Books that deserve cinematographic adaptations

¡Hola, mi gente! I have a question for you, is it me or lately a lot of books are getting signed for cinematographic adaptations? I’ve seen so many and it makes me happy BUT this made wonder, why aren’t there news for certain books getting a cinematographic adaptation? Well, this is the start of a mini-series where I’ll be talking about what books should have an adaptation. This is my way of putting out in the world.

I’m going to start with my all-time favorite book.

 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

I know City of Ghosts and A Darker Shade of Magic are getting adapted but what about Vicious? In my opinion, Vicious would be a better adaptation than these two. The movie could be a huge blockbuster yet y’all are here ignoring it.

Vicious is about two young pre-med students that are writing a thesis on whether EOs (people with superpowers) exist and how they are created. After doing their research they decide to put their thesis to the test. What happens next? Let’s just say that ten years later one of them breaks out of jail to get revenge on the other. The book follows both storylines. 

I mean, doesn’t that just sound like a fantastic movie? Y’all are seriously missing out.

Add it on Goodreads 

Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden

Love, Simon helped us break the barrier that stopped film studios from making queer big-budget movies so, what’s next? Well, I don’t see any news of them continuing the trend so I present you the perfect book.

Annie on My Mind is about two girls in the 80s. It’s their story as they fall in love, discover their sexuality, and are forced to face homophobia. It’s a perfect example of what it was like being gay during this decade because not only was it written by a gay woman but it was first published in 1982.

Doesn’t it sound like a great movie? Ugh! Get it together Hollywood!

Add it on Goodreads 

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

This book would make the best SciFi thriller movie. We have a college professor that wakes up one day in a hospital bed only to find out that the life he knows “is not real.” It’s his story as he tries to get back to that life while trying to piece together what happened. This story is so wild like my description might not convince you but that’s because I’m avoiding spoilers. But the thing is that just when you think that things can’t get crazier and the stakes can’t get any higher, they do. UGH, it’s such a good book. I am so sure that this would make a fantastic movie so HURRY UP HOLLYWOOD!

Update: I just found out the rights have been bought but that was in 2016 and three years later there hasn’t been any new information so I’m leaving it on the list. 

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A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

This is such a heartbreaking nonfiction book. It’s about a half Japanese half Korean man that as a child was forced to move to North Korea. It’s his story growing up, his losses, his struggles, and how he was finally able to escape.

This would be the perfect dramatized documentary. Just think about it. Have Ishikawa tell his story while we have dramatized scenes to better visualize it. *chef’s kiss* Just think of how many lives this can change. PLEASE DO IT!

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The Diviners by Libba Bray

What can I say about this book? Well, here are some keywords: 1920s, prohibition, young people with powers, diverse cast of characters, supernatural things happening, cults, AND a murder investigation. If that isn’t convincing enough, I don’t need you in my life. I mean, the parties, the glamour, the murders… I haven’t read the sequels but I’m planning to and something tells me that this would be a great tv show. Netflix get on it!

Add it on Goodreads

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Well, those are five books that I believe deserve cinematographic adaptations ASAP. Please pass the word, maybe someone important will see it, and make my dream come through. Do you agree with me? Which books do you think deserves cinematographic adaptation? Comment down below.

 HAPPY READINGS!

 

 

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Latinx Heritage Month TBR

 

¡Hola, mi gente! Did you know that from September 15 to October 15 National Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated? I did not know this and if it wasn’t for Twitter I never would have found out. This made me wonder how many latinx books I’ve read this year and the answer is 10 out of the 65 and two of them were reread!!!! This is unacceptable! So to celebrate my heritage and fix this I am going to participate in two latinx readathons and those are latinx book bingo and latinxathon. This will be challenging ’cause in a month I don’t read enough books to fit every prompt and even doubling up, I’ll probably won’t be able to get to all of them BUT half the fun is trying, right?

