Reviews

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

tildahlia's review against another edition

4.0

Probably like a lot of people, I started reading this book after Diaz's vulnerable New Yorker piece about his childhood abuse and how it may (or may not) have affected his adult decisions. And then, well, we all know what happened next. It became an awkward time to be reading Diaz. However, I pushed on and have to say, this book is incredible. While you'll need a hazmat suit to wade through the toxic masculinity, I still sensed a degree of self-awareness and introspection that made it bearable. His style and cadence is so unique and reminds me of how valuable it is to read a diversity of voices. Beautiful and crushing.

andreaque's review against another edition

2.0

Oh god, the misogyny!!

kanika_reads's review

Haven’t read it in ages

deja_anae's review against another edition

5.0

Diaz is a phenomenal writer. The authenticity laced in every paragraph leaves the reader with a sense of content, wonder, and curiosity for more. Easily one of the fastest books to get through, read smooth, clear, and full of metaphors for days. The dialect spoken by Junior makes you appreciate coming from a place like the Bronx where you can identify with the slang, the spanish rherotic, because its close to you almost intimate in a way. Each character in the novel has a part of them that you've seen somewhere before maybe you wish you've never seen it but you have and for that it makes this account real. It makes the circumstances believable and some will make your heart jump, swoon, and hurt. It's not the kind of love story you could ever imagine, its an honest account of the aftermaths of dealing with love and what it means to the physical and mental state of a being. I loved it!

nickscoby's review against another edition

3.0

Not my favorite work by Diaz but DAMN is it beautifully written. Conundrum.

burruss's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

bookwormtom's review against another edition

emotional sad

3.0

aligrint's review against another edition

4.0

The experience is 4/5, but I can't really judge the lasting merit. It's unlike most of my other reads, and full of extremes: punchy but distant, matter-of-fact but kind of an extended bildungsroman, full of Diaz's deference to the task of writing 'women' but somewhat constructing that by plot and character, and only occasionally explicitly talking role.

africanbookaddict's review

3.0

!!! https://africanbookaddict.com/2017/10/29/this-is-how-you-lose-her-by-junot-diaz/

3.5 stars. Brilliant writing and absorbing storytelling, but I'm not a fan of these stories. I hated ALLLLLL the characters (Rafa really struck me though. I wanted to know more about his cancer and I wished readers got a closer look into how Yunior reacted to his brother's fate); they can easily make you lose faith in humanity with their shitty actions and intentions.
- more thoughts on the book blog!

saku_3939x's review

emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75