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Summary: bodega dreams
Review: I loved the first few pages of this book, and then the dude changed gears and took another road that I didn't enjoy. The book became made for TV writing, with all the cliches, goofy dialoge and convoluted plot. Mr. Quinonez has talent, but he's giving it to Hollywood. If you like pop film, you may love this book. eiisa@nethere.com
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Summary: Hollywood ending betrays promising debut.
Review: I really wanted to love this book. Really. But too many cliches and an anticipating-the-movie-deal ending betray this vibrant debut from Quinonez. At times, the prose flows smoothly and realistically and you can feel the grit and intensity of life in Spanish Harlem. Other times, the cliches are simply too overwhelming. A farout plot twist at the end ruins the whole thing. I look forward to his next book.
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Summary: Great Book
Review: I am writing this review today to tell you my point of view towards this story written by Ernesto Quinonez. Even though I am Chinese, I still found this book to be enjoyable and nice to read about Spanish Harlem. It was a great story about the people that lived in that area. I had to read this book for my English class, although if it wasn't for use in a class, I wouldn't probably get it, but now that I did, I would recommend it to all my friends.
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Summary: Chino Makes Good
Review: Ernesto Quinonez makes the "homies" proud with his authentic look at the culture and subcultures of Latino life. The author paints a tough look at the struggles between trying to make it out of "the barrio" and being drawn into the underground world of drugs and low lifes. An enjoyable yet thought provoking read. The ending was brilliant. The reader really gets to know all of the characters and you find yourself hoping that they will be able to make something of their lives. I would highly reccommend this book. The author does an outstanding job of using everyday latino dialect. Makes it fun to read.
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Summary: Latino Vision
Review: This was a great book. I tried to control myself to put it down. It is definetly a book for any Latino/Latina who grew up in the projects to read. It was magnificant. My 19 year old sister read it in 1 day and passed it alone.I strongly recommend this book, it was pure enlightment. I wish as Latinos in the new milenium, that we would make this books' dreams into reality.
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Summary: Much potential
Review: The hype surrounding this young writer and this book has been hyperbolic, no doubt. But it's not too far from what could be coming from this exciting writer. Comparisons to Junot Diaz are weak--unfortunately born out of the lack of knowledge pertaining to Hispanic writers. Quinonez's style is that of agitated motion. In this sense, he captures the pace of NYC's ghetto life well. The noises, smells, colors, and taste of East Harlem are well-detailed, while not falling into Tom Wolffe-like pretensions. In trying to capture the language of the streets, Quinonez surprisingly misses it. As a product of el barrio, and still teaching and residing in the heart of NYC, his usage of "slanguage" falls short. If you're going to try to capture the speaking of the streets, don't put "g"s where they're not being pronounced and such. The story itself, a rough redoing of The Great Gatsby, is somewhat hard to fathom, but the fantasy helps let the story build well, and it's easy to keep going with it. You really do want to know what happens at the end. The idealistic overtones are just that, idealistic, but that shouldn't be criticized. A drug dealer turning Kennedy-esque and saving his people is not all that far-fetched when you think about it. And to prove this, Quinonez does a marvelous job of using real-life examples of the Young Lords--a true "gang" that was about the betterment of a community. It's this base that Willie Bodega is a product of, fictionally, but this piece of history combined with the essence of East Harlem and Spanish culture in general produces solid results in the end. Stop the Junot comparisons. It's unfair to Junot Diaz, and soon enough, will unfair to Ernesto Quinonez.
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Summary: Clicheville
Review: I hoped this book would be good; Quinones has received a lot of acclaim for it. Unfortunately, this book is bad. Instead of subtlely or finely discussing the oppression, racism, and harsh reality his characters faced, Quinones preaches and divulges information in a totally unbeleivable way. There are the occasional well crafted phrases and sections, but they are drowned out by the horribly cliche plot and unbeleivable story line. I'm sure the numerous references to Spanish Harlem will ring true for those from that area, for me though, they didn't add much. Instead of just mentioning "la marqueta", why not reveal the nature of it? Reference after reference seemed to have only one purpose, "name dropping". As such, it grew tiresome. Notwithstanding the fact that my review is negative, I appreciate the fact that people are writing stories from the urban Latino perspective; I just think we can do better.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Bodega Dreams is as fine a book as any I've read in a long time. The characters are well developed and authentic, the story is compelling, and the writing is excellent. Spanish Harlem comes to life in this novel.
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Summary: boricua pride
Review: i feel that the book was fresh and easy to relate to. the language was real and bodega was an incredible character. however, chino, is the character that is easiest to relate to, because of the conflicts he faces when choosing right vs. wrong decisions. the book shows how life is in the hood and how latinos must work as both a unity and as individuals to improve the situations withing el barrio.
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Summary: Quinonez, a new writer with great promise
Review: As a West Coast person with no personal knowledge of Spanish Harlem or the Puerto Rican community in New York, I felt that this novel was enlightening as well as entertaining. The struggles of the protagonist are not unlike those in poor black or Mexican areas in California. The plot reminded me of stories of the rise of the Mafia in the Italian community. Who but someone raised in Spanish Harlem would take an interest in bettering the lives of its inhabitants? I thought this was a believable portrayal of the difficulty of leaving behind the friends & loved ones in order to move out of such a lifestyle. Ernesto Quinonez is an extraordinarily talented writer. Perhaps the plot was a cliche, but the message was worth repeating.
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