Latinxathon (from Sept 15 to Sept 25)

• Voices: Read a book written by an Indigenous or Afro-Latinx author.

For this one, I’m reading an anthology called The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Diaspora in the United States edited by Edwidge Danticat. I once took a class called The Caribbean Experience in Literature and since then I’ve been meaning to read more Caribbean literature. I’ve also been meaning to learn more about the lives and history of our neighbors and this will be the perfect way to do so. I’m hopeful that this will be the book that motivates me to read more Caribbean literature.

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•  LATINIDAD: Read a book written by an intersectional Latinx author (gender, sexuality, ability, etc.)

For this one, I’m reading What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli. Even though Becky Albertalli is cis, white and straight, I’m still counting it because Adam Silvera is Puerto Rican and queer.

Add it on Goodreads

•  ROOTS: Read a translated book or a book prominently featuring more than one language (i.e. with a bilingual MC)

For this one, I’m reading Fever Dreams by Samanta Schwebling. This was originally written in Spanish and was translated to English by Megan McDowell. This a horror novel and horror is a genre I’ve been meaning to get to. The problem is that I never know where to start looking for books especially for those starring people of colors. Then I saw a booktuber (I can’t remember who) mention this book and what it was about and I knew that I had to give it a try. Fingers crossed that I’ll like it.

Add it on Goodreads

• HERITAGE: Read a book written by an author from a non-Spanish speaking Latin American country/heritage (i.e. Brazil or Haiti)

For this one, I’m doubling up and using The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Diaspora in the United States edited by Edwidge Danticat. This anthology mixes essays, memoirs, poetry, etc in a way that it helps you understand the Haitian experience as immigrants in the United States. It might be a little out of my comfort zone but I’m still very excited.

•  #LatinxLitTakeover: Read the group book!

The group book is The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante. I’m very excited for this book because I believe there’s a f/f romance and I’m always on the look for f/f romance with latinx main characters.

Book Bingo (Sept 15 to Oct 15)

• Any book by a latinx author

For this one, I’m doubling up and reading The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante. Again, a queer latinx book? Hell yeah!

Add it on Goodreads

• Out of your comfort zone

This one is another double up—there’s a lot of that—as for I’ll be reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin and translated by Megan McDowell to complete the challenge. Like I mentioned before I don’t read horror. It’s not because it scares me because I don’t get scared easily but because I just don’t know if I’ll like the genre. But after reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King I decided that I truly need to give it a chance even if it’s out of my comfort zone.

• Fat rep

This one is very important to me as I am fat myself but sadly I had to ask for recommendations because I couldn’t think of a single latinx book with fat rep. Thanks to Adriana (link to her blog) who recommended me, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero and that’s what I’ll be reading. It sounds really good and slightly heart-hitting which I always love in books.

Add it on Goodreads

• Rec’d by a latinx reader

For this one, I’m stuck between reading The Resolutions by Mia Garcia or Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno. Both are well-loved by Adriana (@boricuareads on Twitter) and I trust her recommendations. At the end of the day, it all depends on how I’m doing with my other books and audiobooks. If I finish all the audiobooks before the month ends then I’ll probably pick up Don’t Date Rosa Santos since it’s on Scribd.

Add The Resolutions on Goodreads

Add Don’t Date Rosa Santos on Goodreads

• Intersectional mc

Another one I’m doubling up. For this one I’ll be using  What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli. I love Adam Silvera and he’s one of my favorite authors so I’m excited to get to this one. I haven’t heard great things but it’s Adam Silvera and I can’t just ignore his books that’s a sin in my book.

• On cover rep

For this one, I’m going on a hunch and say The Resolutions by Mia Garcia. I do not know if the people on the covers are latinx but that’s the only one I could think of. I actually might double up on this one if I choose this book for “Rec’d by a latinx reader” but I’ll decide during the month.

