DNF at 51% - this was all over the place. It was like the author had a bunch of different stories that she just lumped together into one long stream of consciousness piece with no real plot or storyline, just “a year in the life.” Did not care much for the main character - extremely self-focused with no character growth, immature and pretentious at the same time. Actually, I didn’t care for ANY of the characters. FYI, this is NOT dark academia - dark academia is Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. The subject matter is important (the experiences of the undocumented living in the U.S., South American history and culture) which is why I gave it 2 stars. Fans of the style of Sally Rooney or Dolly Alderton will probably enjoy it.

Catalina follows a young undocumented American woman by the same name who studies Anthropology at Harvard. While parts of it were enjoyable, labelling this book as “dark academia” feels misleading; none of the typical dark or gothic elements are present, and there’s no hint of satire either. At best, it’s a school setting, but it lacks the tone or atmosphere of the genre.

This is a stream-of-consciousness novel, which can be hit or miss for me and in this case, it missed. It didn’t help that the narrative jumped between highly detailed sections about Catalina’s life and others that felt disconnected and underdeveloped by comparison. Despite how much time the book spends on Catalina’s inner world, I never felt connected to her or invested in her story.

I was genuinely excited about this book, but it ended up being a slog to get through and ultimately, a disappointing read that didn’t land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, One World, Random House Publishing, and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio for the advance copy.

I was absolutely enamored of CATALINA. I was immediately drawn in by a sort of frenetic, wild undercurrent in the characters and the plot. Things seemed to be sort of shrouded in mystery while also being completely authentic and vulnerable and real. I really adore Karla Cornell Villavicencio’s writing, character development, world building, and themes, so I wasn’t surprised by how much I enjoyed Catalina. I was sort of surprised by how much it has stayed with me, though. It’s a coming-of-age story, but that label almost feels reductive, because it’s really so much more than that.

I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy this beautiful story! Thank you so very much to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-arc. One of my hands-down favorites of the year!

This was an interesting book! I found the style a little difficult to read at times, but the content was captivating. I think the topic of undocumented immigrants is really important, so I appreciated that being highlighted here. Thank you NetGalley and One World for this ARC!

This novel blends autofiction, ghost story, and sociopolitical critique in an audacious, genre-defying narrative. Villavicencio writes with fire and vulnerability, challenging literary conventions and national myths alike. A bold and unforgettable exploration of identity and exile by a writer I can't wait to see more from!

2 depressing stars.
“Out of all the abandoned girls in the world I could be their valedictorian.”

Catalina has problems. Abandonment issues. Illegal immigrant issues. Anger issues. Depression. Even food issues. “Meatloaf wasn’t good but it didn’t need to be good- it put me inside a cozy Norman Rockwell painting and that was enough. Other times, it was not enough, and I felt a gnawing, painful hunger but couldn’t think of a single food I actually wanted. I was so hungry but had already decided no food would satisfy me, nothing sweet, nothing savory. For a minute I wondered if what I wanted was sex, but then realized that what I wanted was to punish everyone who ever laid a finger on me.”

Catalina is selfish and self-centered and insecure. I’m trying to find something positive to say, but my notes on the book are a lament. “My grandparents took me in, they gave me everything. But I felt nothing for them…Feeling nothing for my family made me feel evil. Broken.”

And I read on, hoping for some moments of hope and redemption. I haven’t even gotten to the vomiting parts. Or the phone sex parts. Catalina needs counseling. She’s a liar and a cheat and takes sex very casual. I tried to like this book, but the book and main character were too depressing. I can’t believe I hung in and finished it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
This novel centers on an important topic-undocumented immigrants and the highs and lows of their everyday lives-and it is certainly more timely than ever.
I did struggle a bit with the stream of consciousness form of writing, and the bleakness of the entire storyline, although I’m sure it’s absolutely authentic.

This one just didn’t do much for me and I didn’t care for the sexual content within the 60% which is when I DNF’d.. Also, I had read another book shortly prior that featured a Latine main character coming of age at a prestigious university who wants to be a writer and there were just too many similar elements (maybe if there was not time distance between reading the two I could’ve felt differently?). Ultimately though this coming of age had nothing new, featured same disappointing content (the sexual - like, why does that have to be in every story?!), and I didn’t connect with Catalina at all.

Catalina is one of those books that sticks with you. Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s book tells the story of an undocumented dreamer who must grapple with her identity and place in the world during her final year at Harvard. The book explores heavy issues including deportation, exploitation, and colonization. This is a book that would be excellent for a book club to discuss, and is one I look forward to reading again.

3 " a year in the life of..." stars !!
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Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Random House Publishing for an ecopy. This was released July 2024. I am providing an honest review...

