pestomagico's review against another edition
4.0
The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez was a heartfelt read, but I couldn't help feeling that there was so much being left out. Now in the book, Sonia faces the difficulty of balancing family and schoolwork, since she is determined to be the first person in her family to graduate from High School, yet her ama (mother) and other family members exploit her and use "familia always comes first" as an excuse for their wrongs. When Sonia is sent to Mexico to experience the "ways of the Old Country" she finds poverty, sadness, and an overall sense of hopelessness, including seeing her widowed cousin and her cousin's deaf daughter. While in Mexico, Sonia gains wisdom over the summer from her Abuelita and returns to "El Norte" with a fresh new outlook and more determination than ever, but obstacles keep popping up in her journey.
Throughout reading the book, I felt not only a connection with Sonia, but some insight into my own culture as well, being mixed with Mexican is what led me to pick this book up and I have to admit, it almost brought me to tears on some parts. I adored the book, but truly wish that there had been more included.
Throughout reading the book, I felt not only a connection with Sonia, but some insight into my own culture as well, being mixed with Mexican is what led me to pick this book up and I have to admit, it almost brought me to tears on some parts. I adored the book, but truly wish that there had been more included.
heremireadz's review against another edition
3.0
A very honest, open portrayal of a Mexican-American girl living in the "barrio" in the U.S. I like the mix of Spanish and English (the Spanish words always explained in English). I enjoyed following Sonia, a very high-achieving student who faces many barriers to her potential graduation from high school, all of which come from her family's expectations of her. What I did not like about the book was its crudeness- it did not simply contain curse words, but described in detail bodily functions and teen language. While it may be realistic of how people actual act, think and talk, it was personally uncomfortable for me to read at times.
jessicareads85's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
It's a very angry book -- the narrator's angry at her culture, her family, the way she's being treated and America -- but it's worth it to stick through to the end. Good portrayal of immigration and the issues surrounding children of immigrants.
mrst's review against another edition
3.0
Spoiler
What I loved about this book is that it helped to develop and expand my empathy for experiences that I will never have. My critique for this book would be that while I greatly enjoyed the ending, I found it to be rather unrealistic for the real Sonias of the world. I wish everyone had the same ending she had, but I know that is tragically not the case.jshettel's review against another edition
2.0
A little didactic for me in terms of overt message, but perhaps Latina teens will enjoy this book. I thought the author tried to cover too much ground and so it all felt like we never got really deep into any one thing.
camillejoy's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to this book on a playaway.
I think in an attempt to inform the reader about Mexican-American culture, Sitomer did way too much telling and not enough showing. Sonia says many times, "En mi cultura..." and "then I realized..." Her constant explanation of culture and revelations about her ancestral country made her voice seem inauthentic. In the beginning she also lists stereotypes about Mexicans and says how much she hates them but then goes on to explain how her family fits many of the stereotypes, which I found strange.
*spoiler below*
The other major issue I had with the book was that there is a sexual assault scene in the end in which Sonia cannot find the strength even to scream for help. Instead of showing how she'd grown by allowing her to fight back against her attacker, she ends up being rescued first by her boyfriend, and then by her father in a violent manner. I thought this was totally counter to the changes Sonia had gone through during the book-- she became stronger and I think she would have had the strength to stand up for herself.
I think in an attempt to inform the reader about Mexican-American culture, Sitomer did way too much telling and not enough showing. Sonia says many times, "En mi cultura..." and "then I realized..." Her constant explanation of culture and revelations about her ancestral country made her voice seem inauthentic. In the beginning she also lists stereotypes about Mexicans and says how much she hates them but then goes on to explain how her family fits many of the stereotypes, which I found strange.
*spoiler below*
The other major issue I had with the book was that there is a sexual assault scene in the end in which Sonia cannot find the strength even to scream for help. Instead of showing how she'd grown by allowing her to fight back against her attacker, she ends up being rescued first by her boyfriend, and then by her father in a violent manner. I thought this was totally counter to the changes Sonia had gone through during the book-- she became stronger and I think she would have had the strength to stand up for herself.
martha_schwalbe's review against another edition
4.0
I saw a man in the grocery store yesterday, he was buying a chile pepper. I asked him if he and his friends had chile eating contests. He said no but some of the people at his work do. He told me he can't even eat onions anymore because he gets heart burn. Such is the life of mi papi and Sonia.
I really think we need to get this book into the hands of our female readers, not just Hispanic but all of them. With the shift to pleasing boys and doing all for boys this is a great book for doing for girls.
I really think we need to get this book into the hands of our female readers, not just Hispanic but all of them. With the shift to pleasing boys and doing all for boys this is a great book for doing for girls.