Mia GarcíaReviews

I found this to be really interesting read. I was really invested in all the characters and felt like the book was well paced. I loved the look into Latina culture and I really loved the characters relationship to their culture. I also really liked how the friendship dynamics were not dramatically effected by romance. I loved the book being set over a year and loved seeing these characters grown and change. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

I found this to be really interesting read. I was really invested in all the characters and felt like the book was well paced. I loved the look into Latina culture and I really loved the characters relationship to their culture. I also really liked how the friendship dynamics were not dramatically effected by romance. I loved the book being set over a year and loved seeing these characters grown and change. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was not a book for me. There were 4 POV’s that switched regularly and just too much going on for me to relax and enjoy. It was almost as hectic as my own life, and I generally read to escape that hectic-ness.

I did love the Latino rep and the Spanish conversations, as well as the LGBT rep.

Four teenagers, best friends, nearing the end of their high school career in Denver, CO. All four of them feeling like they are lacking, or lack agency in their lives. The new year's resolutions they make for each other take them through a bumpy year, but everyone learns to be a bit more independent or vulnerable in the end. As all four of them are latinx, you see different ways in which that aspect of their identity shows up in their decisions and their family relationships.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Goodreads. This is an honest review.*

The Resolutions was a slow start for me, but I ended up really enjoying this book. The characters just pulled me into their world and I couldn’t help but to fall in love with all of them.

This book has a lot of great things going for it. First, it’s beautifully diverse, with bi-racial representation, and a couple of main characters who are on various parts of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Garcia has created teen characters who are incredibly thoughtful in their actions and how they respect other people. Romantic interests actually ask permission before touching and kissing, which I think should be standard, but it so often isn’t in stories. I love this because it creates a mindset that this should (and it should) be the norm and expectation. I also love that the romances aren’t clichéd. Girls make the first moves sometimes, or sometimes boys make the first moves; the gender norms are mostly broken and I love that it reflects such a genuine representation of reality. This thoughtfulness carries into every aspect of her writing and I just appreciated the story so much more because it felt so carefully and beautifully done.

Garcia is able to do all of this and still accurately represent the hardships and struggles that her characters go through; self-doubt, anxiety for the future, trying so hard to please parents, etc. All of these are very common, relatable teenage (and older) concepts that everyone has dealt with, and it’s this everyday real-life stuff that provides the conflict and crux of her characters’ lives. I loved that we get four very different main characters who have different perspectives and things going on in their lives, but they’re all connected through their friendship.

Overall, this is an entertaining read that delves into some “serious issues” territory while still feeling fun and light. It dragged a little in places, but the characters really pulled me through it and I become super invested in all of their stories. I will definitely be on the watch for future books from this author.

Also posted on Purple People Readers.½

Even If the Sky Falls is about two teens who meet in New Orleans and for the course of one night, they won’t share anything personal about them—no baggage at all—not even their real names.

I was intrigued by the beginning of the story and how Julie escapes the missionary trip and ends up in Mardi Gras. When she met Miles, I was definitely liking him and his smile. I don’t know why but his smile in my head was perfect. From then on, it kind of took a downhill for me in terms of the characters plus the going back-and-forth between chapters.

I had problems with the characters because even though this story spans over one night, there wasn’t much depth to the characters so I couldn’t feel any form of connection towards them. I was actually expecting the connection to happen because my thought was, “It’s one night so the character’s lives will go into a lot of detail and a lot of depth.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, which led me to struggle with liking the characters and enjoying the story.

As I said, this story goes back-and-forth between chapters, meaning flashing back to the past and then back to the present but there’s no indicator in the chapters title to let you know when it’s talking about the present or the past. I had to guess a few times and this also led me to struggle with it.

What I did like was the vivid description the author gave of New Orleans. I could picture myself being there, listening to the noise, enjoying the view of the festivity. At times, it got to be too much and that’s why it took me a while to finish this story.

Overall, this one had the potential to be exponentially great, but the lack of depth of the characters and the story took away from my enjoyment. Still, if you’re in the mood for a New Orleans story, then I recommend this one for you.
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Review can be found on Latte Nights Reviews:
https://lattenightsreviews.com/arc-review-even-if-the-sky-falls/½