A review by kj468
The Best Man's Problem by Sera Taíno

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

*After reflecting, I increased my star rating from 3.75 to 4 stars*

*As a note, I am white, but Latin culture has an important place in my life, as I lived in South America for two years and the majority of my closest friends are Latinx. I chose to read this book in equal parts because of the plot and the representation. As always, the opinions of people of color, particularly people who identify with the cultures represented in this book, should be elevated and prioritized when discussing representation.*


Rep: gay MC x bi MC, MC’s of color, robust portrayal of Latinx/Caribbean cultures, minor enby side character, queer side characters
Narration style: third person, dual POV
----
Things I Loved:

We 100% need more books like this, books that seamlessly integrate non-white culture into the folds of the story, making the culture unmissable without appropriating it or making it an artificially-large part of the plot. The culture affects the characters, their families, and their relationships -- not because culture is a *plot device* but because, like culture in real life, it's a core part of who these characters are. I loved the emphasis on the family unit, the way the adult kids interact with each other, and the way the kids feel responsibility and respect for their parents.

The author worked in (mainly) spanish and (some) creole dialogue, which added to the authenticity of the characters. It helped to immerse readers more thoroughly into the book and felt reflective of the way that many bilingual people often pepper in phrases or facets of their native language into the other languages they speak. If you don't speak these languages, don't worry -- the author did a good job integrating loose translations into the book so non-speakers don't miss content, but without relying on direct translations or footnotes, which I find can jar me out of a story, especially when I do speak the language.

Both main characters (Étienne & Rafi) have trauma (trauma spoilers:
Étienne survived a deadly earthquake in Jacmel; Rafi feels responsible for his mother's death, who was hit by a car while picking him up from school
). These traumas significantly affect the main characters (ex:
Étienne is scared of elevators; Rafi is rigid with schedules and punctuality
) and both characters demonstrate growth in healing. I ended up loving the relationship between Rafi and Ètienne. I was rooting for them to work things out.  The epilogue was very sweet and a good ending to the book. The ending (
Rafi proposes
) is particularly monumental because of the way it requires one of the characters to overcome anxieties that stem from his trauma. I liked that
Rafi was the one to propose because it showed his growth in taking risks and being comfortable with his relationship with Ètienne
.

Things I didn't love:

The first 15% felt a bit like a casting call sheet — lots of explanations of who the characters are and their backgrounds, not completely elegantly woven into the story. My enjoyment of the book skyrocketed around 30%, when the MCs started spending more time together and I got to see the best parts of their dynamic. I think the book might have benefited from a prologue & time skip, to show the reader the history between the two MCs rather than summarizing it — it would have made for a more catching and dynamic beginning to the book.

tw explanation:
Death of a parent
Rafi feels responsible for his mother’s death when he was a child, because she died after being struck by a motorcycle on her way to pick him up early from school. This isn’t described in great detail, but Rafi does carry this guilt with him throughout the book


other (earthquake):
Étienne survived a deadly earthquake in Jacmel, where many people he knew, and was close to, died. Again, this is not discussed in graphic detail, but is mentioned several times throughout the book and does affect Étienne
)


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