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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Very cute story that deals with some deeper themes of immigration and diaspora. would definitely recommend!
I wanted to love it but despite the Latinx protagonist, the story was ehhh. Good narration but not enough to inspire purchase of the book for my library. Fun for more middle grade audiences perhaps.
It didn't blow me away, but this one's a very cutesy, typical YA romance. I loved the setting and background characters- I'd read another book set in the town!
4.5
This book was said to be Gilmore Girls meets To All The Boys I've Loved Before and I love both of those things so I was really nervous to read it. However, I love it!!
So we follow Rose who lives with her grandma as her mom artist who is in and out of her life. I love the community of this quirky Florida town! (Kinda feels like Stars Hollow) How these people stand together and hold each other up. I enjoyed that Rosas want to know more about her roots & culture, I can relate to that so much! I can't talk about most of the book because of HUGE spoilers! But I enjoyed the relationship between Rosa and Alex. The Curse that is set on her and her family is quite new of a curse, which is something that I don't read much of; I thought that the cures were going to be a major part of the story and I'm glad that it is that way. Rosa also feels that she is her age, she's still young when need and when she needs to be adult she did without losing herself. I did cry, smile and giggled with these pages. I'm a fan of the authors writing, can't wait to read more by her.
With that said, I'm pleased with this refreshing look onto Cuba culture of an immigration grandaughter, of a small sea town.
I was given an ARC, this is 100% my honest thoughts.
This book was said to be Gilmore Girls meets To All The Boys I've Loved Before and I love both of those things so I was really nervous to read it. However, I love it!!
So we follow Rose who lives with her grandma as her mom artist who is in and out of her life. I love the community of this quirky Florida town! (Kinda feels like Stars Hollow) How these people stand together and hold each other up. I enjoyed that Rosas want to know more about her roots & culture, I can relate to that so much! I can't talk about most of the book because of HUGE spoilers! But I enjoyed the relationship between Rosa and Alex. The Curse that is set on her and her family is quite new of a curse, which is something that I don't read much of; I thought that the cures were going to be a major part of the story and I'm glad that it is that way. Rosa also feels that she is her age, she's still young when need and when she needs to be adult she did without losing herself. I did cry, smile and giggled with these pages. I'm a fan of the authors writing, can't wait to read more by her.
With that said, I'm pleased with this refreshing look onto Cuba culture of an immigration grandaughter, of a small sea town.
I was given an ARC, this is 100% my honest thoughts.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
I am always on the lookout for books that will appeal to my Latinx students. Don't Date Rosa Santos is one that girls will fall in love with. This is the story of family, of friendship, and of love. It is a story of hope and dreams and fears of disappointing those who mean the most to you. It is the story our students need to read and connect with on a personal level.
Everyone knows that the Santos women don't go near the water. Not anymore. Rosa Santos knows that better than anyone. After her grandfather died to make sure Rosa's pregnant grandmother made it to Florida, and after her own father died at sea when her mother was eighteen and pregnant, Rosa knows that the Santos women and boys on boats don't mix.
Despite her grandmother's bad memories, Rose is desperate to visit Cuba herself. Something she thought she had finally figured out with a dual enrollment program at her local community college and a program with study abroad components at a four year university.
Just when Rosa can start to imagine herself walking along the maricon in Havana, the study abroad program is cancelled leaving all of Rosa's plans up in the air. Which is how Rosa, the girl who has never set foot near Port Coral's beach finds herself organizing the the annual spring festival to try and save the local marina.
Rosa's reluctant helper is Alex Aquino whose family owns the marina. Back in town for the first time since graduation, Alex is not the gawky boy Rosa remembers. This Alex has tattoos, a beard, and a smile that just might be lethal. He also has baking skills and, worst of all, his own boat.
As Rosa and Alex grow closer, Rosa has to decide if a family curse is a good enough reason to give up on all of the things she wants most in Don't Date Rosa Santos (2019) by Nina Moreno.
Don't Date Rosa Santos is Moreno's debut novel. Through Rosa's narration readers are introduced to the charming town of Port Coral, Florida and its quirky residents.
While the main plot focuses on Rosa's efforts to save the Port Coral marina, this is a story about grief and family history. Rosa has grown up with her grandmother, Mimi, learning Mimi's tricks when it comes to brujeria and making a home for herself in Port Coral. Meanwhile, Rosa's mother is a wandering artist who hasn't felt at home in Port Coral since her teens when Rosa's father died. All three generations of women have been touched by tragedy--a linking thread that drives the family further apart instead of drawing them together.
