favorite storytelling methods. As expected, I struggled a fair bit with it. It made the book read as rambling and I felt like I was jolted from moment to moment.
I also struggled a bit with Catalina. So she’s in a clearly difficult spot and despite her best efforts, she’s having a hard time. At times I felt it was hard to empathize with her because she was making some pretty toxic choices. I think that’s the point though. Essentially, look at this very smart girl and all the horrific choices she has to make to just exist.
All in all, this is a book that has good bones, but was not a stylistic match for me. I gave it a 3.5 because it covers so many important topics. That said, I think whether it resonates or not will depend on how you feel about the way it was written.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Classism, and Deportation