Sometimes I wonder if my friends really love me because no one suggested that I read Ernesto Quiñonez sooner. If I hadn't been waiting on a friend to text me the location of our next meet up and rummaging
through the shelves at Barnes and Noble last year, who knows how long it would have been before I found this gem.
Quiñonez
spins the tale of Bodega, a modern day Robin Hood of the barrio in New York City who ends up paying the ultimate price. How the story ends is definitely not how I thought it would go along when I started reading it. The amount of weaving and character building, you'd definitely be surprised to know that this is only a mere 200 pages or so. I feel like if you like Junot Díaz's writing, you'll love Ernesto Quiñonez
just the same. Following the story of Sapo and Chino and how they manage to evolve, even in minor ways, is extremely beautiful. You're doing yourself a disservice if you lump this up as a hood story, instead of a story with a hood setting. I feel like I can't go on and on about it without giving away the plot entirely so do the right thing and pick this up, it's well worth it.
★★★★★Labels: 50 books in 52 weeks, bodega dreams, ernesto quiñonez
photo taken by the one and only ghost
