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sjj169's review against another edition
4.0
I'm sure this book could be compared to that popular controversial book that got lots of attention earlier this year. I read them both and loved both of them.
This book tells several women's stories. Luz works hard and tries to stay unnoticed. She is here but is scared because of her immigration status. She sends her money home and finally gets her son to America. Once in America her teenage son Eliseo kinda is a turd. He gets mixed up in some shady stuff and goes missing. Luz is heartbroken and must find her missing son.
Nadia stays drunk except to work enough to get more to drink. She wants to forget her entire life before America...but then she doesn't want to forget that life.
And then a young woman held in a garment factory. She was promised once she worked enough to pay her voyage here she would be set free.
These three women's stories are strong and relatable. One thing that Johnny Shaw does very, very well is write relatable characters. He makes them real.
Mr. Shaw comes to the upper part of my mind when people ask my favorite authors. I LOVE his funny books and I'm excited that he is challenging himself to chose different story lines to go forward with. I'd read his grocery list though. (Don't think if he writes a stinker that I won't say so though...I'm a legendary heifer)
Booksource: I'm a total dumbass. I requested this book through Netgalley. I went to read it and I thought it had expired. I whined like a big old crybaby and the kind author sent me another copy. Fast forward. My dumbass had downloaded it. I'm blaming 2020 for my old lady brains.
This book tells several women's stories. Luz works hard and tries to stay unnoticed. She is here but is scared because of her immigration status. She sends her money home and finally gets her son to America. Once in America her teenage son Eliseo kinda is a turd. He gets mixed up in some shady stuff and goes missing. Luz is heartbroken and must find her missing son.
Nadia stays drunk except to work enough to get more to drink. She wants to forget her entire life before America...but then she doesn't want to forget that life.
And then a young woman held in a garment factory. She was promised once she worked enough to pay her voyage here she would be set free.
These three women's stories are strong and relatable. One thing that Johnny Shaw does very, very well is write relatable characters. He makes them real.
Mr. Shaw comes to the upper part of my mind when people ask my favorite authors. I LOVE his funny books and I'm excited that he is challenging himself to chose different story lines to go forward with. I'd read his grocery list though. (Don't think if he writes a stinker that I won't say so though...I'm a legendary heifer)
Booksource: I'm a total dumbass. I requested this book through Netgalley. I went to read it and I thought it had expired. I whined like a big old crybaby and the kind author sent me another copy. Fast forward. My dumbass had downloaded it. I'm blaming 2020 for my old lady brains.
laslecturasdelorena's review against another edition
4.0
En esta novela seguimos las vidas de tres mujeres mexicanas que viven ilegalmente en Estados Unidos, cada una con sus circunstancias: Luz trata de sobrevivir como puede con su problemático hijo Eliseo, Nadia huyó de su país para salvar su vida, y Ostelinda es víctima de la trata de personas y obligada a trabajar en una fábrica prácticamente como esclava. Son tres mujeres muy diferentes, cuyas historias se cruzarán en algún momento.
Los capítulos están narrados en tercera persona pero cada capítulo desde el punto de vista de una de nuestras protagonistas, alternando siempre un capítulo de Luz, uno de Nadia y uno de Ostelinda. Son capítulos cortos y con mucha acción, que vuelven la lectura muy ágil.
Quitando algunos elementos tal vez más propios de un thriller, lo que encontramos en esta novela es bastante fiel a los problemas a los que se puede enfrentar una persona ilegal en Estados Unidos: desde la pobreza, el rechazo de la sociedad, hasta la delincuencia en algunos casos, el miedo constante a ser descubiertos y devueltos a su país… También nos encontramos con problemas que tal vez sean menos frecuentes pero existen.
Es un libro que, además del interés que la historia en sí me pueda suscitar por ser un thriller, también me ha interesado por los temas sociales que trata, la reflexión y la dureza de las historias que hay detrás, y por la relación entre las tres mujeres.
Los capítulos están narrados en tercera persona pero cada capítulo desde el punto de vista de una de nuestras protagonistas, alternando siempre un capítulo de Luz, uno de Nadia y uno de Ostelinda. Son capítulos cortos y con mucha acción, que vuelven la lectura muy ágil.
Quitando algunos elementos tal vez más propios de un thriller, lo que encontramos en esta novela es bastante fiel a los problemas a los que se puede enfrentar una persona ilegal en Estados Unidos: desde la pobreza, el rechazo de la sociedad, hasta la delincuencia en algunos casos, el miedo constante a ser descubiertos y devueltos a su país… También nos encontramos con problemas que tal vez sean menos frecuentes pero existen.
Es un libro que, además del interés que la historia en sí me pueda suscitar por ser un thriller, también me ha interesado por los temas sociales que trata, la reflexión y la dureza de las historias que hay detrás, y por la relación entre las tres mujeres.
lucyscandalo's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chyneyee's review against another edition
3.0
The story is written in a slow pace manner and not difficult to read. The entire story is told with synchronous progress of the three main characters, which requires readers to keep changing their focus among them. I would prefer to have a different part for each character's story, a separate part when their lives cross paths and slowly leads to the ending of the story. It would be easier to distinguish the different background of the characters and lesser confusion between the past and the current state.
Thanks to NetGalley and Polis Books for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Review: The Southland by Johnny Shaw.
Thanks to NetGalley and Polis Books for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Review: The Southland by Johnny Shaw.
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