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misslisa11 's review for:
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
by Xochitl Gonzalez
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Book 47 of 2024: Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten―certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. When Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
@bookofthemonth March pick! I’ve had this author’s other work on my Kindle for a while and I’ll have to get to that one soon as I found this book really enjoyable. From the blurb I anticipated that the book would read more as a mystery, but it definitely did not. I was slightly disappointed by this but enjoyed the story nonetheless! The story oscillated in time between Anita in the 1980s and Raquel in the late 1990s, and was more of a drama and character study than a mystery. Anita was such a richly complex character with so many colorful and sharp layers, and I loved learning more about her. I also really enjoyed the magical realism elements from her story, and how they truly enabled her to get the last laugh. Raquel was a bit less likable for me; there were so many times I wanted to shake her out of being such a pushover, but I suppose that was all part of her growing up and coming into her own. Both Raquel and Anita struggled to fit into a world that did not accept them, but through Anita’s story they were able to share their voices and find a community of acceptance, and I loved that.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten―certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. When Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
@bookofthemonth March pick! I’ve had this author’s other work on my Kindle for a while and I’ll have to get to that one soon as I found this book really enjoyable. From the blurb I anticipated that the book would read more as a mystery, but it definitely did not. I was slightly disappointed by this but enjoyed the story nonetheless! The story oscillated in time between Anita in the 1980s and Raquel in the late 1990s, and was more of a drama and character study than a mystery. Anita was such a richly complex character with so many colorful and sharp layers, and I loved learning more about her. I also really enjoyed the magical realism elements from her story, and how they truly enabled her to get the last laugh. Raquel was a bit less likable for me; there were so many times I wanted to shake her out of being such a pushover, but I suppose that was all part of her growing up and coming into her own. Both Raquel and Anita struggled to fit into a world that did not accept them, but through Anita’s story they were able to share their voices and find a community of acceptance, and I loved that.