espiri_reads's review against another edition
3.0
This is more like a 2.5, but I rounded up because the book had potential. Boy, did it have potential. A Puerto Rican teenage girl from the Bronx, who is in trouble for stealing Dad's money to try to fit in with her fancy Prep school friends, starts falling for a boy from the Bronx who is an activist that organizes around anti-gentrification campaigns. That's it though. The analysis and conflict surrounding double consciousness and gentrification doesn't get much deeper than the sentence I just wrote. Sigh. The drama that does happen is predictable. Her humble pie is that her family isn't perfect, but in the most predictable way. It wasn't bad, it was just very superficial. The positives are that although the book uses her double consciousness and the gentrification as back drops, its presence can potentially lead to discussions about both issues with teenage readers.
aprilpoole's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
chrissireads's review against another edition
4.0
I have heard such good things about this book that I knew I needed to get to it ASAP. I’m really pleased that I found time for it because I thought it was a decent read. Lilliam Rivera is a fantastic writer. I couldn’t believe that it was her debut!
I would describe The Education Of Margot Sanchez as a story about becoming who you really are. Margot is desperate to be liked by the popular gang at her private school. Margot has two sides… her side where she pretends she’s has a wealthier more edgy side to her to her peers at school. Then there’s the side that is family orientated and proud to be different/expressive. The story follows Margot as she grows and develops as a person and works out who she really wants to be.
Margot starts off as such as annoying, insipid character, but she really does grow as a character throughout the book. That’s something I really enjoy. I also really salute to lack of insta-love. Too often a girl falls in love at first sight and it makes my eyes roll. This didn’t happen between Margot and Moises. I also loved how as a reader, we’re left wondering whether they got together or not. I don’t always like ambiguity in a story, but this really worked for me.
I loved that this story had a Latina character. I also appreciated the many issues represented in this story, despite the fact that the story is less than 300 pages. It’s much deeper than you first anticipate. I loved how this story didn’t wrap everything up. Life isn’t wrapped up for anyone and that should also be the case in stories. Much more real!
I would describe The Education Of Margot Sanchez as a story about becoming who you really are. Margot is desperate to be liked by the popular gang at her private school. Margot has two sides… her side where she pretends she’s has a wealthier more edgy side to her to her peers at school. Then there’s the side that is family orientated and proud to be different/expressive. The story follows Margot as she grows and develops as a person and works out who she really wants to be.
Margot starts off as such as annoying, insipid character, but she really does grow as a character throughout the book. That’s something I really enjoy. I also really salute to lack of insta-love. Too often a girl falls in love at first sight and it makes my eyes roll. This didn’t happen between Margot and Moises. I also loved how as a reader, we’re left wondering whether they got together or not. I don’t always like ambiguity in a story, but this really worked for me.
I loved that this story had a Latina character. I also appreciated the many issues represented in this story, despite the fact that the story is less than 300 pages. It’s much deeper than you first anticipate. I loved how this story didn’t wrap everything up. Life isn’t wrapped up for anyone and that should also be the case in stories. Much more real!
megs_s's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
ectoplasmeg's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to love this. Maybe my expectations were too high?
I liked Margot well enough, in all her flawed teenage girl self. But it felt like she was so flawed, so self centered and so insecure until the last 50 or so pages of the book. I was still rooting for her, of course, but maybe I'm just getting too old to not have my eyes roll in the back of my head at expensive prep school drama.
Also Nick was the worst crush ever.
I liked Margot well enough, in all her flawed teenage girl self. But it felt like she was so flawed, so self centered and so insecure until the last 50 or so pages of the book. I was still rooting for her, of course, but maybe I'm just getting too old to not have my eyes roll in the back of my head at expensive prep school drama.
Also Nick was the worst crush ever.
itssimplykayla_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good! Margot was a complicated character but I appreciated her character development. Even though her friends, Serena and Camille, from her prep school were snobby they did seem to care about her deep down. I'm glad that she repaired her friendship with Elizabeth because I could tell that she cared about her. Boy did Margot have a lot of family drama. Some aspects of it were a big surprise to me. Moises wasn't perfect, but he was a good guy with a good heart.
veuxmourir's review against another edition
2.0
I bought this because it was an own-voices novel but realized immediately after starting it that it wasn't going to be my thing. nothing wrong with it, just wasn't a good fit
heatherbookely's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad I bought this book. Sometimes the writing isn't very strong (lots of short, choppy sentences or unrealistic dialogue), but I really liked the story. We have a lot of books about white girls who learn about themselves and learn that being popular isn't always the most important thing, and I loved this for being that story with a Latina protagonist. I liked the characters and that everyone had depth (good people messed up and did bad things, just like in real life) and wasn't a stereotype.
Also, I'm not Latina, but I straightened my hair throughout high school and college to adhere to white standards of beauty, so I kept wanting to yell JUST BE YOURSELF at Margot. I liked Margot, because she was annoyingly realistic (I probably wouldn't have liked her in real life), and she's one of those characters who stuck with me after I finished the book. I hope she keeps learning. I'd like a book in a few years that updates us on Margot in her 20s.
Also, I'm not Latina, but I straightened my hair throughout high school and college to adhere to white standards of beauty, so I kept wanting to yell JUST BE YOURSELF at Margot. I liked Margot, because she was annoyingly realistic (I probably wouldn't have liked her in real life), and she's one of those characters who stuck with me after I finished the book. I hope she keeps learning. I'd like a book in a few years that updates us on Margot in her 20s.
m0thermayi's review against another edition
3.0
Low 3 stars | Honestly, the one thing I really like about this book is the cover. I gave it 3 stars because it did keep me entertained and I wanted to see how it would end, but damn this book has some truly awful characters. That said, I’d give this author another chance.