This is a year in the life of Catalina...bookended briefly by longer stretches of time...she is a young Ecuadorean woman being raised by her undocumented grandparents in NYC.

Catalina is extremely bright, not in touch with her emotions and trying to make sense of her place in the world while dealing with a myriad of intersectional issues, desires and ambivalences...

The prose is YA easy with flourishes that hint at depth of complexity. The pace is frenetic and the tone is overly clever with attempts at humor. There is plenty of cultural education and hints at what living as undocumented might be like....

My enjoyment was more of a fair experience (2.5) but I will leave on the 3 star shelf for the importance of the content and a valiant attempt to write some contemporary meaningful lit.

Wanted to like this but ultimately I couldn't get into it. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this

For fans of Elif Batuman! I'm not this book's ideal reader, I'm really picky about autofiction. Ultimately, a quick and worthwhile read.

Wanted to like this, but about 100 pages in and I still couldn't get into it. I appreciate the opportunity to review!

I absolutely loved this novel and will continue to read anything that this author writes. Her writing style is beautiful and I was drawn to the portrayal of the characters in her novel. This was a short read and it did not disappoint!

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

Not sure who the audience for this is supposed to be...the blurb sounded interesting, but the main character was self-involved & unlikeable. Her story as an undocumented immigrant seemed like something she just pulled out when it was a convenient advantage for her and to hate on the white people she knew. Usually a combination of them. Entitled, despite not seeming to have much talent or success at the writing she was so proud of. I'm not sure if this was supposed to reflect an overall attitude of undergraduate students regardless of their background. Either way, not much to root for.

There were a lot of inconsistencies, like Catalina saying how she didn't care for her grandparents at all, then in another few chapters saying how much she loved them. Then being completely apathetic about the guy she was dating, followed by a very weird sequence imagining a detailed future together.

There was some good prose in there during some of the inner thought wanderings, but the overall tone of the rest of the book overshadowed them.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Catalina is a campus novel, narrated by the titular character, as she traverses her last year at Harvard. Catalina is undocumented, and is struggling with what that means as the DREAMer and DACA legislation is always on the docket for passing/changing/repealing, and regardless, when she graduates, she cannot get a paying job with her status anyways. Her high-achieving academic self is running out of ways to be successful with that (academia) as her primary means of “getting ahead,” the privileged boy she’s talking to doesn’t know about her status, and she’s about to find out that her grandfather (also undocumented) was caught up in an ICE raid at work. So, what options does she have?

This is an entirely internal novel, like reading someone’s diary entries, almost. As such, it is very personable, in tone. Comfortable and relatable in a very intelligent way (there are *many* literary references throughout – which I’m sure I didn’t catch all of – all told with a high key interweaving of Latin American sociopolitical and cultural history). There were also lots of flights of thought and imagination, in exactly the way that one’s mind flies between concepts and memories and speculations. So, it was super well written for the narrative style choice. And it both connected the narrative (there were lots of repeating motifs and references) and sort of pulled me out of it, in a disconcertingly obvious way. Just, a super unique style. I was impressed, and also, due to that style and the slower-pacing it led to, was glad to have the audiobook to help move me through. It worked for this shorter length, but might have been too much if the novel was any longer.

One other thing that struck me is that Catalina’s internal monologue told of her experiences and emotions and interactions with a sort of remove, a depersonalization. This came across in the ways she sometimes viewed her connections with others at a distance – like not being able to truly have feelings for them or full relationships with them – as well as in her need to change/mold herself based on objective choices on how to be, in order to project the “correct” image (the safest/rightest image), regardless of personal want/preference. In fact, I am not sure, after finishing, and spending that much time in her head, what it was she really did want or how she actually wanted to be. That’s how deep that disconnect went. It’s a fascinating sort of character development, of becoming/coming of age, because who knows who she actually is, if even she isn’t sure? And what a commentary on the mindset that is cultivated from the circumstances of uncertain documentation/citizenship/homeland/belonging.

This felt a little bit, to me, like The Bell Jar, for a new age – in all the right and complementary ways that that statement could be taken. It’s sort of a reframing of sad girl academia to a new and more inclusively representative American population: tragic and open ended and heartbreaking and a bit satirical.

Karla Cornelio Villavicencio is so hilarious! It comes through in this story that dares to twist the narratives we’ve heard of Undocumented Americans. Truly an exceptional book.

The story of Catalina, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador who came to the U.S. as a child after her parents died. She lives with her undocumented grandparents and goes to Harvard. Before DACA, her biggest challenge is not being able to get a job after graduation.

The book explored the struggles and fears of undocumented people. It’s written in a stream-of-consciousness style with a lot of fantasizing, which made it hard for me to focus on the important topics. Some might enjoy this style, but it wasn’t my favorite.