The author was gifted, I had read him before. The subject interesting, I am a Latina immigrant after all. The reviews outstanding, how can I go wrong?

Unfortunately, this book did not quite achieve my apparently unrealistic expectations. He's a good writer of good stories. But in this case I could not stomach the dysfunction that no character wanted to improve. I couldn't stand reading about so many weak female characters. Could that many women be that desperate? Finally, I REALLY disliked the intense level of misogyny in virtually every male character. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if there was an underlying message of perseverance, growth, or strength. But alas, I found no message if triumph. That only left me wondering....what's the point of reading this? The world is frustrating enough. I read to escape it not wallow in it.