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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
*3,5*
If you like Jane The Virgin and Gilmore Girls you will enjoy this book.
It was a really quick pick and I never really expected to read this book. But here we are.
I really like the story and I have so much vibes from JTV that I smile every time I notice something!
We have a really quite romance but thank God it’s not the main focus. I really like the how it was handled, mother to daughter relationship. We have grandma, mother and Rosa all the small details was such a good story between them!
Overall I enjoy this book and it was really quite one.
If you like Jane The Virgin and Gilmore Girls you will enjoy this book.
It was a really quick pick and I never really expected to read this book. But here we are.
I really like the story and I have so much vibes from JTV that I smile every time I notice something!
We have a really quite romance but thank God it’s not the main focus. I really like the how it was handled, mother to daughter relationship. We have grandma, mother and Rosa all the small details was such a good story between them!
Overall I enjoy this book and it was really quite one.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
A sweet, dive into what it's like to be a child of the diaspora. I loved Rosa's voice and seeing her grow throughout the book. She has courage, wit, and strong determination to follow her heart. She's an admirable main character.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Rosa Santos grew up believing she was cursed. Her father and grandfather died at sea, leaving her shrouded in bad luck. As Rosa prepares to go to college, she falls in love with a boy with a boat and tattoos of the ocean. She rebels against her grandmother. She yearns for her mother to be back permanently in her life. And most of all, she wants to find where she belongs.
The title and cover of this book is very misleading. I began it thinking it was going to be a cute, lighthearted romance. What I got was a story of a young girl stuck in the middle of two cultures, yearning to find the right path and to find an understanding of her family and culture.
The book takes place in a short amount of time in a small, closeknit town in Florida as Rosa is deciding what college to go to. In addition to that, the town is trying to save its harbor; Rosa falls in love with a sailor boy; and her mother has come back to town.
Like many people, I saw a lot of similarities to Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow in Rosa's Port Coral. Everyone knows each other; they have town meetings; and they are a community. But it might be even better than Star Hollow. It is diverse. There are people of different ethnicities, sexualities, and beliefs. It is so effortless how Moreno includes a diverse cast that it really shows you how ridiculous it is that more books don't have it.
The "curse" on the Santos family is a big part of the story and at first I thought it was going to make this more of a magical realism book. But it doesn't read that way at all. The magic that Rosa's grandmother does, the curse, and the spells that Rosa does are all deeply steeped in realism. It felt more like someone saying a prayer than some sort of fantastical magic. Moreno easily could have made it surreal or even weird and out of place, but it was more like how families have certain beliefs that will fix things for you. I loved that aspect of this book.
Don't Date Rosa Santos was way more than I expected. The relationship between Rosa, her grandmother, and her mother is the central storyline here. It is a unique standout among YA books. The romance is really just a secondary storyline while Moreno explores aspects of diaspora, fleeing your home country, and the struggle with figuring out where your home really is.
**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**
The title and cover of this book is very misleading. I began it thinking it was going to be a cute, lighthearted romance. What I got was a story of a young girl stuck in the middle of two cultures, yearning to find the right path and to find an understanding of her family and culture.
The book takes place in a short amount of time in a small, closeknit town in Florida as Rosa is deciding what college to go to. In addition to that, the town is trying to save its harbor; Rosa falls in love with a sailor boy; and her mother has come back to town.
Like many people, I saw a lot of similarities to Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow in Rosa's Port Coral. Everyone knows each other; they have town meetings; and they are a community. But it might be even better than Star Hollow. It is diverse. There are people of different ethnicities, sexualities, and beliefs. It is so effortless how Moreno includes a diverse cast that it really shows you how ridiculous it is that more books don't have it.
The "curse" on the Santos family is a big part of the story and at first I thought it was going to make this more of a magical realism book. But it doesn't read that way at all. The magic that Rosa's grandmother does, the curse, and the spells that Rosa does are all deeply steeped in realism. It felt more like someone saying a prayer than some sort of fantastical magic. Moreno easily could have made it surreal or even weird and out of place, but it was more like how families have certain beliefs that will fix things for you. I loved that aspect of this book.
