Reviews with content warning for Racism - How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

The writing alongside the reverse storyline are a beautiful touch to unpacking what feels like a very different story from Julia Alvarez's other books. While I will say that the enjoyment and likeability of the parents and other "adult" figures is dampened by the racist and classist ways of interacting with the support staff in DR, I understand the importance of expressing this dynamic, especially related to the experience of migration.

Having read this first novel after others which came later (In the Time of Butterflies; Afterlife), I can see the way Alvarez's writing style and character developments changed over time. And I see clearly why Alvarez had such a literary impact on many authors that came afterwards.

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hedsek's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? Yes

2.75

Not for me I guess

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joensign's review

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hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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americattt's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

“At my age, this is what I knew of revenge. What someone kept in a bedside drawer. What color was someone’s underwear. What did someone look like squatting awkwardly on a small chamber pot. Then, when that someone fell upon me with violent discipline, I could undo with a gaze: I know you, I know you.”

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amvs1111's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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katherine_kelley's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-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

2.5

I don't know what to say. It was fine but had no real impact on me. I wasn't intrigued by the lives of these people, really. I also struggled to distinguish between perspectives and found the serialized nature of the novel not to be particularly interesting. I think I might have liked it better if I went into it with the expectation of it being a collection of stories instead of one narrative because it isn't one narrative. I also think that the book is really outdated in places with fatphobia and colorism. I also found the actions of characters that were intentionally unlikable made me uncomfortable sometimes. Like, I was supposed to find it unlikable, but it didn't make me like the story that was being told. I also was not interested in the sisters' domestic lives, which make up a large part of the narrative. It's just not for me, and I don't think it was really cohesive enough for most people to get something out of it as a total product. But what do I know?

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lauconn's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

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