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A review by sweetsxrrxw
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
emotional
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
4.25
woah. this book was so good that i actually feel a bit frustrated because i don't know anyone who could read it and enjoy it as much as i did.
first things first, if you are not a children of immigrants then you're probably not going to appreciate or even understand this story for what it is. and secondly, i think it was published in the 80s so its characters are definitely a product of its time and the society portrayed in the book might be unpleasant for you so, if you're way too sensitive to deal with that (which is okay, btw) then this book is not for you.
however if you come from a family of (specially poc) immigrants, then i'm sure there are lots of parts of this book that will ressonate with you. even if the book does not describe all of your experiences, i am pretty sure there will be at least one you, your siblings and parents can relate to.
this book is divided by multiple short vignettes of a esperanza's live (the mc). she is a child, she is only about 12 years old and she is a mexican living in the united states and she dreams of owning a pretty big house of her own. however, because of her social status, she has to live in a segregated neighborhood with other latinos.
the different vignettes give us a closer look to how is life in that neighborhood and in esperanza's house: the struggles of being a woman in these communities, of feeling like you don't belong in that place, of not having enough money and feeling like your dreams might not come true. we also get to see different characters on the neighborhood and while their personalities and depth might not be complex because of the shortness of the stories, but they still hit home. some examples of these kind of stories are "geraldo no last name", "no speak english", "papa who wakes up tired in the dark", "a smart cookie" and many many others.
i love how the message of the story is that, even when you have this kind of life, you can always improve it and become better. but you will eventually have to come back, for those who can't. you don't have to be attached to your roots forever, but you can't allow yourself to forget them.
i also love how the author decided to explain all of these stories and all of these lessons via a child's voice because it allows young and old readers to get into the story and it also makes it a little less raw, somehow.
it's true that some parts of this book might make it a bit confusing, like the lack of quotations or how sometimes it's not very clear who the narrator is. but in the worst case scenario, you can always look for an explanation or a summary of that specific chapter, lmao.
but yeah, i am just really glad i decided to read this book since not only it helped me to get over my reading slump but it was also really relatable for me, a daughter of immigrants.
first things first, if you are not a children of immigrants then you're probably not going to appreciate or even understand this story for what it is. and secondly, i think it was published in the 80s so its characters are definitely a product of its time and the society portrayed in the book might be unpleasant for you so, if you're way too sensitive to deal with that (which is okay, btw) then this book is not for you.
however if you come from a family of (specially poc) immigrants, then i'm sure there are lots of parts of this book that will ressonate with you. even if the book does not describe all of your experiences, i am pretty sure there will be at least one you, your siblings and parents can relate to.
this book is divided by multiple short vignettes of a esperanza's live (the mc). she is a child, she is only about 12 years old and she is a mexican living in the united states and she dreams of owning a pretty big house of her own. however, because of her social status, she has to live in a segregated neighborhood with other latinos.
the different vignettes give us a closer look to how is life in that neighborhood and in esperanza's house: the struggles of being a woman in these communities, of feeling like you don't belong in that place, of not having enough money and feeling like your dreams might not come true. we also get to see different characters on the neighborhood and while their personalities and depth might not be complex because of the shortness of the stories, but they still hit home. some examples of these kind of stories are "geraldo no last name", "no speak english", "papa who wakes up tired in the dark", "a smart cookie" and many many others.
i also love how the author decided to explain all of these stories and all of these lessons via a child's voice because it allows young and old readers to get into the story and it also makes it a little less raw, somehow.
it's true that some parts of this book might make it a bit confusing, like the lack of quotations or how sometimes it's not very clear who the narrator is. but in the worst case scenario, you can always look for an explanation or a summary of that specific chapter, lmao.
but yeah, i am just really glad i decided to read this book since not only it helped me to get over my reading slump but it was also really relatable for me, a daughter of immigrants.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia