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spectralcas's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
brittburkard's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
isabelduhreader's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly not the book for me. I didn't love the main character. I can tell if I read this to my students, they would be bored at times. It was just a lot of ughhhhhh secrets and complaining. And sometimes it didn't flow right or sentences were confusing/didn't make sense. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't read it again. However, someone might like it more than me so I dunno
korodot's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
cassroberts89's review against another edition
3.0
This was read as a homeschool read-aloud for my 9- and 12-year old kids.
I wanted to like this much more than I actually did. I found that both my kids and I weren't really excited to pick this up every day. I loved the main story and the rich culture that comes through while Izzy is staying with her Nana in her adobe village. That was probably my favorite aspect of the whole story. The ever-so-gentle romance between Izzy and Mateo is also a sweet touch. We have not read much together that includes any sort of romance, but this small detail was sweet and tastefully covered (it is not a major part of the plot, just a natural-feeling progression of their friendship. A quick small kiss at the end of one chapter is the extent of it).
After finishing and discussing the book with my kids, we came to the conclusion that there were simply too many sub-plots. You have the main theme of loss and the feeling of being lost, missing pieces, etc. The symbolism is all over the place for that and was interesting to point out together. But then you also have the story of little Maggie and her Gip, the grandmother she lives with; the mysterious-while-really-not-all-that-mysterious village storyteller, Socorro; Mateo's treasure map that shows up quickly and then doesn't really play a part at all (except to maybe leave room for a sequel?); the almost-magical realism of the wind speaking to Izzy. It was just too many things going on and detracted a bit from the main storyline.
Like I said, I absolutely loved the infusion of culture. Grief, loss, and the confused feelings surrounding that is all handled delicately and with sensitivity. The messages just got a little muddied is all.
TW:loss of a grandparent (sort of off-page), near drowning, ongoing grief from loss of a parent
I wanted to like this much more than I actually did. I found that both my kids and I weren't really excited to pick this up every day. I loved the main story and the rich culture that comes through while Izzy is staying with her Nana in her adobe village. That was probably my favorite aspect of the whole story. The ever-so-gentle romance between Izzy and Mateo is also a sweet touch. We have not read much together that includes any sort of romance, but this small detail was sweet and tastefully covered (it is not a major part of the plot, just a natural-feeling progression of their friendship. A quick small kiss at the end of one chapter is the extent of it).
After finishing and discussing the book with my kids, we came to the conclusion that there were simply too many sub-plots. You have the main theme of loss and the feeling of being lost, missing pieces, etc. The symbolism is all over the place for that and was interesting to point out together. But then you also have the story of little Maggie and her Gip, the grandmother she lives with; the mysterious-while-really-not-all-that-mysterious village storyteller, Socorro; Mateo's treasure map that shows up quickly and then doesn't really play a part at all (except to maybe leave room for a sequel?); the almost-magical realism of the wind speaking to Izzy. It was just too many things going on and detracted a bit from the main storyline.
Like I said, I absolutely loved the infusion of culture. Grief, loss, and the confused feelings surrounding that is all handled delicately and with sensitivity. The messages just got a little muddied is all.
TW:
dkragick's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this debut novel more than her first RR series entry. So touching. And I can't wait to try Nana's tortilla recipe.
theshenners's review against another edition
5.0
this was a quick read. magical elements and touching themes/relationships
tw: MC named a character in her story an anti-Romani slur
tw: MC named a character in her story an anti-Romani slur
eadrianschmitz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
beecheralyson's review against another edition
5.0
If you read this book, have a box of tissues ready. I plan on posting a longer review but want to think about this a little more. I will say that I loved having a story featured around Latino characters and celebrating the Latino heritage and culture. I would like to use this as a read aloud with my fifth graders this year. Very powerful message.
See my full review on: http://kidlitfrenzy.com/2010/08/06/book-review-tortilla-sun/
See my full review on: http://kidlitfrenzy.com/2010/08/06/book-review-tortilla-sun/