caedocyon's review
2.0
Ok, I finished it. I mostly managed by skimming a bit, which made the dialogue and general writing style more bearable. The nifty thing about this book is the representation: latin@ queer kids, being kicked out, making your own family, some genderqueer/trans representation. So maybe it's worthwhile for you if those are things you are desperate for. But you'll also have to spend a lot of time reading lists of things the characters think are cool ("She tells me more specific things she's interested in, such as sailing, scuba diving, kayaking, hiking, swimming, and camping. And she's fascinated with Cuba, zoology and anthropology.") and people buying improbable cars on tight budgets, so I can't recommend it without reservations.
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I've been trying to find this one for so long and finally bought it. I was looking forward to it, but first impression? Unreadable. Too fast, the dialogue is incredibly bad, the school administrators are hard to believe, the relationship is soppy as hell (maybe realistic for high schoolers, but not very enjoyable to read) and the long italicized flashbacks? Ughhhhh. I was also thrown by the way Tazer is introduced, but that's more YMMV.
At first I wondered if I had accidentally bought the wrong edition (apparently there are two versions, one YA and one more adult---which probably explains the name change of the main character), but this review: http://lesbrary.com/tag/mayra-lazara-dole/ says that they're very similar but the new one has been tightened up. So... Yeah. In light of all the positive reviews I'll probably return to this at some point, but right now I'm suffering secondhand embarrassment for the author. (8-5-13)
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I've been trying to find this one for so long and finally bought it. I was looking forward to it, but first impression? Unreadable. Too fast, the dialogue is incredibly bad, the school administrators are hard to believe, the relationship is soppy as hell (maybe realistic for high schoolers, but not very enjoyable to read) and the long italicized flashbacks? Ughhhhh. I was also thrown by the way Tazer is introduced, but that's more YMMV.
At first I wondered if I had accidentally bought the wrong edition (apparently there are two versions, one YA and one more adult---which probably explains the name change of the main character), but this review: http://lesbrary.com/tag/mayra-lazara-dole/ says that they're very similar but the new one has been tightened up. So... Yeah. In light of all the positive reviews I'll probably return to this at some point, but right now I'm suffering secondhand embarrassment for the author. (8-5-13)
kasiabrenna's review
2.0
I had high hopes for this one but couldn't get into it. The main character grated on me and her narrative didn't ring true somehow.
abigailbat's review
2.0
Everything changed for Laura the day her teacher read her love letter out loud. Laura's been dating Marlena for two years on the sly and suddenly the whole world knows she's a tortillera, a girl who loves girls. Laura's expelled from school and her mom kicks her out. Then Marlena is shipped off to Puerto Rico to marry a boy. But although she's hurting, big-hearted Laura's got a support network to hold her up while she figures things out. And eventually she'll figure out who she is and who will love and understand her down to the bone.
While I loved getting a unique perspective and couldn't help but like the vivacious Laura, there was too much telling and not enough showing. We're told that Laura's an environmentalist into making her own clothes and watching foreign films, but we never see any of that happening. There's a huge cast of characters in this novel and some random events that don't add to the story. I would have liked it better if it had been 150 pages shorter. That said, the Miami setting and cast of diverse characters make it stand out and I hope to see more from Ms. Dole.
While I loved getting a unique perspective and couldn't help but like the vivacious Laura, there was too much telling and not enough showing. We're told that Laura's an environmentalist into making her own clothes and watching foreign films, but we never see any of that happening. There's a huge cast of characters in this novel and some random events that don't add to the story. I would have liked it better if it had been 150 pages shorter. That said, the Miami setting and cast of diverse characters make it stand out and I hope to see more from Ms. Dole.
heatherbookely's review
3.0
Good story. Pretty predictable, but the writing was good and the book was a quick read. It was nice to branch out into another culture for a minute.
bookishlytaylor's review
1.0
i made it to page 127 before i called it quits. honesty one of the worst books i’ve ever read
ifthebook's review
3.0
An interesting look on the teen homosexual community in Miami, particularly among Hispanics. Throughout the book, I definitely felt out of my league, but in a good way. The bits of Spanish thrown in there were very real. Some of the slang used rang a bit false to me, but I can't really comment on that, not being a part of that society at all. Laura's journey was also a very interesting and believable one. The place she ended up was right for her, though it wasn't necessarily the place I thought she would end up. A very nice read. I definitely recommend it.
nissoubsd's review
4.0
I fell in love with the characters, and I enjoyed the way the author really made us comfortable with the story, like we were a part of it.
What at first seemed like a typical lesbian story turned out to be an interesting lesson on how to accept yourself and what really makes you happy, and make your own choices, even if that means disappointing other people.
I would recommend it.
What at first seemed like a typical lesbian story turned out to be an interesting lesson on how to accept yourself and what really makes you happy, and make your own choices, even if that means disappointing other people.
I would recommend it.