These ruminations on grief are tempered with the madcap preparations for the festival and Rosa's tentative romance with Alex--one of the best male leads you'll find in a YA rom com--and Rosa's efforts to try and understand her own family's history both in Port Coral and in Cuba.
Don't Date Rosa Santos is a perfect blend of the setting from Gilmore Girls, the magic in Practical Magic, and just a hint of the strong family ties in Charmed. The perfect choice for readers looking for a sweet romance with humor and intrigue in equal measure. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo, Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant, Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton, Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova, The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake, Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler, The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, Recommended For You by Laura Silverman, Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
Despite her grandmother's bad memories, Rose is desperate to visit Cuba herself. Something she thought she had finally figured out with a dual enrollment program at her local community college and a program with study abroad components at a four year university.
Just when Rosa can start to imagine herself walking along the maricon in Havana, the study abroad program is cancelled leaving all of Rosa's plans up in the air. Which is how Rosa, the girl who has never set foot near Port Coral's beach finds herself organizing the the annual spring festival to try and save the local marina.
Rosa's reluctant helper is Alex Aquino whose family owns the marina. Back in town for the first time since graduation, Alex is not the gawky boy Rosa remembers. This Alex has tattoos, a beard, and a smile that just might be lethal. He also has baking skills and, worst of all, his own boat.
As Rosa and Alex grow closer, Rosa has to decide if a family curse is a good enough reason to give up on all of the things she wants most in Don't Date Rosa Santos (2019) by Nina Moreno.
Don't Date Rosa Santos is Moreno's debut novel. Through Rosa's narration readers are introduced to the charming town of Port Coral, Florida and its quirky residents.
While the main plot focuses on Rosa's efforts to save the Port Coral marina, this is a story about grief and family history. Rosa has grown up with her grandmother, Mimi, learning Mimi's tricks when it comes to brujeria and making a home for herself in Port Coral. Meanwhile, Rosa's mother is a wandering artist who hasn't felt at home in Port Coral since her teens when Rosa's father died. All three generations of women have been touched by tragedy--a linking thread that drives the family further apart instead of drawing them together.
These ruminations on grief are tempered with the madcap preparations for the festival and Rosa's tentative romance with Alex--one of the best male leads you'll find in a YA rom com--and Rosa's efforts to try and understand her own family's history both in Port Coral and in Cuba.
Don't Date Rosa Santos is a perfect blend of the setting from Gilmore Girls, the magic in Practical Magic, and just a hint of the strong family ties in Charmed. The perfect choice for readers looking for a sweet romance with humor and intrigue in equal measure. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo, Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant, Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton, Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova, The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake, Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler, The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, Recommended For You by Laura Silverman, Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very sweet YA romance. Perfect for summer. Recommended for teens.
Before I read Don't Date Rosa Santos, I had seen a variety of people raving and reccomending it on Twitter. Hyped books tend to be either hit or miss for me, so I was almost hesitant going into it, afraid that it wouldn't hold up to the hype.
I am SO glad that I was wrong about being hesitant, it's one of my favorite reads of the year right now. I was wrong about what I thought it was going to be though, but I honestly ended up liking ithe book more because of it.
The way it was pitched, I had assumed that the majoirty of the focus was going to be on Rosa and her relationship with Alex, but instead a lot of it was on the Santos family, and the Port Coral community. Moreno did an excellant job of not only building a believable (and lovable) cast of main characters, but managed to do it with the entire community. The relationships and sense of family were amazingly done, and she managed to still surprise me with the ending.
Now, I said that tthe book wasn't entirely built around her relationship with Alex, but the parts that were, were SO GOOD. They were awkward and romantic and humorous.
I am SO glad that I was wrong about being hesitant, it's one of my favorite reads of the year right now. I was wrong about what I thought it was going to be though, but I honestly ended up liking ithe book more because of it.
The way it was pitched, I had assumed that the majoirty of the focus was going to be on Rosa and her relationship with Alex, but instead a lot of it was on the Santos family, and the Port Coral community. Moreno did an excellant job of not only building a believable (and lovable) cast of main characters, but managed to do it with the entire community. The relationships and sense of family were amazingly done, and she managed to still surprise me with the ending.
Now, I said that tthe book wasn't entirely built around her relationship with Alex, but the parts that were, were SO GOOD. They were awkward and romantic and humorous.