catalina by karla cornejo villavicencio
As someone who’s transitioning from reading a lot of young adult fantasy and adventure as a teenager to diving into literary fiction, I often feel disconnected from how mainstream lit fic tends to center white, western perspectives. Of course, I try to branch out from the norm. But perhaps for the first time, Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio made me feel visible in this genre.
I can’t say how else to describe this book in a single word other than: fun. Villiavicencio has written about undocumented Americans in the past, and her essayist nature is sandwiched between Catalina’s (the main character) chaos. Wonderfully written, Catalina is honest, vulnerable, and messy. I related so deeply to her perfectionism and the pressure to be great because of all the sacrifices your parents have already made for you. Her complex relationship with her family adds another layer to the story in a way that feels both relatable and melancholic.
I had opinions about paywalls and subscription models and the sustainability of relying on billionaire benefactors.
At times, the book became difficult to follow because of the quickly shifting narrative. At one point, I had to backtrack two entire pages because I wasn’t sure if what was happening was canon or if it was just another one of Catalina’s daydreams (it was the latter). But who am I kidding? I, too, would like to throw myself out of a moving car.
Catalina, the girl that you are.
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Genres: Literary Fiction
Trigger Warnings: deportation, death of parent, abandonment
This piece was originally posted on WordPress on May 10, 2025 and migrated to BearBlog on March 19, 2026.