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foreveryoungadult's review
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Una Niña se Llamaba 'Esta'
Drinking Buddy: Tequila is a 'Sometimes' Food
Testosterone Estrogen Level: It's Past Your Bedtime
Talky Talk: The People In Your Neighborhood
Bonus Factor: One of These Things is Not Like the Others
Bromance Status: College Roommate
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Una Niña se Llamaba 'Esta'
Drinking Buddy: Tequila is a 'Sometimes' Food
Talky Talk: The People In Your Neighborhood
Bonus Factor: One of These Things is Not Like the Others
Bromance Status: College Roommate
Read the full book report here.
sandiereads's review
So powerful. I had no idea the actress and writer who went on to play Maria in Sesame Street grew up in such a rough, poor, dysfunctional family.
skrajewski's review
4.0
Sonia Manzano's childhood was anything but pretty. Though she struggled growing up with an abusive father, she stayed strong.
booksmcg's review
3.0
Sonia Manzano is the actress best known as Maria from Sesame Street.
This biography goes into a lot of detail about her life growing up in the Bronx, right up until she auditions for Sesame Street.
I would have liked a longer, more detailed account. Something about what it was like working on Sesame Street, what happened to her family, how she overcame her abusive upbringing to form an (I assume) stable family with her husband.
The book also didn't give a lot in the way of dates or ages. Most of the time, you had to pick those details up in context clues.
My library has this book shelved with the juvenile biographies - although this reads more young adult to me. I hope that she writes an adult biography at some point, and fills in some of the missing details.
This biography goes into a lot of detail about her life growing up in the Bronx, right up until she auditions for Sesame Street.
I would have liked a longer, more detailed account. Something about what it was like working on Sesame Street, what happened to her family, how she overcame her abusive upbringing to form an (I assume) stable family with her husband.
The book also didn't give a lot in the way of dates or ages. Most of the time, you had to pick those details up in context clues.
My library has this book shelved with the juvenile biographies - although this reads more young adult to me. I hope that she writes an adult biography at some point, and fills in some of the missing details.
thehlb's review
4.0
If you are looking for a behind the scenes about Sesame Street this is not the right book for you. This memoir precedes her time on the show. It is told just as childhood is remembered in flashes of recollection where some details stand out like the linoleum floor, or the smell of food, but without explanations about the hows or whys of a situation. One would think this would be awkward or tedious, but instead it paints a perfect picture of an imperfect childhood, and in doing so it gave me flashes of my own...not because they were similar, but because the storytelling was just that evocative of childhood memory.
mandy_reads's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Drug use
hellalibrary's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
Did you grow up watching Sesame Street? 🙋🏽♀️ Then you absolutely know who Sonia Manzano is - she was Maria! And one of the first Latina actresses on network television! She’s also Puertorriqueña 🇵🇷.
Narrated by Manzano, herself, she describes her adolescence growing up in the South Bronx, the household violence, the poverty, the politics of the time, but all with a hopefulness that there would be a way out for her, and a celebration of the culture of Puerto Rico.
Narrated by Manzano, herself, she describes her adolescence growing up in the South Bronx, the household violence, the poverty, the politics of the time, but all with a hopefulness that there would be a way out for her, and a celebration of the culture of Puerto Rico.
joemcduck's review
4.0
This is great personal narrative. I don’t really know what else to say about it. The stories are well told, well chosen and well organized with personality and humanity.
I feel like addressing something I’ve seen in other reviews. Pretend this book’s subtitle is its title. It doesn’t have anything to do with a Sesame Street character, or with Sesame Street. You will be disappointed and/or shocked if that is what you expect. The book deals realistically with a life that is not packaged on a kids' TV program. (Having said that, it's still of course interesting, and perhaps primarily so, in the sense of already "knowing the ending" in terms of being aware of her 45-year career performing and writing for the show.)
Manzano reads her own audio version. That adds a degree of authenticity (since it’s a voice you may know well and identify with) although at times the reading feels very deliberate.
I feel like addressing something I’ve seen in other reviews. Pretend this book’s subtitle is its title. It doesn’t have anything to do with a Sesame Street character, or with Sesame Street. You will be disappointed and/or shocked if that is what you expect. The book deals realistically with a life that is not packaged on a kids' TV program. (Having said that, it's still of course interesting, and perhaps primarily so, in the sense of already "knowing the ending" in terms of being aware of her 45-year career performing and writing for the show.)
Manzano reads her own audio version. That adds a degree of authenticity (since it’s a voice you may know well and identify with) although at times the reading feels very deliberate.
hezann73's review
3.0
I honestly think I should have read this instead of listening to it.
That being said, you'll never look at Maria the same.
That being said, you'll never look at Maria the same.
the_reading_lumberjack's review
4.0
So glad I listened to this on audiobook. Read by the writer. It was funny, sad, touching. Not my normal genre, but I grew up with Maria and it was great seeing insight into who helped make her who she is. The only downfall is that the book left me wanting to know more about her time on Sesame Street.