This was a good collection of short stories. It's interesting that the stories all are connected by the one main character. It was kind of sad that there was no learning done by the character in the end of the story. Maybe that's more realistic... I really enjoyed the author reading the book on the audiobook.

LOVED IT. Junot Diaz may be the greatest author of our generation. He is BRILLIANT.

The Spanish killed it for me in this book. With that said, I don't mind foreign words in a book as long as they're explained or not too difficult to look up. Some of the words in this book I still do not have a clue what they mean, and I'm probably missing out on a part of the story.

Okay, besides the language, did you enjoy the book?

Not really. It got boring at times when the main guy, Yunior, was only trying to get laid. Luckily, that's not the whole book. (Just a lot of it.) Sex is a very central theme of this book.

It was well written (minus the Spanish) but a lot of it felt like the author wasn't trying. Or that he was saying to himself, "this is thought provoking" when really it wasn't.

Meh. That's how I feel about this book. I'm happy I read something out of my comfort wheel, but I feel like it would have been better spent on another book.

First story: I thought, hmm, more of Drown, nothing new--good, but same ole Junot Diaz & nothing new. But there is a cumulative effect to these linked stories that is wonderful, and I think I like it more than Drown. Truly loved it--especially "Invierno" & "the Cheaters Guide to Love." He writes the best second person POV.

"Divorce is always good news. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true because no good marriage has ever ended in divorce. It’s really that simple. That’s never hap— that would be sad. If two people were married and they were really happy and they just had a great thing, and then they got divorced, that would be really sad. But that has happened zero times. Literally zero. Ray Charles has killed more Jews than happy marriages have ended in divorce. So if your friend got divorced, it means things were bad and now they’re—I mean, they’re better. They’re not good, life is shit wall to wall. But they’re better, so you should be happy." -Louis CK

Junot Diaz strikes again! A kind of melancholy yet humorous take on love and relationships. Spot on, as always.

Superb. I wonder how much of it is autobiographical. I look forward to reading his other books.

bad.

I loved this book so much. It was written so beautifully, so honestly. Read it in one day on a plane and at a resort in Costa Rica. Dying to read more.