I stopped reading this book at 53%. Though many people will love this book, the writing style just isn't for me. I can't wait for people to love this book as much as I hoped I would!

3.6/5

This book was a very enjoyable read!

It follows Minerva as she navigates grief and anger, while planning revenge on her sexist boss. When the ice-creamery where she works gets robbed, Minerva hears rumors about money hidden there. She teames up with her neighbor who is also desperate for cash, and together they plan to find the said money.

I liked the writing style, and the book was fast paced and had me hooked from the very beginning. It is short, and is easy to read in one sitting. The plot was interesting, but not exactly what I expected it to be. Because of that, I found the book dragging in the middle, but it picked up closer to the end.

The characters were not my favorite, but I don’t think that Minerva has been written to be very likable, at least not in the beginning. And it’s alright because we understand why she makes the decisions that she does, even when they are the wrong ones. What I want to point out is character development, because she really grows as a person throughout the book.
I didn’t care much for the romance, but there wasn’t much of it, and it certainly isn’t the priority here.

This book explores important topics (and makes a good job of it), and is not a light read. Therefore, check the trigger warnings first. (TW: drug use, grief, armed robbery, chronically ill parent, racism)

I found this book fascinating. The characters and storyline took me places I would never go in my own life. Which is important so that we build understanding of how and why people make the choices that they do. My own upbringing wasn't one of great privilege, but yet I feel fortunate for many things that I was blessed with, I know that many have much less.

Although I cannot directly relate to the youth in this book, I can greatly relate to the mother and her drive to make sure that there are better opportunities for her child. Some circumstances are easier to rise above than others. With that being said, I do feel compassion and understanding for the youth in this story, and the circumstances that they are faced with. The young characters have tough circumstances, but there are so many ways their life could have been even worse with every choice they make.

It is difficult to write about topics covered in this book with the sensitivity needed to make a point but not be offensive. This book balances it out well with some powerful writing.

A revenge and heist thriller, combined with smart commentary on race, class, and gender, and the complexities of having a chronically ill parent. What a fantastic debut! Minerva, like her namesake goddess, sees the truth and calls out injustice around her while trying to improve her life and get out of her hometown. Even though she can be harsh and push people away, you'll be rooting for her to succeed.

Thank you NetGalley and Soho Books for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book. All options expressed in this review are purely my own and not associated with any brand.

I wanted to like this book. I know it means a lot to the author and I tried to hard to appreciate it. I appreciated the way Francesca Padilla was able to write a story that I could follow without any problems. I appreciated the deep conflicts that the characters have to go through and the struggle for those who might not be as lucky as other people. The defense attorney in me just cannot look past the crimes being planned or committed.

I would absolutely read another book written by Francesca Padilla in the future. This book just was not for me.

Minerva Gutiérrez is seventeen, angry and hates her job. Feeling lost after her mum's most recent hospitalisation, the only person she can really talk to is her neighbour, CeCe- but even with her, there are some things Minerva would rather not discuss. However, when there is an armed robbery at the ice cream stand where Minerva works, rumours start to fly. Could there be money hidden on the property? And if so, could Minerva and CeCe get their hands on it? They're desperate for cash, and if they find it, they could get revenge on Minerva's awful boss too. Win win. Right?
I really enjoyed this book, as it covered a lot- grief, anger, revenge, sexism, injustice, and even a sprinkling of romance. I've already mentioned the characters of CeCe and Minerva, but there were so many others that made the book all the more interesting, from sweet Eli who works with Minerva, to Minerva's friend Mary and CeCe's dog, Large Marge! I didn't always expect the twists in this book, and would recommend this novel to 14-16 year olds who enjoy contemporary YA. I can't say the style reminded me of any author in particular- Padilla's voice seems to me unique and I think this novel is worth reading.

Minerva is growing up in the seaside town of Nautilus, alone.. kinda. Freshly kicked out of school, again. Her mom in the hospital, again. And the robbery of her ice cream shop job, brings up questions, and a new found hunt. With the help of her friend CeCe, Minerva is out to stick it to her sexist boss.

First let me say, the character development is 🤌🏼 chefs kiss! I found the book to be VERY character driven, which isn’t a bad thing, but the plot lacked in a bit of ✨ spark ✨. It took a bit for the plot to really take off. The robbery happened fast, but then the in between of things happening was.. l o n g. But, it read fast and the chapters were quick! Which is a plus.

Content warnings: grief, armed robbery, drug use, chronically ill parent

What's coming to me is a book about Minerva Gutiérrez, who has a job as a local ice cream shop. She doesn't like it there, and surely doesn't like her boss, Anthony. One of the first days she was there she noticed that Anthony watched the workers with hidden cameras, which made her realize he was a creepy person. Minerva didn't have a choice but stay at work, because what else could she do? She recently got kicked out of school and her mother got hospitalized and has been sick for a very long time. Alongside of that she wants nothing else than leave the town. One day the ice cream shop got robbed, which brought up a lot of new questions and motives. What would Minerva and her friends do to find the possible "secret treasure", how far would they go?

When I started reading this book, the writing style immediately stood out to me, I loved the way the author brought the characters so to life throughout her words, which is another part of the story I enjoyed, the characterization. I thought the characters were all so well-written and for me that is a really important part of the story because it made it seem like you actually got to know them. Not only the good side, but also the side that might not be perfect and ideal in most people's eyes. The reason I didn't rate this book higher, is because it took a while for me to really get into the story and at some points the plot of the story didn't speak to me as much, although towards the ending it did get better! After all this was an enjoyable read with great characterization, a beautiful and nice writing style with a good reading pace.

Teenager Minerva hates her small town and her job at the local ice cream shop that everyone tells her she is so lucky to have. She hates her boss, a creepy guy named Anthony who sits in his office all day and watches the teenage workers via "hidden" cameras throughout the shop. No one but Minerva seemed off-put by those cameras though, Minerva needs the money if she's ever going to escape her small town and her mom has been sick for quite some time, so she stays. When the ice cream shop is robbed one night, the robbery raises questions about money. Is there a secret treasure being hidden in the shop? What would Minerva do to find sucjh a thing? An interesting read, although not quite believable.