I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fanciful, magic-based fiction.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
I loved this book. It reminded me of somewhere between CS Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle. This is my favorite Gaiman book so far, but Good Omens in on my list to read soon too. The book is beautifully written and I enjoyed it much more than many of the books I've been reading lately.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fanciful, magic-based fiction.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fanciful, magic-based fiction.
Monday, June 3, 2019
I am Not your Perfect Mexican Daughter - Erika L. Sanchez
As far as angsty, YA novels go, this one was pretty good, but holy cow, if I'd read it before living in Brownsville I would have been like, "No one actually DOES this!" But I have lived in Brownsville and the sad, sad remnants the parents desperately cling to "how it was in the old country" are totally accurate. It infuriates me. Immigrants come to this country to "give their children a better life" and then get mad or try to hold them back when those children take full advantage of what's offered here. Either you want your children to surpass you economically, or you don't, and if you don't, just stay home where things never change!
This novel also focused a lot on basic differences between parents and children, which is common regardless of heritage or cultural background. People reproduce and think that because that child shares half their genetic material, certainly the child will be just like they are. So often wrong! And that was a central theme in this book. It disgusts me when parents believe their children are great, so long as they agree 100% with you.
I don't expect anyone will read this, so spoiler alerts to follow:
This book hits irony HARD, which is both satisfying and frustrating. The MC is a girl in her mid-teens with an older sister in her early 20's. The eldest is the "golden" child and the younger is the "problem" child. The older sister dies in a traffic accident and as the younger sniffs out something's not quiet in order, we learn the "perfect daughter" is anything but. It's so aggravating how blind the parents are that the MC tries to kill herself, and frankly,based in their behavior, I can't say she's totally wrong.
This is a well-written book, but there aren't many people I'd recommend it to.
This novel also focused a lot on basic differences between parents and children, which is common regardless of heritage or cultural background. People reproduce and think that because that child shares half their genetic material, certainly the child will be just like they are. So often wrong! And that was a central theme in this book. It disgusts me when parents believe their children are great, so long as they agree 100% with you.
I don't expect anyone will read this, so spoiler alerts to follow:
This book hits irony HARD, which is both satisfying and frustrating. The MC is a girl in her mid-teens with an older sister in her early 20's. The eldest is the "golden" child and the younger is the "problem" child. The older sister dies in a traffic accident and as the younger sniffs out something's not quiet in order, we learn the "perfect daughter" is anything but. It's so aggravating how blind the parents are that the MC tries to kill herself, and frankly,based in their behavior, I can't say she's totally wrong.
This is a well-written book, but there aren't many people I'd recommend it to.
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