Age: High SchoolA great contribution to the GLBTQ literary genre in YA for it's unique subject matter, including Laura being in a long-term lesbian relationship without familiarity --and sometimes rejection--of the queer scene and her lesbian identity. Furthermore, the character is Cuban-American and the complexity of coming out as a Catholic. However, the superfluous writing style went beyond stylistic flavor and into downright boring. While I cared about the characters enough to want to know the ending, I felt annoyed where the writer chose to place her time and her strained use of character development."But it took a long time, story-wise, to get to this point. Each chapter seemed to have at least one scene with a meandering conversation that summarized things we already knew -- e.g., Laura updating her best pal Soli on the goings-on at her job or her not-relationship with Francisco -- or a meandering conversation about things that didn't have much relation to the story at hand -- e.g., Soli, Laura, and Tazer talking about their quinces. Plus, most chapters started with several paragraphs (or pages) of summary about the things that had gone on between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of the new one. This resulted in a conversational, almost bloggy style of storytelling, which perhaps works for some readers, but it also meant that a lot of events were happening offstage. For instance, the reader is told about Laura's relationship with Francisco, but he rarely pops up as a character with an active role in a scene, and by the time a climactic scene does happen between the pair, it's hard to muster the appropriate emotion when the story itself hasn't spent much time helping the reader get invested in the conflict. Better developed were the relationships and conflicts between Laura and her surrogate family, and Laura and her mom" (Lauren's review at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...).
While I think the plot could have formed an excellent book, I was very disappointed in Dole's writing style. I felt like she was pushing way too hard to make Shai into a hip, relatable teen. Shai constantly uses slang phrases and awkward metaphors that don't fit a teenager's lifestyle, and she and her friends are involved in a whirlwind of activities that most teens never dream of doing. The whole book was a colorful whirlwind of action and drama, but it lacked the underlying introspection that Shai's predicament deserved. ----------------Spoilers---------------------I was also dissatisfied with how Shai is kicked out of school, but experiences no hardship. She already has a full-time job that pays well, doing something she loves. Very rare. And she moves in with her friend's mom with no consequences: the mom loves her and doesn't ask her to pay rent or anything. She is kicked out of her house, and the only hardships she suffers is loss of contact with her mother and brother. She isn't worried about her future, or money, or anything. Frankly, it frustrated me, the unrealism that was Shai's life. All of her "broke" friends were gallivanting about Miami, partying and living it up, going on fancy vacations and excursions that no regular teen could afford.
Do You like book Down To The Bone (2012)?
Laura is a junior in a Catholic high school looking forward to summer and to celebrating her two-year anniversary with her girlfriend, Marlena. Instead, she is humiliated when her teacher reads a love letter from Marlena out loud in front of all her friends, resulting in her expulsion from school and in the loss of her friends. Her mother has thrown Laura out of the house, promising that she can return only when she reveals the name of her secret lover and changes her ways.Laura moves in with her best friend, Soli, and her mom. Her life takes a turn for the worse when Marlena's family arranges for her to be wed to a man in Puerto Rico. Down to the Bone is a warm, colorful, funny, and heartbreaking story with a great cast of characters that provides a glimpse into the rich, diverse, and fascinating culture of the Cuban community in Miami. This is a great teen book, but also a lot of fun for adults too. There's a glossary in the back of Cuban slang and commonly used words and phrases. This is a wonderful story that’s all about love, discovering oneself, finding acceptance, family bonds, friendships, food, laughter, and valuing differences.*Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted
—Nancy
I'm so excited that I finished this book! I love it because it has a little bit of everything that relates to today's GLBTQ youth, everything from conversion therapy to bois (or FTMS). I enjoyed this peek into Miami's Cuban culture and appreciated the glossary. That noted, I'm surprised that I remembered as much Spanish as I did (from a beginner's class 2-3 years ago). I could've done with a little less slang, but, all in all, I think this book shows a lot of insight into some rather complicated subject matter. I would like to know what happens to Marlene in the long run, but that's a minor quibble
—Melanie
This is a powerful book about a teen lesbian coming to terms with her sexual orientation and identity within the heavily religious (Catholic) Cuban culture in Miami. The opening takes your breath away as you experience the ultimate humiliation, sitting in your uniform, as the nun reads your love letter from your lesbian partner of two years. From there, you know it is not going to get better any times soon.Despite the painful opening and the wrenching middle, the ending of this book yells joy. It speaks to the real meaning of family, with the understanding that your culture cannot be taken away from you. Laura (also known as Scunchy, Looly and Laurita -- which as times gets confusing since almost everyone in the book has multiple variations of their names) learns about taking people as they are. But most importantly, this book addresses the issue of living a lie, being a liar, and the consequences for self-identity.I highly recommend this book.
—Lydia
