Space’s Comments (group member since Dec 27, 2021)

Space’s comments from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.

I finished this book a week ago and this book is so so so weird. I would love to see this done as an indie film. However the writing style wasn't for me.

Prologue:
1. Nora sees herself as the villainess of her own life/love story. Do you think this is an accurate assumption? Who are some of your favorite villainesses—whom you either outright love or love to hate?

Maybe - as in not a Ursula/Maleficent type villain but she is the other woman - that we compare our sunshine love interest to in the hallmark style christmas romances. My favourite villainess is probably Mother Gothel from Tangled for Love to Hate and for outright Love - probably Ursula - poor unfortunate souls is the one!


2. Do you think that because she is fighting so hard to not be her mother (“overly emotional”) that she has been, knowingly or not, self-sabotaging her own relationships?

I'm not sure - I think we need to know more about the mother first. Also I think a lot of people do this for protection and that works fine. I think her main issue is she needs someone who is truly in love with their career like she is rather than in love with the wealth and prestige associated with this.

1 A book you meant to read in 2022

2 A book you bought from an independent bookstore

3 A book about a vacation

4 A book by a first-time author

5 A book with mythical creatures

6 A book about a forbidden romance

7 A book with "Girl" in the title

8 A celebrity memoir

9 A book with a color in the title

10 A romance with a fat lead

11 A book about or set in Hollywood

12 A book published in spring 2023

13 A book published the year you were born

14 A modern retelling of a classic

15 A book with a song lyric as its title

16 A book where the main character's name is in the title

17 A book with a love triangle

18 A book that's been banned or challenged in any state in 2022

19 A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past challenge

20 A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2023

21 A book set in the decade you were born

22 A book with a queer lead

23 A book with a map

24 A book with a rabbit on the cover

25 A book with just text on the cover

26 The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list

27 A #BookTok recommendation

28 A book you bought secondhand

29 A book your friend recommended

30 A book that's on a celebrity book-club list

31 A book about a family

32 A book that comes out in the second half of 2023

33 A book about an athlete/sport

34 A historical-fiction book

35 A book about divorce

36 A book you think your best friend would like

37 A book you should have read in high school

38 A book you read more than 10 years ago

39 A book you wish you could read for the first time again

40 A book by an author with the same initials as you

41 A book written during NaNoWriMo

42 A book based on a popular movie

43 A book that takes place entirely in one day

44 A book that was self-published

45 A book that started out as fan fiction

46 A book with a pet character

47 A book about a holiday that's not Christmas

48 A book that features two languages

49 The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list

50 A book with alliteration in the title

1) Why distinction to Yadriel?
Yadriel wants to fit in but innately can't whereas Maritza choses to rebel against the family values. While it is hard for Maritza to be surrounded by the killing of animals its not at all on the same level as the misgendering from Yadriel's family and not being able to participate in celebrations that he wishes to be a part of.

2) Would I be able to advocate for Yadriel?

I think it depends on my position within a family. If I am the parents age I would advocate for Yadriel due to my position in the family but if I was Yadriel's age or younger while I would support Yadriel due to the dynamics often present in POC families I would not be able to stand up to the adults. Unfortunately the atmosphere is too negative in my family for these issues to be brought up.

3) Easier to accept sexuality over gender
Firstly if they don't respect Yadriel's gender identity, the idea that he wants to be with a man makes him straight in their eyes and therefore a non-issue. Also being queer is much more socially acceptable in today's society than being trans which means its likely that family members know happy queer families whereas in more conservative households the idea of being trans is still a foreign concept. However this is not the case for everyone. I went to school with people who were accepting of the trans identity understanding transitioning as 'a cure for gender dysphoria' whereas they saw being gay as being inherently more sexual than being straight.

4) I think this is very common. I'm not sure what the race demographics are at the school but as someone who went to majority white school there were a lot of stereotypes - especially when I was the only brown person in my classes. I think I was surprised how open these people were about their prejudice especially when talking with a group of other Latinx people - I'm not sure about stereotypes however for specific nationalities like due Cubans get different stereotypes to Mexicans

5) Finding friends?
I think it has to be related to Miguel - maybe Miguel had a friendship with the others that Julian didn't know about - Julian's death may have been a wrong place wrong time thing

1) Were you planning to read this anyway?

It has been on my tbr for a long time but wouldn't have picked to read it had I not seen there would be a discussion group

2) Any expectations?
Magic + Cemetery + romance

3) Awards alter expectations?
Not really but I guess being nominated for lots of awards gets a book out there so is probably why I'd heard about it in the first place.

4) Aiden Thomas identifies as queer trans and Latinx - alter expectations?

I actually knew this already so I guess not