• Backlist title

For this one, I chose When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore since this book was published in 2016. I enjoyed The Weight of Feathers but I’m having a hard time getting through Blanca & Roja so I don’t know where in the spectrum this book will fall. I’m not a fan of her writing style but I own the book so I should at least give it a try, it won’t kill me.

Add it on Goodreads

• Group Book

This readathon has the same group book as the latinxathon so I’m going to attempt to read it during that week. If you can’t remember the book is The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante. This is one of the books I will definitely read. I HAVE to read it.

• AfroLatinx mc

This one I’m extremely excited about because I believe it’s an urban fantasy with a Puerto Rican main character who’s also AfroLatinx and I am Puerto Rican with afrolatinx heritage. The book is called Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older.

Add it on Goodreads

• New to you author 

Another double up in this case with the book I just mentioned aka The Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older. As a Puerto Rican one of my goals in life is to read as many books with Puerto Rican representation as I can find which is why discovering some always makes me happy.

• Non-trad format

Okay, so this TBR should be called I use the same books for both readathons’ prompts because I keep doubling up and this time with When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore. I will read the ebook version because even though I read a lot of ebooks, it’s technically a non-traditional format. Fight me!

• Non-fiction

So I’m assuming that poetry counts as non-fiction so I’m choosing Peluda by Melissa Lozada-Oliva. I discovered this on Scribd and have been meaning to get to it but haven’t. Now I have a reason to. I mean, it just sounds so good. But if I can’t get to it I can always use The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Diaspora in the United States edited by Edwidge Danticat.

Add Pelusa on Goodreads

Well, that’s my Latinx Heritage Month TBR. I’m extremely nervous but also excited. Are you participating in any of these readathons? Let me know down below.

HAPPY READINGS!

Recent Reads #1

¡Hola, mi gente! I’m going to start by saying sorry for not posting here. I’ve been going through an episode of depression and haven’t had the energy to write and whenever I tried I couldn’t concentrate but then to make it even worse I got hit with a cold and I feel like crap. But I’m feeling better and I’m ready to go back to writing.

Ever since I last posted I have read a couple of books and today I’m going to talk about them. The first book I read was

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

This book is so weird yet interesting. I’m going to start by saying that. This book is about this place called Area X that for one reason or another created an invisible border and changed into this unique place. The place became this Eden but something doesn’t seem right, there’s something odd going on. This place hasn’t had contact with civilization for thirty years except for certain expeditions this secret organization does. Let’s just say they haven’t turned out great since all the explorer died one way or another. Yet they keep trying and this time they sent a group of four women to check out the place. They were The Surveyor, The Psychologist, The Anthropologist, and the main character, The Biologist. Their job is to explore the area, take notes, and research everything in it. But what happens when The Biologist discovers something strange and becomes obsessed with figuring out what that is?

This book is very atmospheric. The description of the place makes you want to visit it even though you know that it’s probably a dangerous thing to do. It’s kind of like Alice in Wonderland, you know it’s not safe but you still want to check it out. But I must say the plot is not exactly fast-paced. We just follow her as she discovers new things and falls in love with the place and that’s why a big part of the plot is her describing what she sees. Still, it’s interesting enough that it will keep you wanting more.

There isn’t a lot of character development and we don’t get to know anything about the characters except for their job title and how they act during the expedition but there’s a reason for that.

This is a very intriguing read but it’s also a hit or miss. You either love it or hate it. I loved it and think that if it calls you, you should give it a try. It’s only 195 pages so it won’t take too long to read.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Do you like retellings? Do you like own voices queer books? Then this book is for you. Peter Darling is about Peter Pan who left Neverland and comes back 10 years later running away from a life that doesn’t accept him for who he is. Now as a grown adult, he is ready to fight, kill some pirates, and find adventure but what happens when he suddenly starts feeling an attraction to Captain Hook? Did I mention that Peter Pan is trans? No? Well, he is and like I mentioned before it’s an own voices novel.

