Although I found the plot to be somewhat meandering I loved the voice of the narrator. She's witty, scrappy, and sharp and kept me reading to the end.

This isn't just a book about what it's like to be an undocumented immigrant- it's about being an unpredictable, smart, creative, flawed young person who is coming of age while also being undocumented. Her immigration status is one more freaking thing, and it's a pretty big thing.

Catalina is at Harvard, she's kind of being fetishized by a young man who loves that she's from South America-- Ecuador-- a little too much, her grandfather might be getting deported, she has so little money, she's keeping an eye on DACA legislation that will affect Dreamers like her, a famous filmmaker wants to make a documentary about her, she has to knuckle down and write her thesis but she can't seem to get herself started on the job. She's a really great character, witty and funny to spend time with.

But- and this was a big but- this narrative was very scattered and jumping all over the place, which is realistic for this young, smart narrator, but which is very difficult for this particular reader in 2024. There are many things warring for my attention, and when I start a book, I mostly read it in 20-minute increments in bed as I try to get sleepy. Once I get hooked, I'll read more and at different times of the day, but this jumped around so much that I never really got hooked. So while there's a lot to like here, and while the fault might very well be mine and my stupid 2024 brain, and while I was entertained enough to finish this, when I was done, I was mostly just relieved.

Catalina ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5/5 stars)

This is one of those reading experiences that are all about the journey. The plot and character relationships certainly move you along, but what I enjoyed most about this book was succumbing to the vibes of the story and not questioning the titular Catalina too much.

It’s not your typical campus novel, but it’s a worthy entry to the subgenre. The chaos that is her life at Harvard and her life in Queens with her grandparents kept me simultaneously invested and stressed out. I was equally rooting for her and shaking my head, yet grinning at the choices being made. If there was a second book, that picked up Catalina’s story after Harvard, I would pick it up in a heartbeat. She’s definitely a character that will stick with me for a while.

I have been eagerly awaiting another book from Villavicencio since devouring and loving The Undocumented Americans. I think this foray into fiction was fantastic and I’ll continue to recommend their work widely.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I have never read anything by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio so I went into Catalina not knowing anything about the book or the authors writing.

While I did feel that the book moved very slowly, I really did like Catalina, the main character, I found her very funny and witty. Her story as an undocumented college student in the US felt very real, maybe because so many college kids are now days, having been born here or brought over at a very early age by their undocumented parents. They are in such a hard place, having only known living in the US yet having to be cautious due to their status.

My biggest problem with the story... the details were plentiful and I felt like that was what slowed the book down for me. I liked it, would I read it again, probably not, but it being somewhat a current affair situation made it readable.

I have been looking forward to this book since I found it about it, and it didn't disappoint in the slightest. Karla Cornejo Villavicencio has such a way with words, and this story and its characters were real and heartbreaking and funny and beautiful. The abandonment/daddy issues hit me especially hard.

I feel like I can't explain my favorite things about this book without spoiling it, but just know that it does some unique things really well and I'm so grateful I got to read it when I did.

Thank you to Random House One World and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Cornejo Villavicencio's debut novel is a revelation, offering a glimpse into the life of an undocumented student at Harvard with humor, wit, and unflinching honesty. Catalina's journey is both unique and universal, as she navigates the complexities of college life while grappling with the weight of her undocumented status. Cornejo Villavicencio's storytelling is masterful, drawing readers in with its authenticity and charm. Catalina's experiences shed light on the challenges faced by undocumented individuals, making this not just her story, but a story for all young people striving to find their place in the world. An absolute must-read that will stay with you long after the final page. I can't wait to read more from this talented author! Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I love Karla Cornejo Villavicencio's writing, and I normally love a novel that runs primarily on vibes, character development, and voice, but Catalina, while brimming with all three things, lost me. The novel feels aimless, without the direction or vision that tends to drive the author's previous work. Certain moments in time circle in and out of focus, but without seeming to build to anything. This made me feel distant from Catalina, and increasingly disinterested.

That said, I will be eager to read whatever Karla Cornejo Villavicencio writes next, as even her misses are interesting.

Thank you to One World and NetGalley for an early review copy of Catalina. All opinions are my own.

I appreciate receiving an ARC to review through Net Galley. My reading in the past few years has become increasingly peppered with books from the rest of the Americas, south of the US border. I've really enjoyed The Murmur of Bees and American Dirt (I was surprised!) and pretty much anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Maybe this shift in reading is inevitable in our times? I did like this book, just not quite as much as I expected to. It doesn't really feel like fiction, but if it is semi-autobiographical, that makes sense. I admit to being rather stunned that an undocumented student could get admitted to Harvard, I'm thrilled, but it does go counter to the stuffy pretentiousness that we tend to associate with Harvard. I enjoyed her outrageous ideas, and she made me laugh. I liked her boss at the internship that helped fit in. I think in the end I just felt as though too little had happened, some more plot would have thickened the soup.

Such an interesting story and I was just pulled into it. I feel like I went on a journey and am not quite sure how to explain what happened but I know that I liked the ride and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

I love books that put me firmly in someone else’s mind - especially the mind of a character who’s had many different life experiences than me.

Imagine being a Harvard student who’s unable to plan her future because without citizenship, she’s unable to get a social security card, and therefore a job, a loan, or anything else that adults rely on in today’s society. That’s because Catalina’s an undocumented immigrant who was sent to the US from Ecuador to live with her grandparents when she was very young.

The book follows Catalina during her final year at Harvard. It’s unhinged and jumps around in the best way. Somehow Karla Cornejo Villavicencio captures all Catalina’s intrusive thoughts in a way that’s relatable, hilarious and melancholy all at the same time.

