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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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 wish the magic had been explored more, since the opportunity was there, but the execution wasn't. That said, I adored Rosa and her story -- I loved her passion to know more about Cuba and her heritage and why it was her abuela and her mother had not returned to the country. I dug how she was such a smart girl, and she was making a huge decision about her future nearly entirely on whether she'd be able to get to Cuba to study abroad and when that opportunity disappeared, her ideas about what she wanted in her future did too. There's a sweet romance, though like with the magic, I felt it could have been explored some more. A lot of really great stuff about the history of Cuba, as well as about grief, loss, and living in the margins between one culture and another.
This book is so good, I can't recommend it enough! The blurb reads like your stereotypical YA novel, a protagonist caught between love and a curse, but it's about so much more than that: living in a diaspora, being a second- or third-generation inheritor of trauma, how families can splinter under that impact, how communities come together to support each other, grief, loss, and love.
And the writing has all the beauty of Spanish magical realism with all the emotional groundedness of a YA novel: Rosa is a fully realized character who you'll be able to relate to without a second thought, and she's a secret poet.
Amazing.
And the writing has all the beauty of Spanish magical realism with all the emotional groundedness of a YA novel: Rosa is a fully realized character who you'll be able to relate to without a second thought, and she's a secret poet.
Amazing.
This book was pitched as Gilmore Girls meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but I felt it was more Gilmore Girls + Jane the Virgin--two shows I’ve really enjoyed so this was a good match for me! The town and its residents were the highlight of the book--definitely Stars Hollow-ish, but in Florida and much more diverse. Everything felt so real and full of life that I wanted to find this small beach town and immediately move there. I particularly loved all of the gossiping old men and Rosa’s abuela. And I would read a whole book about Rosa’s mom. The Santos women’s relationships with each other and with Cuba were complex and honest in a way that only an #OwnVoices author could do. My only complaints are that the plot felt a little bit rushed at the end and I wish Rosa and Alex’s relationship was more developed. But overall I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what Nina Moreno writes in the future. She is clearly a very talented writer.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a complimentary arc of Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno in exchange for my honest review.*
First off: THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES OF THE YEAR. And I am so happy to say THAT IT WAS BETTER THAN I EVER COULD HAVE DREAMED.
Nina writes in such beautiful proses, I was swept away with the poetry and the story. The first page grabbed my heart and held it the entire time. The love, the lost, the longing. The way Nina writes grief is breathtaking and it felt exactly like I did after my losses. And the pain that never goes away. I shed many tears, but also get so much hope and love.
This is the inclusive and Latinx coastal Starshollow that we all need. The love within this town, the funny quips, the viejitos instagram and blog, the festivals, and the town wide superstition over the Santos curse. I loved every minute and I wish I could be in Port Coral spending my summers with Rosa and Ana and Mike and Alex and Liliana.
This lovely story was a letter to children of immigrants and grandchildren and family. It was a love letter to Cuba, family, hope, love, brujería, friendships, and to those that are in the middle of grief. This story will stick with me long after, and I can’t wait to see what Nina has next, for the Latinx community to see themselves in this, and I wish Rosa all the best. Thank you, Nina.
First off: THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES OF THE YEAR. And I am so happy to say THAT IT WAS BETTER THAN I EVER COULD HAVE DREAMED.
Nina writes in such beautiful proses, I was swept away with the poetry and the story. The first page grabbed my heart and held it the entire time. The love, the lost, the longing. The way Nina writes grief is breathtaking and it felt exactly like I did after my losses. And the pain that never goes away. I shed many tears, but also get so much hope and love.
This is the inclusive and Latinx coastal Starshollow that we all need. The love within this town, the funny quips, the viejitos instagram and blog, the festivals, and the town wide superstition over the Santos curse. I loved every minute and I wish I could be in Port Coral spending my summers with Rosa and Ana and Mike and Alex and Liliana.
This lovely story was a letter to children of immigrants and grandchildren and family. It was a love letter to Cuba, family, hope, love, brujería, friendships, and to those that are in the middle of grief. This story will stick with me long after, and I can’t wait to see what Nina has next, for the Latinx community to see themselves in this, and I wish Rosa all the best. Thank you, Nina.
I have mixed feelings with this book. I guess I wanted to really like it but in the end it was a good narrative not great as I was expecting. Overall it was a cute fun summer read. What annoyed me was the whole "curse" thing because made me loose interest in the story tbh.
One thing that I liked very much was that the book didn't sugar coat the reality in Cuba and how people who left the country feel about the goverment and the fact that they probably won't ever go back to the island.
One thing that I liked very much was that the book didn't sugar coat the reality in Cuba and how people who left the country feel about the goverment and the fact that they probably won't ever go back to the island.
Extremely charming! A lovely summer read full of great characters and depth. I loved the little city of Port Coral, and I would happily read an entire series set there.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes