Good family drama with a variety of interesting relationships but the end was very political and it didn't really need it. overall I think I could have skipped it. ( )

Good character exploration, but the circumstance felt too unrealistic. ( )

This sounds like the perfect book for me: big family drama, three sisters, a Californian mix of cultures. But the characters are paper-thin and the plot is not a plot--it's a series of events with few causal connections. I saw on Goodreads that many people liked it and I know she is a successful writer, so maybe other books of hers are good. I also saw many readers had the same problems I had and that maybe she had based it on a telenovela. There were short, unnecessary scenes. Exposition-laden dialogue. Obvious epiphanies. Plot lines that went nowhere. Inconsistencies. Implausibilities. I had it on 1.6x speed most of the time so I could get through it because i wanted it to get better. I gave it a tiny boost for describing setting well and having good intentions, but oh my. ( )

"A house is all about the love you put into it."

QOTD: What was a great escape read for you?

L.A. Weather by Maria Amparo Escandón is the escape read that I greatly needed. It had a telenovela feel without all the cheesiness. It centered a Latinx family, love and the ways they survive and live their daily lives. It featured a lot of social issues and commentary but never felt heavy. I loved that the issues weren't the characters whole identitiy but instead every day things that came up to be dealt with or not. I previously read Escandón's Gonzalez & Daughter Trucking Co. and fell in love with her storytelling. She did not disappoint with this one either. I was totally immersed in the story and in the character's lives. I loved the slow pace of this one because it allowed me to get to know each character individually.

I've seen some reviews where people said this one tackled too much but I think that was part of the beauty of the story for me. Latinx families are complicated, issues come up all the time, disasters happen repeatedly and they're expected to tackle all of these things while still being pressured to assimilate to American ideals. One of the things I appreciated about this book was its' ability to show each character's struggles in the greater context of what is happening in the world and while navigating Latinx identity. Latinx people, historically don't just get to "be". They're constantly being brought to the brink and have to figure things out for their families. This was the main strength of the story in showing the ways that families have to sacrifice and solve problems on their own and sustain themselves on love alone.

Family love is the backbone of this story. Love is what motivates them to tackle the next thing that comes along to try to break them. The Alvarados show that with each other, they can take on anything that comes their way. They also show that life is a process of constant change and transformation and how important a support system is through it all. The ending left me hopeful and felt realistic because things don't just stop happening just because you've overcome some problems.

Final Thoughts on this one:
1. Climate change is real and affects marginalized communities the most, especially undocumented farm workers.
2. Divorce is sometimes the only option.
3. Being a child of immigrants comes with a lot of pressure and responsibilities.
4. Queer kids thrive and flourish with family support.
5. Pursuing the American Dream because our ancestors couldn't can create situations where one is perpetrating on harm on their own people.
6. Secrets in families can tear them apart.
7. Chronic illness and near death experiences can shift the trajectory of your life and bring new focus.
8. Marraige is hard, takes work and isn't for everybody.
9. Communication is key for all types of relationships.
10. Leaning on others is hard but the rewards are everything.
11. Normalize mental health and trauma and the ways it shows up later in life. ( )

LA Weather was a fun read as I traveled along with the Alvardo family who just wanted some RAIN, IN CALIFORNIA? His three grown daughters were a hoot! ( )