Don't Date Rosa Santos was way more than I expected. The relationship between Rosa, her grandmother, and her mother is the central storyline here. It is a unique standout among YA books. The romance is really just a secondary storyline while Moreno explores aspects of diaspora, fleeing your home country, and the struggle with figuring out where your home really is.
**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**
The lullaby of my life is that to know the sea is to know love, but to love us is to lose everything. We’re cursed, they still whisper, but it’s by an island, the sea, or out own stubborn hearts, I don’t know.
3.5 stars
Rosa Santos is an bookish, ambitious student, who has secretly applied for a university that offers a semester abroad in Cuba, where her family’s from. Her grandma Mimi doesn’t know because she wouldn’t approve. Her mother doesn’t know because she’s never home. She travels because being home in Port Coral reminds her too much of the past.
That past is an important part of this story, which is one of diaspora, the pain that comes with it, but also one of curses and witchcraft. Both Mimi and Rosa’s mom lost their husbands to the sea, which is why people whisper that the Santos women are cursed. Which is also why Rosa is horrified when she starts falling for handsome sailor Alex.
Now that I’m writing this down, it sounds like a pretty good story and I’m wondering where it went wrong... It wasn’t badly written, it was not like anything I’ve ever read before. I really liked the elements of magic and witchcraft, because I feel like you almost can’t write about Latina women without it.
Perhaps the story was too ambitious. It was a romance, but also a family tale, a tale about diaspora, a coming of age story, but also a tale of magic, which all happened while Rosa was planning a wedding, a festival. You get me?
Maybe that’s a bit too much to really pull off in 230 pages.
3.5 stars
Rosa Santos is an bookish, ambitious student, who has secretly applied for a university that offers a semester abroad in Cuba, where her family’s from. Her grandma Mimi doesn’t know because she wouldn’t approve. Her mother doesn’t know because she’s never home. She travels because being home in Port Coral reminds her too much of the past.
That past is an important part of this story, which is one of diaspora, the pain that comes with it, but also one of curses and witchcraft. Both Mimi and Rosa’s mom lost their husbands to the sea, which is why people whisper that the Santos women are cursed. Which is also why Rosa is horrified when she starts falling for handsome sailor Alex.
Now that I’m writing this down, it sounds like a pretty good story and I’m wondering where it went wrong... It wasn’t badly written, it was not like anything I’ve ever read before. I really liked the elements of magic and witchcraft, because I feel like you almost can’t write about Latina women without it.
Perhaps the story was too ambitious. It was a romance, but also a family tale, a tale about diaspora, a coming of age story, but also a tale of magic, which all happened while Rosa was planning a wedding, a festival. You get me?
Maybe that’s a bit too much to really pull off in 230 pages.
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The longer I think about this book the more I love it. First of this book is so much more then just a romance. This is especially about family and the feeling of belonging. It’s about Rosa learning more about herself and about this family which has a tragic background and still needs to learn to talk about those things. I would go so far to say that the love story is only a side story. Thought a very cute and lovable one.
All the characters in this book felt so real and I like them so much. Besides that the scenery was described great now I wish I could visit this place!
On a side note she often talks about a certain Cuban pastry and since it always sounded so delicious I even bought the ingredients to make it myself.
All the characters in this book felt so real and I like them so much. Besides that the scenery was described great now I wish I could visit this place!
On a side note she often talks about a certain Cuban pastry and since it always sounded so delicious I even bought the ingredients to make it myself.
3.5 stars. This book was cute. It had the small town vibes of Gilmore Girls with the magical realism and generational drama of Jane the Virgin. The characters were fun and quirky. Rosa was an endearing narrator, really funny, and genuine.
However, I really didn’t like the ending and the turn the story took. It felt odd and out of place with the rest of the book. I wasn’t a fan of the witchcraft elements, but that’s just a matter of personal preference.