How do I feel about this book? Well, I have not read Peter Pan and I do not remember a single thing about the movie so my thoughts are solely based on what I got from the book. I did not like Peter Pan. He comes back thinking he can just control the lost boys as if he never left and disrupt the peace they had with the pirates by killing them for no reason other than he’s bored and wants some adventure. I was like dude chill, not everything is about you.

I did like Hook. He was great, he was fun, and he was a fashionista without falling on the stereotype that gay men are effeminate. He might have treated his pirates like toys but deep down he was a caring person.

I like the message of the story. It teaches us that there will always be someone who accepts you for who you are, running away and pretending is not the solution for your problems, and that only you decide what being queer makes you.

It was a fun story or at least the latter half of it and I truly recommend it.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju

This is the perfect read for drag lovers. This story is about Nima a gay teen who’s in love with her straight best friend. She then decides to confess her undying love hoping that her straight best friend will magically turn queer and give her a chance. But what actually happens is that her friend is like dude, chill I’m straight, let’s just continue to be friends. Then for one reason or another, she discovers the world of drag and gets immersed in it.

I did not like Nima at all. Normally I don’t mind an unlikeable character but I could not stand her. She was a bad friend, made terrible decisions, and made everything about herself. Also, she called herself a best friend when she was only her friend because she was in love with her. She did not care about other people’s feelings unless they went with her plan or unless they fit her idea of trying to help. Again, I don’t mind an unlikeable character but her actions and personality molded the story and it annoyed the hell out of me. I also did not like her two best friends, they were dicks. The best part of this story is the other two main characters and learning about the world of drag.

The audiobook, or at least the one on Scribd, was terrible. The narration was great but it was constantly shifting between good and terrible quality which pulled me from the story and drove me crazy. I do not recommend.

Overall, I think the story was stuck between okay and good so it’s hard to rate it.

Rating:⭐⭐.5 to ⭐⭐⭐

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Welcome to Ghost Town by Gretchen Gomez

    This poetry collection deals with some pretty heavy topic so beware. I’ll put the trigger warning at the end of the post to avoid spoilers. But the way they are handled is beautiful and respectful. This is my favorite poetry collection and I can’t believe that it’s not that well known. That’s all I’m saying because I will be posting a review. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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     Well, those were my most recent reads. I cannot wait to continue this series. Have you read these books? Is any of them on your TBR? Comment down below. Thank you for reading, and

HAPPY READINGS!

 

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Trigger alert for Welcome to Ghost Town

Trigger alert for:

domestic violence, emotional abuse, intimate partner abuse, physical abuse, rape, death, sexual assault, religion, anxiety, suicide, fire, gun violence, mental illness, drug abuse, homophobia, self-harm, child abuse, stalking, abandonment, blood, blackmail, nudity, and aggression.

Yes, a lot of triggers but if you think you can handle it then give this book a chance.

Why you should read Percy Jackson & The Olympians

¡Hola, mi gente! I’m here to talk about my newest obsession, the middle-grade series by Rick Riordan known as Percy Jackson & The Olympians. You’ve probably heard of this series or have maybe even read it but if you haven’t, I’m going to try to convince you to do it.

I first discovered this book when I was 14 and I remember adoring it and rereading it over and over again. I’m also about to turn 23 next month so saying I forgot most of the things that happened is an understatement. But one day not so long ago I decided that it was time for a reread and so I did. I read the first and then like two weeks later I devoured the second one and then the third, fourth, and fifth back to back because I could not stop myself. These books are just fantastic and the kind of books everyone in the family can enjoy.

 

What is it about?

This is the story of Percy Jackson a half blood…

What’s a half blood? 

A half blood is a human(ish) whose parent is one of the gods.

One of the gods as in there are multiple gods? 

Yes, as in greek gods.

GREEK FREAKING GODS?! 

Yup, in these books they exist and Percy discover that one of them is his father.

