Susan Budd

This is a story that grips your attention from the first sentence. As a piece of fictional writing, it is amazing. You become emerged into the story, feeling empathy for the characters and visualizing the sights and sounds of the journey. I understand where the negativity comes from - why aren’t more Latin-x authors represented, why was this story told by a white woman, and so on. These concerns about an industry are warranted, but concerns about the fictional novel itself are unwarranted. I see fictional movies to escape the world and experience something different. Likewise I read fiction to escape into another person’s story. Let’s remember that it is a piece of realistic fiction, and authors should never be shoved into a box and told what they can or cannot write about, and readers should not be told what not to read. Are slavery fiction novels written by slaves? Holocaust novels by Jewish authors? War novels by direct survivors? It’s ridiculous to judge a book by what an author looks like or where they live. Read a book and decide if you like it or not, and don’t judge a book “based on its cover”. I read this book and it is amazing, immersive, and helps put the plight of Hispanic immigrants into the minds of white America. I honestly didn’t want it to end. I wanted to know what happens to the characters 5-10 years down the road. And when I see an immigrant now, I will be more compelled to see the person and not just another immigrant.

Imagine Dragons is a band I never get tired listening to. Their music is diverse and their lyrics are thought-provoking and conversation-worthy. I love their latest album as they continue to expand their sound and explore their growth as human beings. I think that any critics out their who gave Mercury Act I a negative review must being boring and shallow (like most bands and music out there). They lack the depth of character needed to appreciate IDs style. For example, I’ve read some reviews about Dan Reynold’s unnecessary screeching voice from several of this album’s songs. I couldn’t disagree more! Once you dissect the songs and understand the lyrics and meanings, the band’s style changes throughout only add to the brilliance of their music! You definitely can NOT get bored listening to this album and you’ll find yourself stepping out of your own comfort zone exploring sounds and ideas that you’ll want to listen to over and over again.