Wao is a tragic, epic tale with touching and humorous moments. However, like a stranger who continues talking long after you’ve found him dull, Wao is one insufferable digression after another.
Set in New Jersey, the story follows Dominican, ghetto, nerd Oscar de Leon whose obsession with a family curse leads to his own demise.
Gritty and raw, Latina dubbed Wao a “modern fiction masterpiece,” while others gushed about its steady use of “ass” among other colorful expletives. If that’s what it takes for a book to win a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Circle Award, sign me up.