ANYWAY, this is the story of Percy a dyslexic half blood with ADHD who is constantly getting kicked out of schools. This year is not the exception. After an accident with a math teacher during a field trip, he is, once again, kicked out of school and for one reason or another, he ends up in camp half blood.

Camp half blood?

Yes, as in a camp for half blood.

Anyway, this is his story as he makes friends, enemies, is chased by monsters, and go on quests.

So the greek gods are real, so is it set in ancient Greece?

No, it’s set in modern-day New York. You’ll find out why in the book.

But if they’re real, does that mean people know they exist? 

No, and that’s part of the fun.

There are five books in the series starting with Percy being 12 years old in book one until he’s 15 in book five. Honestly, for me, that’s part of the charm. Seeing him and his friend group grows up and mature is so heart-warming. It helps you bond and become protective of the characters which you can’t really protect because they’re fictional characters.

I mentioned friends and that’s because we have one of the best trios of friends I’ve ever seen in books. They compliment each other so well, always have the other’s back, and love each other, even if they don’t want to admit it, in their own way. Honestly, you can’t help but want to be part of the trio.

Okay, it sounds good but give me one more reason to add it to my tbr. 

You’re in luck ’cause I’m going to give you seven.

1. There’s a lot of humor. Even in the darkest time, you will laugh out loud but it’s the kind of humor everyone in the family can enjoy. Sometimes it’s the little comments or descriptions of characters and monsters, and sometimes it’s just the crazy scenes. Unless you’re the grumpy cat you won’t be able to stay serious, I promise.
2. Rick Riordan is not afraid to kill character but he’s not J.K. Rowling and much less George R.R. Martin. The thing is that the stakes are so high that you’re constantly afraid one of them is gonna die.
3. The writing style is so easy to get to. Riordan’s writing style is the kind that is so easy to lose yourself in it. You get so sucked into the story that you won’t even register that you’re reading.
4. The story is so fast-paced. This is the type of story that there’s always something going on. It doesn’t give you time to get bored. This is an adventure story so it being fast-paced it’s always a plus. This was just what I needed and what I still do.
5. This story is like some tv shows where each episode is its own story but they still follow a continuous plotline.
6. It’s addicting.
7. The whole series is out so you can binge them.

 

If these aren’t enough reasons to convince you then… You should still read it. Believe me, you would do yourself a favor. It will not disappoint.

Well, fingers crossed that I have achieved my goal because from now on my new job will be forcing everyone to read them.

Thank you staying all the way ’till the end and

HAPPY READINGS!

5 hard-hitting​ books I love

 

Hola, mi gente! Today I’m coming at you with a darker more serious post. First I must warn there will be discussion and mention of transphobia, homophobia, addiction, pedophilia, and rape along with the mention, but no discussion, of multiple other possible triggers. If you do not feel comfortable do not continue with the post. Your mental health goes first.

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I love hard-hitting books. I don’t know what that says about me but I usually give these books 5 stars. In this post, I will be mentioning five heart-hitting books that I read this year and absolutely loved.

1. Welcome to Ghost Town by Gretchen Gomez

This is my all-time favorite poetry collection. Gretchen Gomez just has a way with words that really hits you. The first time I read it, I was constantly sharing her poems on my Instagram story and only stopped because I wanted people to read it. I’m even currently rereading it even though I read it for the first time this year. Soon I will be sharing a review so you can see my more in-depth thoughts. Trust me, these poems will grab you and destroy you and you will love every second of it. They are both heartbreaking and empowering.
I must give a warning and say that some of these poems might be triggering but bless her soul because at the beginning of the book next to the table of content she lists all the possible triggers. That way if you bought the book without checking them and want to know you don’t have to go to Goodreads to check them out. She does the same thing at the bottom of the pages that divide each theme. This is perfect because it isn’t front and center for those that don’t want to know but it’s there for those that want to be warned. Please, just give it a chance, support an amazing self-published writer. The kindle version is just $4.99 and the physical copy is $9.99. I promise it’s worth every cent.