However, I really didn’t like the ending and the turn the story took. It felt odd and out of place with the rest of the book. I wasn’t a fan of the witchcraft elements, but that’s just a matter of personal preference.
3.5 stars.
I'm not sure I'm going to be able to put my thoughts about this book into words properly, but I'll try. Overall I really enjoyed DDRS; the entire book gave me major summer-y vibes, I liked how it was a light YA at times and in other times it handled serious topics, and I liked how it showed parts of the Cuban culture.
I've mentioned in my review that I'm a child of immigrants myself and even though Rosa's family and mine come from different countries and our own experiences are a bit different, I was still very interested in her story. I think that everything that has to do with immigration, the characters' longing for Cuba and Rosa's connection to the Cuban culture and to Cuba itself is this book's strongest side as well as my personal favorite. The relationship between the three generations in Rosa's family was interesting to read about and I really liked that aspect of the story, it felt real.
Another thing I liked about Rosa's story is the friendships and the relationships within the neighborhood. I really enjoyed Rosa's relationship with Ana Maria and they're both just lovely loyal friends. The relationships between the people of the neighborhood were sweet and entertaining, and the moment that probably touched me the most was when Rosa felt like the viejitos were her grandads.
The romance makes me feel a bit torn. I was excited about it, but it did feel rushed. However, I did like that Rosa ends up falling for the last person she should fall for (because same) and that it challenged her in facing her fears.
I could probably talk for an hour about the similarities between Rosa and me when it comes to relationships and immigration, but I won't, lol.
There are two main things that I didn't like about Don't Date Rosa Santos. The first one is the writing; it isn't bad writing and there were parts that I loved, but there were several parts where the writing felt a bit messy and I needed to reread the paragraph a few times. The second one is a bit connected to the first one - the transitions between scenes and things that happened. It felt to me that some scenes ended too quickly or didn't get enough time, even though it might fit Rosa's character.
There's a scene in the water at the end with Rosa and her mom that I'm not the biggest fan of, but I'm not letting it effect my opinion of the book too much.
P.s. I'm lowkey proud of myself for understanding all the parts in Spanish.
P.s.s.
I'm not sure I'm going to be able to put my thoughts about this book into words properly, but I'll try. Overall I really enjoyed DDRS; the entire book gave me major summer-y vibes, I liked how it was a light YA at times and in other times it handled serious topics, and I liked how it showed parts of the Cuban culture.
I've mentioned in my review that I'm a child of immigrants myself and even though Rosa's family and mine come from different countries and our own experiences are a bit different, I was still very interested in her story. I think that everything that has to do with immigration, the characters' longing for Cuba and Rosa's connection to the Cuban culture and to Cuba itself is this book's strongest side as well as my personal favorite. The relationship between the three generations in Rosa's family was interesting to read about and I really liked that aspect of the story, it felt real.
Another thing I liked about Rosa's story is the friendships and the relationships within the neighborhood. I really enjoyed Rosa's relationship with Ana Maria and they're both just lovely loyal friends. The relationships between the people of the neighborhood were sweet and entertaining, and the moment that probably touched me the most was when Rosa felt like the viejitos were her grandads.
The romance makes me feel a bit torn. I was excited about it, but it did feel rushed. However, I did like that Rosa ends up falling for the last person she should fall for (because same) and that it challenged her in facing her fears.
I could probably talk for an hour about the similarities between Rosa and me when it comes to relationships and immigration, but I won't, lol.
There are two main things that I didn't like about Don't Date Rosa Santos. The first one is the writing; it isn't bad writing and there were parts that I loved, but there were several parts where the writing felt a bit messy and I needed to reread the paragraph a few times. The second one is a bit connected to the first one - the transitions between scenes and things that happened. It felt to me that some scenes ended too quickly or didn't get enough time, even though it might fit Rosa's character.
There's a scene in the water at the end with Rosa and her mom that I'm not the biggest fan of, but I'm not letting it effect my opinion of the book too much.
P.s. I'm lowkey proud of myself for understanding all the parts in Spanish.
P.s.s.
