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Title: A Let Down
Review: After reading the reviews in the NY Times, online, and elsewhere, Bodega Dreams sounded as if it would be an exceptional read. It was not. To say the least, it falls far short of the hype. To compare it to Gatsby is like comparing the NY Yankees to the Toledo Mudhens. Quinones shows skill as a writer only when he is describing Spanish Harlem. His passages about nicknames and his description of a Pentecostal Church are especially on the mark. But the rest of the book simply sags. The plot is flimsy, the writing sometimes sounds amateurish (who edited this?), and the ending is almost laughable (although it is intended to be anything but). Ernesto, I think you've got talent, but stick to what you know, and stay away from the sensational.
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