Iván Monalisa Ojeda
Författare till Las Biuty Queens
Verk av Iván Monalisa Ojeda
Taggad
Allmänna fakta
- Kön
- transgender, female
- Nationalitet
- Chile
- Land (för karta)
- Chile
Medlemmar
Recensioner
Listor
Priser
Statistik
- Verk
- 2
- Medlemmar
- 36
- Popularitet
- #397,831
- Betyg
- 3.5
- Recensioner
- 2
- ISBN
- 6
- Språk
- 1
Las Biuty Queens by Ivan Monalisa Ojeda is a book of short stories about Trans Latinx sex workers in NYC. I was immediately captivated by Ivan Monalisa's voice. The way he/she created such a strong, personal narrative with dark humor and NYC flair really gives this book a unique perspective and appeal. I was taken on an emotional roller coaster. I was really taken deep into Ojeda's mind and it showed me how his/her dark humor is what has been their survival mechanism.
Each story introduces one of Ojeda's friends or an event that has transpired of tragic proportions. My heart couldn't help but split open because of some of the things that transpired. This novel gave me more insight into the issues that trans people face, such as poverty, addiction, abuse, violence, homelessness, and discrimination. I see more clearly how the system continues to fail them when they are murdered, face mental health and substance abuse issues and are undocumented in some cases. When a trans person is also involved in sex work, the system is even more cruel and treats them as if their humanity does not have value.
I devoured this book in a day and a half because I was so invested in Ivan and his/her friends. I was taken on a journey through parts of NYC I thought I knew very well. Ivan makes you "see" his/her friends and you will be unable to look away. You are forced to reckon with how society deems people as others and judges their worth. The camaraderie that Ivan has made on the streets of NYC transcends gender, ethnicity and class. Ivan's heart is on display at all times and the way he/she fiercely advocates for his/herself is admirable. Ivan's unique style of storytelling leaves me not only excited to see what the future holds for Ivan but also motivated to continue to advocate for sustainable change for trans people, especially BIPOC ones.
Bookdragon rating 4.5 🔥… (mer)