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ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)
gifted by the publisher
When Tatum Vega receives a call from a reporter to comment on an alleged assault of her old friend/mentor, famous author M. Domínguez, the careful separation Tatum has constructed between her past and present begins to crumble.
I adore everything about HAPPINESS. The academia/publishing setting, the layered story of a complex and destructive relationship, and the examination of the power imbalance between two Latinx individuals. Villarreal-Moura digs deeper into toxic relationships that surpass superficial white vs. non-white tropes but analyzes the blurred lines between mentor-mentee, friendship, and grooming. When there are vast differences between age, fame, and financial stability, can we build meaningful relationships that stand the test of time?
Told in letters addressed to Domínguez from present-day Tatum, I appreciate the maturity in her voice while witnessing Tatum's character evolve. LIKE HAPPINESS pairs well with I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT'S KILLING US BOTH (Mariah Stovall) and ANNIE BOT (Sierra Greer), and is a debut I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a nuanced exploration of the unexpected ways power dynamics manifest.
When Tatum Vega receives a call from a reporter to comment on an alleged assault of her old friend/mentor, famous author M. Domínguez, the careful separation Tatum has constructed between her past and present begins to crumble.
I adore everything about HAPPINESS. The academia/publishing setting, the layered story of a complex and destructive relationship, and the examination of the power imbalance between two Latinx individuals. Villarreal-Moura digs deeper into toxic relationships that surpass superficial white vs. non-white tropes but analyzes the blurred lines between mentor-mentee, friendship, and grooming. When there are vast differences between age, fame, and financial stability, can we build meaningful relationships that stand the test of time?
Told in letters addressed to Domínguez from present-day Tatum, I appreciate the maturity in her voice while witnessing Tatum's character evolve. LIKE HAPPINESS pairs well with I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT'S KILLING US BOTH (Mariah Stovall) and ANNIE BOT (Sierra Greer), and is a debut I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a nuanced exploration of the unexpected ways power dynamics manifest.
thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy
1999. Lia Cope gives up her fancy job at an architecture firm and moves back home without much explanation. Lia shares a bedroom with her 73-year-old grandma, Mineko, who accidentally burned down her house recently. The duo grows close via late-night conversations retracing Mineko’s life in Japan. Will Lia divulge her secrets? And how will the two react when Mineko is sent to a care facility against her wishes?
TURTLE HOUSE alternates between Mineko’s POV in the 1940s in Japan and Lia’s POV in 1999 in Texas. I find myself more drawn to Mineko’s narrative because of the historical setting in Japan and her character being a curious & “wild” young woman.
Contrary to other historical fiction set in Asia during WW2 that emphasizes women’s perilous situations, I appreciate seeing Mineko’s hopes, dreams, and joys. Of course, there is still heartbreak, but following Mineko’s adventures & growth from the countryside, the US base, to Texas left the most memorable imprint on me.
On the other hand, Lia’s POV starts with a somewhat cookie-cutter Asian American story, involvement with a (creepy) white man
1999. Lia Cope gives up her fancy job at an architecture firm and moves back home without much explanation. Lia shares a bedroom with her 73-year-old grandma, Mineko, who accidentally burned down her house recently. The duo grows close via late-night conversations retracing Mineko’s life in Japan. Will Lia divulge her secrets? And how will the two react when Mineko is sent to a care facility against her wishes?
TURTLE HOUSE alternates between Mineko’s POV in the 1940s in Japan and Lia’s POV in 1999 in Texas. I find myself more drawn to Mineko’s narrative because of the historical setting in Japan and her character being a curious & “wild” young woman.
Contrary to other historical fiction set in Asia during WW2 that emphasizes women’s perilous situations, I appreciate seeing Mineko’s hopes, dreams, and joys. Of course, there is still heartbreak, but following Mineko’s adventures & growth from the countryside, the US base, to Texas left the most memorable imprint on me.
On the other hand, Lia’s POV starts with a somewhat cookie-cutter Asian American story, involvement with a (creepy) white man
After years away from her family's homeland, actress Sonia Nasir returns to Haifa and meets a charismatic direction, producing a Hamlet play in the West Bank. As opening night draws closer, it becomes clear just how many violent obstacles stand before a troupe of Palestinian actors with growing political tensions.
I can't believe it took me so long to write a review after I finished this book last November
I can't believe it took me so long to write a review after I finished this book last November
gifted by the publisher
Despite their differences, Funmi, Enitan, and Zainab become friends in university. 30 years later, the trio reunites for the first time in Lagos for a wedding. But as the big day approaches, long-hidden feelings resurface and finally boil over to affect each woman.
WEDS is a solid debut examining complicated but enduring relationships—friendships one makes during the most formative of one's life and complex mother-daughter connections. We spend time with all three women during their youth and see how their choices reverberate through time to affect their daughters.
I find the storyline of Enitan and her American daughter the most interesting, considering they share many similar ideas as young women yet are at odds throughout most of the novel. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I think having 50 more pages to flesh out each character would've helped bring the story to a full circle. WEDS is a tender family & friendship tale with light character development.
Despite their differences, Funmi, Enitan, and Zainab become friends in university. 30 years later, the trio reunites for the first time in Lagos for a wedding. But as the big day approaches, long-hidden feelings resurface and finally boil over to affect each woman.
WEDS is a solid debut examining complicated but enduring relationships—friendships one makes during the most formative of one's life and complex mother-daughter connections. We spend time with all three women during their youth and see how their choices reverberate through time to affect their daughters.
I find the storyline of Enitan and her American daughter the most interesting, considering they share many similar ideas as young women yet are at odds throughout most of the novel. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I think having 50 more pages to flesh out each character would've helped bring the story to a full circle. WEDS is a tender family & friendship tale with light character development.
gifted by the publisher
Growing up in Miami has shaped Izzy Reyes into someone who dreams of money, power, and respect. After his business impersonating Pitbull failed, Izzy embarks on an absurd quest to transform into a modern-day Tony Montana, as seen in Scarface.
FRIEND is an off-beat "anti-immigrant" story that follows a Cuban American's fever dream and resists the tropes of trauma porn or generational divide while examining Izzy's inheritance via inventive storytelling. There's so much going on in FRIEND, with frequent references to Putbull & Scarface (which I was quite lost) and narratives from a captive orca.
I'm not sure if I fully got everything happening in the book, but the unique storytelling kept me engaged, and the ending is especially poignant. FRIEND is a little hard to categorize, but if THE BEE STING (Paul Murray) and REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES (Shelby Van Pelt) have a tragicomic baby, that would be FRIEND.
Growing up in Miami has shaped Izzy Reyes into someone who dreams of money, power, and respect. After his business impersonating Pitbull failed, Izzy embarks on an absurd quest to transform into a modern-day Tony Montana, as seen in Scarface.
FRIEND is an off-beat "anti-immigrant" story that follows a Cuban American's fever dream and resists the tropes of trauma porn or generational divide while examining Izzy's inheritance via inventive storytelling. There's so much going on in FRIEND, with frequent references to Putbull & Scarface (which I was quite lost) and narratives from a captive orca.
I'm not sure if I fully got everything happening in the book, but the unique storytelling kept me engaged, and the ending is especially poignant. FRIEND is a little hard to categorize, but if THE BEE STING (Paul Murray) and REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES (Shelby Van Pelt) have a tragicomic baby, that would be FRIEND.
