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I recently read Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera, and I’m a little bummed. This was one of those books where the premise reeled me in right away: a Dominican-American mother and daughter facing off over the gentrification of their neighborhood. Yes, please. But while it had all the ingredients for a knockout debut, it didn’t quite land for me.
The story follows Eusebia, a neighborhood matriarch secretly sabotaging luxury condo development, and her daughter Luz, who falls for one of the developers. It’s a setup that promises rich drama and layered themes—but the execution never quite came together. I struggled with the disconnect between the two narrators and found the characters hard to connect with. Some felt flat; others were downright unlikeable.
While the themes are timely, the execution often felt heavy-handed—too “woke,” at the expense of nuance. There were moments of strong, lyrical writing, but overall the narrative started strong and then lost steam. And the ending? It didn’t offer much resolution.
Final verdict: I liked it, didn’t love it.
Have you read it? I’d love to know your thoughts.
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a complimentary review copy. The opinions are my own.