List of possible triggers: domestic violence, emotional abuse, intimate partner abuse, physical abuse, rape, death, sexual assault, religion, anxiety, suicide, fire, gun violence, mental illness, drug abuse, homophobia, self-harm, child abuse, stalking, abandonment, blood, blackmail, nudity, and aggression.

Yes, they’re a lot but if you can handle it give it a try.

Add it on Goodreads

2. Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

I’m going to start by saying that this book is now one of my all-time favorite books. In this story, we follow an athlete who gets injured and her journey from starting pain medication to getting addicted to heroin. When I first heard of this book I was intrigued but I went to it cautiously and with very low expectations. I hated like hated The Female of the Species so I wasn’t sure if I should try it. I was told not to read it if I didn’t like The Female of the Species but I ignored those comments, looked it up on Scribd, and listened to it in two days. It’s just so good and hard-hitting. It felt raw and real. The audiobook made it all better. It’s one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to, not because it has a full cast or sound effect but because the narrator made it feel like a real story. It felt so real that I must warn you to tread lightly. If you are an addict or a recovering addict please DO NOT read this book as it’s EXTREMELY graphic.

List of possible triggers: extremely graphic imagery of drug addiction and drug use.

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3. Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake

All of the books on this list are hard to read because of different reasons. This one isn’t the exception. This book is about a girl whose twin brother, whom she’s very close to, is accused of raping her best friend. It’s her struggle of wanting to believe her brother, their relationships, and how she actually believes her best friend. The reason why this book, in particular, hit me so hard is that I am very close to my brother and I can’t imagine being in her position. This story is gorgeous and heartbreaking and just read it, okay? I must warn you that like most YA there’s a completely unnecessary romance

List of possible triggers: rape and pedophilia

Add it on Goodreads

Talking about rape, here’s another one.

4. The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

Amber Smith did it again. She’s one of my favorite authors and I am happy to read another of her books. This story is similar to Girl Made of Stars but in this story, the main character gets raped by her brother’s best friend. I must say a lot of people don’t like this book. They say the main character is unlikeable but that’s kind of the point. It’s how she became this mean person with self-destructive behavior as a way to cope. I believe that this story is well done and realistic. People just seem to forget that everyone copes with trauma in different ways and expect every story about trauma to follow the same tropes.

List of possible triggers: graphic rape scene and self-destructive behavior 

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5. Birthday by Meredith Russo

This is another of my all-time favs. This book is amazing but oh so heartbreaking. It’s about a set of best friends who have been best friends for forever as they were born in the same hospital on the same day. One of them is a trans girl named Morgan—it’s an own voices novels—who’s closeted and struggling to come to terms with it. The other is a straight boy named Eric who is confused as he thinks Morgan a boy but has feelings for her. It’s a very heartbreaking and extremely hard to read love story 18 years in the making. One of the interesting pars of this story is that it’s told on their different birthdays from when they turned 13 to when they turned 18.
List of possible triggers: bullying, homophobia, and internalized transphobia.

Add it on Goodreads

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Well, those are five hard-hitting novels I read this year and loved. I hope I’ve convinced to read at least one of them.

HAPPY READINGS!

 

 

 

The Mermaid by Christina Henry | Review

     ¡Hola, mi gente! Today I’m coming at you with a post I’m very excited about. I’m going to be reviewing an amazing book, a jewel of a book and that is, The Mermaid by Christina Henry.

    I discovered this book thanks to booktube. They sold me this story as a Little Mermaid retelling and considering how this author is famous for her retellings, I bought it. But this isn’t true at all. I do see the connection some might make but saying that it’s a retelling is completely wrong.