I saw CATALINA described as “pure vibe,” and I think that’s exactly right. I gobbled this book up and will be thinking about it for a while.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an early digital copy of CATALINA in exchange for my honest feedback.

Undocumented Americans was one of my all time favorite books. As a child of immigrants it felt so important and vital. I was looking forward to this book for so long. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. I’m a big fan of character studies and of stream of consciousness writing. However, this felt ungrounded and uncomfortable. It felt as though it lacked purpose. The author has such a strong ability to evoke emotion but I felt anxious while reading this because it felt so erratic. I still look forward to her forthcoming work.

This book is absolutely singular. It's a campus novel like no other with a deeply internal narration that will leave Catalina alive in your head like an old friend long after putting the book down.

It's the best book I've read so far this year. it's got a little bit of everything I love, witty sarcastic humor that leans towards dark, steam of consciousness style narration, year on campus timeline, and constantly dragging henry kissinger. I cannot possible express how much I live this story and the complex, layered, and lovable character Karla has created.

3.5⭐️ I liked this. The story felt very raw from the get-go, but then it started to lose me towards the end.

I recognize what the author was trying to do, and I know that she was looking to convey Catalina’s roller-coaster of emotions for what she was going through, and even though I never lost interest in the story, it didn’t live up to the hype for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Catalina's story was so well told. I enjoyed this book so much. Her journey through Harvard was enlightening and exciting. The book is humorous at times and serious at others.

She was fearful she would not fit in and was terrified of being discovered as an undocumented alien.

Catalina is a brilliant young woman and clearly belongs to Harvard.

The book is a quick read, but will leave you pondering for days to come.

A profound exploration of identity, migration, and the complexities of the American Dream. Catalina was born in Ecuador and brought to the U.S. to be raised by her grandparents after the death of her parents. The story takes place in her senior year at Harvard. Despite her academic success, Catalina’s future is uncertain as she is undocumented, a Dreamer. Her life becomes a little frenetic with uncertainty looming after graduation.

Villavicencio's writing is both lyrical and candid at times and then there were times I found myself getting lost so I do have to admit, I didn’t enjoy this title as much as Undocumented Americans. I would still recommend "Catalina" as it serves as another insightful addition to the literature on immigration, offering a powerful reminder of the humanity behind the headlines.

4.5/5

Catalina is the scattered, messy, and chaotic story of Catalina Ituralde, a young, undocumented woman brought up in the US. It's a story from a unique perspective, expressed in stream-of-consciousness prose. Wildly veering off the path at times, the story revolves around Catalina's abandonment issues, anxiety over her undocumented status, and the struggles that undocumented families face in the US. It's also a commentary on many characters existing in the periphery of the lives of undocumented folks. There is so much happening in this short story. The characterization in it is exquisite. Catalina feels real, complex, and complicated. It's truly some beautiful writing, especially for a debut fiction novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6440700184

As I started reading, my initial thoughts were how jumbled everything seemed. We jump right into meeting our narrator and main character Catalina, and she is this vivacious and daring young woman navigating life as an undocumented Harvard student. The first part of this book read like a string of info-dumps where topics switched in an instant. But as you slowly get to know Catalina and her background, the story transitions into her present environment in Harvard as she balances her work, her relationships, and her status as an undocumented person in America. And as she gets closer to her graduation day, she slowly unravels.

It was so interesting to see the world through Catalina's lens. In a way, it felt like she found the right way to tell her story, rather than that documentary she was planning. And you also go along with her in her journey as she powers through so much, like how the people around her at Harvard romanticize her Latin American roots, how she deals with her grandfather's deportation issue, how she spirals when she doesn't know what she will do after graduation because she's undocumented, how she deals with her romantic relationships, and more! This book truly encapsulates how a person has layers and they're multi-faceted while still calling attention to what it's like to be undocumented in America.

When I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, I was quite excited. My hope was to experience the depth of the plight of an undocumented immigrant. However, Catalina fell a bit short in that regard. While it did address the undocumented aspect of Catalina’s life as well as that of her grandparents, it did not do so to the magnitude that I had hoped. I wanted to dig and I wanted to dig deep. The beauty of America lies in her diversity, and I was hoping to explore this beauty with dignity and detail and raw emotion to a greater extent. But even though Catalina did not go as deep as I had hoped, I still enjoyed reading this novel.

Catalina is a coming-of-age novel exploring the life of Catalina, an undocumented Harvard student who was sent from Latin America to the United States as a child to be raised by her undocumented grandparents. Her character is quirky. At times you love her. At times you do not. But you keep coming back for more. And her relationships with her grandparents, professors and peers are quirky too. The book explores her life at Harvard and all that it entails. There are some very humorous scenes and stories in this novel, and humor is never a bad thing. I really enjoyed the opportunity to laugh at parts of the story. And there was a bit of a surprising twist at the end to keep it interesting just when you thought you had it all figured out. The book was a bit jumpy at times and a little difficult to follow because of it, but it is not a long read and I am glad that I stuck with it.

Three solid stars, and a huge thank you to NetGalley, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Catalina in exchange for my honest review.

#Catalina #NetGalley

I knew from Villavicencio's nonfiction, the Undocumented Americans, that her narrative writing skills were top tier so learning about her upcoming novel thrilled me. It did not disappoint!

This was everything- vulnerable, messy, insightful, funny, unsettling, devastating.

I will remember Catalina for a long, long time.

Ratings
Quality of Writing 5/5
Pacing 5/5
Plot Development 4/5
Character Development 5/5
Overall Enjoyability 5/5

Catalina is a coming-of-age novel of a young woman who grows up undocumented and then gets into Harvard. What will come next, and what she experiences along the way, create a tension and interest that you will really enjoy.