Reviews

Don't Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

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readingtheskyline's review against another edition

3.0

It was nice, I liked the story and I thought the characters were really nice. There were times that I would lag reading it but once I picked it up again, I had a hard time putting it down.

thenextgenlib's review against another edition

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4.0

“I would have my own stories from the island that, for so long, had been an heirloom I couldn't touch.”

literarilyjess's review against another edition

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5.0

What a gorgeous debut!!! I wanted to read this as soon as I saw that Gilmore Girls comp, but I wasn’t expecting to be quite so swept away. I inhaled this book and it smelled like lemon and saltwater. Utterly captivating from the first page.

sandmoe's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was written with so much care and it was sosososo lovely to read.

thiccadonna's review against another edition

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4.0

Honestly this book is a fine (and rare) example of contemporary YA done right. This tackles themes of identity, the disconnect between the diaspora and a land they both supposedly hail from but have never experienced first hand, the complex relationship between one and one's original country when the latter is being held by an oppressive dictatorship, the inherited culture and spirituality brown people and especially latinx people carry with them and sow the seeds of in next generations...and it does so in a very accessible manner without diluting the complexities of such subjects. I very much appreciated the very casual queerness infused in this book: Rosa's guidance counselor is gay and is raising a child with his partner, Alex's sister has a wife, and Rosa (albeit in passing and briefly) mentions having harbored a crush on a girl so our protagonist is very much bi! The most surprising thing abt this book is that I was actually invested in the romantic subplot. It's been a WHILE since a book had me rooting for heteros but Alex is SUCH a good love interest and the romance was very well-executed. All in all this book had heart and was a very enjoyable read.

raeanne's review against another edition

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4.0

>Loved it, flew through it.
>Very cute and sweet YA romance. It felt pretty shallow to me, w/ no common bond. But it's character growth & plot movement for someone who's been stagnant & reactionary. One of the few times I can remember where I'm rooting for the main couple to amicably settle into friendship & move on eventually. I'd like to see a follow-up with that situation & college TBH.
>Love the understated mundane magical realism.
>I love the daughter, mother, grandmother dynamic. That's what my family is made of, though we're not cursed as such.
>Really felt the push/pull between the generations, the Cuban diaspora.
>The Obamas in Cuba.. WOW. I knew it was huge but Rosa describing it made me tear up.
>Ending of senior year
>Driven academic overachiever planner extraordinaire
>Best friend Girl drummer
>Sibling teasing
>A wedding
>Community action
>Small businesses
>Men baking
>Boy with a boat
>Almost drowning
>Treasure hunt
>Conquering fears
>Unpacking baggage
>Figuring out what you really want
>Going for it.
>I love the ending. Its trust and freedom, with a buoyant feeling of hope.