Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
"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 by an island, the sea, or our own stubborn hearts, I don't know."
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
**Content Warning: Death, family member's death are brought up often.**
This was such a sweet and beautifully written book! I completely fell in love with Port Coral and it's tight knit community. It had so many general Florida references and it was so fun to read them, the town of Port Coral just felt so real. I may have also screamed a bit when the area I currently live in, and the university I went to, were mentioned.
I adored Rosa so so much, the second she started going on about her bullet journal I was just sold on her. The dedication she has for meeting goals was fantastic, no matter the issue she's there helping out and planning a path for success. Now Rosa and Alex absolutely killed me with every interaction they had, it was so cute!!
Rosa's relationship with the women in her family is very complicated, but despite all their differences and misunderstandings I was glad there was always that emphasis on just how much these women love each other. Mimi was such a cool and wise grandmother, she definitely made me miss my own grandmother a lot. I loved how her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants was a huge part in helping their local community. How everyone could just go to her and she would have a solution for their problems. Also Mimi's garden room is the stuff of my dreams!!!
Now when I heard about the curse I wasn't sure what to expect for that. I enjoyed the way the family curse was shown to have such a strong grip on so much of their lives. This was a serious issue for them, and I'm glad it was never downplayed. Now I also appreciate how the subject of brujería was handled so beautifully. How it was just a very normal part of Rosa's life, and doing it came so naturally to her. I loved how casually she could bring it up with her friends or others within the community, and how it was never seen in a negative light.
Overall this is such a beautiful book about family and finding yourself. Rosa takes you on such a huge adventure, and I loved every single moment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
**Content Warning: Death, family member's death are brought up often.**
This was such a sweet and beautifully written book! I completely fell in love with Port Coral and it's tight knit community. It had so many general Florida references and it was so fun to read them, the town of Port Coral just felt so real. I may have also screamed a bit when the area I currently live in, and the university I went to, were mentioned.
I adored Rosa so so much, the second she started going on about her bullet journal I was just sold on her. The dedication she has for meeting goals was fantastic, no matter the issue she's there helping out and planning a path for success. Now Rosa and Alex absolutely killed me with every interaction they had, it was so cute!!
Rosa's relationship with the women in her family is very complicated, but despite all their differences and misunderstandings I was glad there was always that emphasis on just how much these women love each other. Mimi was such a cool and wise grandmother, she definitely made me miss my own grandmother a lot. I loved how her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants was a huge part in helping their local community. How everyone could just go to her and she would have a solution for their problems. Also Mimi's garden room is the stuff of my dreams!!!
Now when I heard about the curse I wasn't sure what to expect for that. I enjoyed the way the family curse was shown to have such a strong grip on so much of their lives. This was a serious issue for them, and I'm glad it was never downplayed. Now I also appreciate how the subject of brujería was handled so beautifully. How it was just a very normal part of Rosa's life, and doing it came so naturally to her. I loved how casually she could bring it up with her friends or others within the community, and how it was never seen in a negative light.
Overall this is such a beautiful book about family and finding yourself. Rosa takes you on such a huge adventure, and I loved every single moment.
This book was warm, heartbreaking, delightful, and so so... beautifully human.
I adore this book immensely, and adore Rosa Santos even more.
- Follows Rosa Santos, a bi Cuban-American teen who lives in the small coastal town of Port Coral with her abuela. The story is an array of threads that weave together to form a wonderful slice-of-life story in a pivotal moment in Rosa's life: deciding on a college, in which one may possibly give her the opportunity to visit Cuba and learn more about her heritage.
But then, of course, enter a boy named Alex. Things change.
- This story is about family, family curses, the choices that we make, finding your place in the world, saving your home from gentrification, love, and being part of diaspora. It's a complex and beautiful story, filled with the ups and downs that life may throw at us.
- I loved all the characters and really felt like I knew them by the end. Moreno is incredible with words and her characters have so much life and spark in them.
- The story takes an unexpected turn towards the end - one that left me crying in bed because (a) it was heartbreaking, and (b) something similar happened to me last year. Please see trigger warnings for this, as I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.
- This story is a love-letter to diaspora teens everywhere. I related so much to Rosa, and I think a lot of diaspora teens will relate to her too.
Trigger/content warning:mentions of death of a loved one, death of a loved one, grief, heart attack, anxiety
I adore this book immensely, and adore Rosa Santos even more.
- Follows Rosa Santos, a bi Cuban-American teen who lives in the small coastal town of Port Coral with her abuela. The story is an array of threads that weave together to form a wonderful slice-of-life story in a pivotal moment in Rosa's life: deciding on a college, in which one may possibly give her the opportunity to visit Cuba and learn more about her heritage.
But then, of course, enter a boy named Alex. Things change.
- This story is about family, family curses, the choices that we make, finding your place in the world, saving your home from gentrification, love, and being part of diaspora. It's a complex and beautiful story, filled with the ups and downs that life may throw at us.
- I loved all the characters and really felt like I knew them by the end. Moreno is incredible with words and her characters have so much life and spark in them.
- The story takes an unexpected turn towards the end - one that left me crying in bed because (a) it was heartbreaking, and (b) something similar happened to me last year. Please see trigger warnings for this, as I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.
- This story is a love-letter to diaspora teens everywhere. I related so much to Rosa, and I think a lot of diaspora teens will relate to her too.
Trigger/content warning:
Don’t Date Rosa Santos is cute, fun, and heartfelt. The family, romance, and self-discovery threads are well-balanced, and the line level writing is so gorgeous it often made me gasp out loud. I adored it.
TWs: On-page death, xenophobia.
I was hoping for a fun, wholesome YA romance with this book and I got so, so much more. Don't Date Rosa Santos deals with themes of identity, diaspora, family tensions, absent parents, college decisions, and cultural heritage. Rosa is charismatic, smart, and level-headed, and I loved listening to her narrate the trials and tribulations of her life on audio. (The audiobook narrator is great.)
There's soft romance, town festivals, brujeria, and a matriarchal family with the strongest of bonds. There's also incredible sadness woven into this book and Rosa's feelings of grief spoke to me in a way I wasn't expecting. Basically, this book exceeded all my expectations and I'm so glad I picked it up.
I was hoping for a fun, wholesome YA romance with this book and I got so, so much more. Don't Date Rosa Santos deals with themes of identity, diaspora, family tensions, absent parents, college decisions, and cultural heritage. Rosa is charismatic, smart, and level-headed, and I loved listening to her narrate the trials and tribulations of her life on audio. (The audiobook narrator is great.)
There's soft romance, town festivals, brujeria, and a matriarchal family with the strongest of bonds. There's also incredible sadness woven into this book and Rosa's feelings of grief spoke to me in a way I wasn't expecting. Basically, this book exceeded all my expectations and I'm so glad I picked it up.
3.5 stars
half the time I loved it and half the time I got so annoyed or bored that it pulled me out of the story. love me some casual diversity tho!
half the time I loved it and half the time I got so annoyed or bored that it pulled me out of the story. love me some casual diversity tho!
***3.5 I'm sad I didn't like this as much as I expected to. I absolutely loved the family and culture aspect, but for a title that implies the romance would be the center of the story, it wasn't a great plot point
If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. My favorite book in a really long time
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes