Hello everyone! Welcome to Nox Reads, I'm "Nox", and I'm so glad that I've been able to read Enlightenment by Reno Ursal for the #EnlightenmentBlogTour! For more information on the tour and book, check out Your Tita Kate's launch post here. Personally, I'm rating Enlightenment as a GIVE ME ALL THE MERCH!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Cancer, Violence, Descriptions of Blood and Other Serious Injuries
REPRESENTATION: Filipino Culture, Filipino-American characters
Enlightenment is the story of Dorothy, a Filipino-American high school girl preparing for the end of her senior year. Dorothy thinks that her life is normal, with the exception of having a mother who is dying from liver cancer. Everything seems normal until Dorothy has a weird encounter at a club, and then a new boy, Adrian, shows up at her school.
The opening scene definitely gives off City of Bones vibes, when Clary and Simon go to Pandemonium, but instead, it's the main character Dorothy and her best friend Stella. This scene is what sets up the entire novel - the events that happen at the club cause Adrian to fly over in order to protect Dorothy, and this is her awakening. It's creepy and awkward and it makes me feel slimy while reading it, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to do that.
Here's a quick overview of how I feel about our two main characters: Dorothy and Adrian. I like Dorothy as a character. She feels realistic, reminding me of some of my classmates in high school. I don't get the stereotypical "I'm not like other girls" vibe from her, and she doesn't come off as looking down on others - the way that Adrian does. He starts off as condescending and stuck up, but at the same time, it's excusable because he really isn't like everyone else. Adrian isn't mortal. He has a low opinion of mortals, but he does acknowledge when he's wrong, like with his initial judgment of Stella.
The thing that felt the most real was Dorothy's concern for her mom. Dorothy has kind of become her mother's caretaker - a mother who is staying happy and positive while simultaneously being morbid and talking about her inevitable death. Out of everything in the story this was the most relatable to me. I am my grandparents's unofficial caretaker, similar to the way Dorothy is, and I know what it's like for someone to go around talking about how they're going to die, even though you don't want to think about it. I also know what it's like for someone to have specific dietary restrictions that are difficult to follow, and how it feels to be a kid and struggle with telling them what they can and can't do. I would rather be my grandparents's caretaker than not have them to care for, but there's certain scenes between Dorothy and her mom that I feel really captured what it's like to be a teenage caregiver. These were strong and emotional to me.
While I am not a part of Filipino culture, there is a point where Adrian and Dorothy are discussing assimilation and the effect it has on culture, specifically, language. The following part is their conversation:
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Cancer, Violence, Descriptions of Blood and Other Serious Injuries
REPRESENTATION: Filipino Culture, Filipino-American characters
Enlightenment is the story of Dorothy, a Filipino-American high school girl preparing for the end of her senior year. Dorothy thinks that her life is normal, with the exception of having a mother who is dying from liver cancer. Everything seems normal until Dorothy has a weird encounter at a club, and then a new boy, Adrian, shows up at her school.
The opening scene definitely gives off City of Bones vibes, when Clary and Simon go to Pandemonium, but instead, it's the main character Dorothy and her best friend Stella. This scene is what sets up the entire novel - the events that happen at the club cause Adrian to fly over in order to protect Dorothy, and this is her awakening. It's creepy and awkward and it makes me feel slimy while reading it, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to do that.
Here's a quick overview of how I feel about our two main characters: Dorothy and Adrian. I like Dorothy as a character. She feels realistic, reminding me of some of my classmates in high school. I don't get the stereotypical "I'm not like other girls" vibe from her, and she doesn't come off as looking down on others - the way that Adrian does. He starts off as condescending and stuck up, but at the same time, it's excusable because he really isn't like everyone else. Adrian isn't mortal. He has a low opinion of mortals, but he does acknowledge when he's wrong, like with his initial judgment of Stella.
The thing that felt the most real was Dorothy's concern for her mom. Dorothy has kind of become her mother's caretaker - a mother who is staying happy and positive while simultaneously being morbid and talking about her inevitable death. Out of everything in the story this was the most relatable to me. I am my grandparents's unofficial caretaker, similar to the way Dorothy is, and I know what it's like for someone to go around talking about how they're going to die, even though you don't want to think about it. I also know what it's like for someone to have specific dietary restrictions that are difficult to follow, and how it feels to be a kid and struggle with telling them what they can and can't do. I would rather be my grandparents's caretaker than not have them to care for, but there's certain scenes between Dorothy and her mom that I feel really captured what it's like to be a teenage caregiver. These were strong and emotional to me.
While I am not a part of Filipino culture, there is a point where Adrian and Dorothy are discussing assimilation and the effect it has on culture, specifically, language. The following part is their conversation:
"Some first generation Filipinos wanted their kids assimilated, they didn't pass down the language. And some look down on Fil-Ams [Filipino-Americans] who don't speak the native dialect. It's an impossible double standard."
"Double standard is right. I get that funny look sometimes from Filipinos who don't know me when they ask if I speak. I feel bad when I say English please."
This interaction shows a tough decision that immigrating families make- assimilating in the hopes of having a better life and being more accepted. Years later though, the language is lost. I know that my grandparents grew up in a time where speaking Spanish in schools was punished, and while my gramps speaks some of it, my grandmother barely knows it. My mom and uncle didn't grow up learning Spanish except for high school foreign language requirements, and the same goes to me. Earlier this morning an old man was trying to speak to me in Spanish, and I struggled using a broken knowledge of four years of Spanish classes. There was only one clear sentence: yo no hablo español. I don't speak Spanish. I understand what it feels like for people to come up to you expecting for you to speak a language that's connected to a culture you feel like you should be more of a part of. This part, like the last one mentioned, really spoke to me.
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Overall, I feel that Enlightenment is a story with an interesting concept and strong points. The story has a mythological element yet manages to feel so very much real. I was surprised how connected I felt to it, considering that I'm not Filipina, but I'm so glad that I did. That's the thing: you don't have to have Filipino roots to adore this story (although I imagine that would make it all the more special) because there are parts that are relatable to so many people: to the teenaged caregivers, to those who didn't grow up speaking the language of their ancestors, to those who wonder about the impending future after high school (and as a college student, the impending future after college...the cycle never ends). Enlightenment has something for everyone.
And to any readers with Filipino heritage, I hope this story helps you feel seen.
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Thank you, everyone, for reading this post! Enlightenment is out now, and I heavily recommend it for those who love mythology, paranormal fantasies, and amazing diverse reads.
Have a great day!
~ Nox
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