This story is about a mermaid called Amelia. She was not happy with her safe life in the ocean and decides to look for adventure. She then meets a fisherman named Jack and they fall in love. They end up living together for many years until she loses him to the sea.

She loved him almost as much as she loved the sea, and so they were well matched, for he loved the sea almost as much as he loved her.

     After mourning and waiting for him for years in their very small town, she decides to once again search for adventure. That’s how she ends up in P.T. Barnum’s museum.

This story feels like two stories in one and both are amazing in their own unique way. The first part does read like a fairytale, which is why I think people like to call it a fairytale retelling, but the other part completely strays away from that vibe. Normally when we think of historical fiction we think of World War II but here we have the story of the Fiji Mermaid, P.T. Barnum, and his museum. It’s historical fiction, yes, but with a touch of fantasy.

Both the story and the way it’s written will suck you in and not let go. Her writing style is just my cup of tea. It was simple, straightforward, and atmospheric. All of this without making it less beautiful. This book might be considered a simple story about a mermaid and a museum but in reality, it’s a beautifully written story used to question society, not just during the 1840s which is when the story takes place, but also now in 2019. After all, not much has changed.

The themes she touches on will make you question what you were taught, but for the best. We are first introduced to the theme of mourning. How it feels to lose someone you love and not know what to do next. Then we are bombarded with the talk of freedom, women’s bodies, women’s place in society, religion, and how we treat that or those we don’t consider “normal.” I don’t want to make this too long so I’m just going to summarize it. To Amelia freedom is all she ever known until she starts working at the museum. Freedom is also her naked body. She couldn’t understand how women were shamed for something as natural as their bodies.

“Until I became human, nobody ever told me there was something wrong with my body.”

     Amelia was an outsider. All she had known was the ocean and her life in their tiny house isolated from the rest of the town. That’s why when she moves to New York City she is shocked at how women were treated. She could not understand why they were treated like possession and were forced to act a certain way even if it meant they were unhappy.

“Women who did what they liked instead of what other people wished were often accused of witchcraft, because only a witch would be so defiant, or so it was thought.”

     Amelia did not believe in God and did not understand religion. She was constantly questioning how people choose to believe in something they can’t see and how they feel the necessity to force those beliefs down other people’s throats. She especially questions this when she learns about how the “civilized” people felt like they had to make “savages” civilized mostly by forcing them to follow their beliefs.

     For this and so much more I loved Amelia as a character. Well, I loved all of the characters. They’re one of the reasons why I adored this book. In this story, we have four characters that carry the stories and each one was great in their own way.

P.T. Barnum, he was money-hungry, mean, and did not care about anyone, not even his family. All he cared about was his pride, his museum, and money. He couldn’t care less about doing the right thing. If it didn’t help him acquire riches then it was just an obstacle that he needed to get rid off. He was a terrible person yet I loved him. I did not want him to win but I enjoyed hating him.

Levi, he was the complete opposite of P.T. Barnum. He was honest and caring with those around him. He did not care about money and would always defend the performers. His relationship with Barnum was interesting as he was his opposite and always wanted to do the right thing.

Amelia, she was curious, she was headstrong, she would not let society put her down, she would not and did not want to, fit in with the human society, and she knew her worth. She was not afraid of speaking her mind and of demanding what she knew she deserved. She wouldn’t take shit from anybody. She was just such a powerful character, a true feminist.

Charity, she was the perfect example of how women were forced to act in this society. It was heartbreaking seeing her accept this kind of treatment and trying to fit in the standards that women were forced upon. Still, she’s a character you can’t help but love.

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     Well, that was my review of The Mermaid by Christina Henry. I hope I’ve convinced you to read it because it’s worth every second. Buy it, borrow it from a friend, or check it out from the library, I don’t care but please give it a chance. If I convinced you don’t forget to add it on Goodreads.

Thank you for sticking all the way ’till the end and

HAPPY READINGS!

