At the beginning of the book, I liked most of the main characters but by the end.......didn't like any of them. This was a very "harsh" book to read however.....I would recommend it. It forces one to look and think about both sides w/o blessing one and cursing the other. Plus, good writing.

This novel tells the story of two families in Los Angeles - a Mexican man, his wife and baby trying to survive against impossible odds and bad luck and an affluent, liberal American family. It is about racism and ultimately, compassion.

Just one bad thing after another with no real ending. I have to admit I started skimming near the end just to get to the end.

I had to push myself to finish this book. The beginning showed originality and promise, but as it progressed, it just became ridiculous and even surreal. I understand that racism is still alive and kicking in the U.S., but it felt too over-the-top in this book. It was hard to become attached to the characters things went from bad to worse to god-awful. I started feeling less and less concerned about them, which is (I'm pretty sure) the exact opposite of what the writer intended. It was a quick read, but didn't impress me much.