Considering my rough track record with free verse poetry, I'm honestly impressed that this narrative told in prose not only held my attention but made me feel things. Several of the poems/scenes were difficult to read, in that they were emotionally loaded, and as a fellow child of immigrant parents I could absolutely relate. There's both a generational and a cultural gap, which makes it hard to communicate.

This is relatively minor, especially compared to all the other messages and themes of this book, but I'm delighted with the strong female friendship — especially since the friend is a nice girl named Isabelle. (Totally not projecting or anything.)

content warnings:

Spoiler

corporal punishment (by parent), sexual harassment (including non-consensual groping), non-graphic sexual content

rep:

Spoiler

Latinx (Dominican Republic) MC & family, gay secondary character (twin brother), minor M/M relationship, Jamaican minor character, diverse secondary & minor characters

-----------
CONVERSION: 11.05 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 4 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5