Three Things Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal Got Wrong About Puerto Rico

Hola, mi gente! I am back. Sorry I didn’t post in the last two weeks even though I said I was back for good. It was a really busy two weeks which had me too tired to write BUT I’m going to try to be back for good.

Today I’m going to talk about my most disappointing read of the year so far which I am almost 100% sure that nothing will top. If you read my Mid-Year Freak Out Tag you already know which book I’m talking if not, how dare you? JK, but you should totally check it out, the title spoils it. Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal was so disappointing it hurts. When we finally have a book with Puerto Rican main characters, by a Puerto Rican author, set in Puerto Rico it turns out to be, well, not good. The more I think about it, the more I hate this book.

• Independentista aren’t hate-filled people that can’t stand gringos. 

Yes, many independentista blame gringos for the gentrification that’s going on but I studied in a university where most people were independentista and I can tell you that they don’t hate gringos. They just believe in the separation of Puerto Rico from the United States of America aka the independence of Puerto Rico. Actually, a lot of their leaders did their postgraduate studies in the mainland.

• That’s not how we Puerto Rican born, raised and currently living in Puerto Rico are.

That’s not how we are, that’s not how we act, we (or most Puerto Ricans) aren’t religious enough to be doing the sign of the cross every five minutes, and that’s not the Puerto Rican version of Spanglish.

And now to the ones that truly, truly pissed me off.

3) We don’t hate mixed (half gringos half Puerto Rican) Puerto Ricans

There’s a scene on this book where a character makes hate-filled comments aimed at Lupe because she’s half white. This character made it very clear that he believed that Puerto Ricans and gringos shouldn’t mix. I’m pretty sure that if he could, he would make it illegal.

2) There’s no racism towards white people (especially gringos) or Puerto Ricans born in the mainland

This is the stupidest part of the story. This story makes Lupe an outsider just because she’s white-passing and does not live on the island. The characters of the story are constantly pushing her away because of it. A character even *slight spoiler ahead* tried to start a fight with her because of her skin color and how she was not Puerto Rican but a gringa because of it. *spoiler over.* All of it because apparently being white takes away your Puerto Rican blood. The male main character even commented on how he’s more Puerto Rican than her because he’s not white.

This is wrong on so many levels. First of all, we have zero problems with gringos. Unless they’re racist, they’re usually nice enough for us to like them PLUS a big part of our economy is based on tourism and a big group of these are gringos. We also have white-passing Puerto Ricans born, raised, and living in Puerto Rico with their roots here. After all, we have Spanish blood. AND if you are born and raised here, and enjoy the culture and the language, we consider you Puerto Rican, not caring if you don’t have Puerto Rican parents. But again, being white or half white—not Puerto Rican slight tanned white but white-passing white— and/or being born and raised on the mainland doesn’t take away the fact that you’re Puerto Rican. We still consider you Puerto Rican.

Hopefully, no one feels offended because I’m calling them gringos.

And the last thing, the thing that fills me with rage, with hate and a need to burn every copy I find of this books.

1. The “real Puerto Rico” isn’t the crime-filled part.

The female main character literally says that she wants to see the real Puerto Rico referring to the crime-filled part of the island—no, I am not kidding. Yes, high criminality in here is a real thing but it isn’t bad enough for it to be considered “the real Puerto Rico”. The real Puerto Rico is its warm-hearted, loving people; the real Puerto Rico is its culture; its salsa, bomba, reggaeton, and plena dances; it’s our food, which she tried to add but at the most awkward moments; our parties; our tight-knit families; our Christmas that is one of the longest, if not the longest, in the world… The crime-filled part of Puerto Rico IS NOT “the real Puerto Rico.”

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Well, that was the 3 things, plus two bonus ones, that Five Midnight got wrong about Puerto Rico. Have you read this book? If so, what are your thoughts? Did I miss something? If you haven’t will you read it or have I turned you off from it? Leave your comments down below.

Thank you for reading and

Happy Reading!