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1.37k reviews by:
onmalsshelf
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much secondhand embarrassment for a main character in a book
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Unique premise, but I feel like the reader didn’t get to know the main character as much as we could’ve.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In all, this is a bleak story following a family’s generational trauma and choices and the domino effects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, Grief, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was really excited for this one because of the synopsis and the cover. The idea of a novella following a young woman that exploded memory, grief, and the past really caught my attention.
However the second person point of view really left me feeling disconnected from the story. We never learned why the young woman made the decision to go Mexico other than to “learn language”. We also never learned anything about the young woman and the relationship with her mother.
The plot seemed so surface level. I don’t even see where grief was explored in the story. Was the young woman grieving her mom? Was the woman in Mexico grieving not seeing Rosarita again?
What really drove down the rating for this one for me is that the author not only used the g**** slur to describe a character, but she also used “The Trickster” to describe this character as well, which trickster is also something people use in hand with the slur. It felt like to me that the author doubled down on the use of the g**** slur. It’s 2025, everyone involved in the publishing of this book should know better.
However the second person point of view really left me feeling disconnected from the story. We never learned why the young woman made the decision to go Mexico other than to “learn language”. We also never learned anything about the young woman and the relationship with her mother.
The plot seemed so surface level. I don’t even see where grief was explored in the story. Was the young woman grieving her mom? Was the woman in Mexico grieving not seeing Rosarita again?
What really drove down the rating for this one for me is that the author not only used the g**** slur to describe a character, but she also used “The Trickster” to describe this character as well, which trickster is also something people use in hand with the slur. It felt like to me that the author doubled down on the use of the g**** slur. It’s 2025, everyone involved in the publishing of this book should know better.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No