A review by marisa_n
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
Did not finish book.
I'm going to have to put this under DNF, which is rare for me.
Despite the important topic, the book felt incredibly childish. In Diane's attempt to be authentic, I think she tied to imitate her inner child, rather than reflect on her childhood experiences as an adult. As a result, she comes across like a petulant child, despite the traumatic experiences she faces.
I listed to the audiobook version, narrated by Diane herself. This is the first book I've listened to where I thought the narration made the experience worse. Her narration amplified childish writing style, with lots of yelling and whining. Moreover, the audio quality is all over the place--one moment she's whispering, the next she's screaming (RIP headphone users). To be fair, part of the volume inconsistencies should be blamed on the producers, as they could have adjusted the volume (if not the pitch and tone) to make it easier to listen to.
I tried to power through the book, but her story was too long and drawn out. Once I reached chapter 12, I skipped to the last chapter. The "Call to Action" was alright. I wish it had been incorporated throughout the book, rather than tacked onto the end like an afterthought.
Despite the important topic, the book felt incredibly childish. In Diane's attempt to be authentic, I think she tied to imitate her inner child, rather than reflect on her childhood experiences as an adult. As a result, she comes across like a petulant child, despite the traumatic experiences she faces.
I listed to the audiobook version, narrated by Diane herself. This is the first book I've listened to where I thought the narration made the experience worse. Her narration amplified childish writing style, with lots of yelling and whining. Moreover, the audio quality is all over the place--one moment she's whispering, the next she's screaming (RIP headphone users). To be fair, part of the volume inconsistencies should be blamed on the producers, as they could have adjusted the volume (if not the pitch and tone) to make it easier to listen to.
I tried to power through the book, but her story was too long and drawn out. Once I reached chapter 12, I skipped to the last chapter. The "Call to Action" was alright. I wish it had been incorporated throughout the book, rather than tacked onto the end like an afterthought.