Reviews

I loved this book. My favorite stories being "Alex" and "Ofelia's Last Ride". I think that ending this book with a scene of mariachi's singing at a funeral was kind of a perfect ending.

My 9th grader's class read this for school and I'm glad. It's a way better assignment than a lot of the stuff we got. It's set right down the highway in and around Watsonville, and it's got queer kids, and fat kids, and poor kids. Horrible stuff happens and people hang on to their sense of humor. It's got heart.
I didn't love it like I wanted to, and maybe it's the writing but maybe I'm just not who it's for. It's more of a short story collection than a novel, especially how it takes off and grabs a pretty unrelated POV for a couple chapters. It often felt too adult for a young audience, and too young for an adult audience. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not sure who to recommend it to.

literarychingona's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Masterful!! These stories had me both chuckling to myself and desperate for tissues. Cortez is a powerful storyteller with a strong and vivid voice that I know I will long to read again and again. I'm so glad to have met the characters in these pages.

yogideetz's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. It gives the reader a glimpse into the experience of migrant farmworker families. Some points can be triggering, reading about the homophobic experiences of young people who were considered different and therefore a threat to the status quo. Each story brings a different perspective of the experience.

There were some stories I wish I got to read in full. There were also perspectives I wish I got to learn more about. A great read in the end.

elisegmusic's review

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Gordo is a collection of stories about a 10-year-old boy living in a migrant workers’ camp. This is a great book if you’re in a bit of a reading slump or just need something quick, because even though the stories all link together, each one feels complete, and the book is easy to put down and pick up again.

The book does deal with harder topics, such as domestic violence, sexuality, and bullying, but it does so through the point of view of a child, in that the narrator can shrug off harder episodes and return to the magic of childhood.

There was a weird tone shift in the second half of the book. Most of the stories were told in first person, narrated by Gordo. Three stories were told in third person, with no mention of Gordo at all, although they did mention the hometown and there was a brief mention of his sister. It felt strange and off-putting when the rest of the book prepared us for a specific narration.

Each character is so richly painted. We don’t just learn about Gordo’s family, but about his friends and other migrants. Never did I get confused about which character was which, because they were introduced slowly and one at a time, so I got to fully immerse myself in each character’s life.