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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
A dash of Gilmore Girls, a sprinkling of Jane the Virgin, a pinch of One Day at a Time. A light yet in parts somber, cute read that taps into the complexities of an immigrant family.
A dash of Gilmore Girls, a sprinkling of Jane the Virgin, a pinch of One Day at a Time. A light yet in parts somber, cute read that taps into the complexities of an immigrant family.
4.75 stars
Summary:
Don't Date Rosa Santos is a compelling YA contemporary following Rosa's struggles with deciding where to go to college, connecting with her Cuban culture and navigating relationships when her family is cursed.
Characters 5/5:
Rosa is such a well developed character: she has a lot of complexities and issues she's dealing with, but she also has a strong connection to family, friends and the wider community around her. I loved that she felt embedded in the story with all these threads and connections which is something I can find a little lacking in contemporary stories. Although I can't directly relate to many of Rosa's experiences, I still felt such a strong emotional connection with her, and her point of view was at times heartbreaking and at other times hilariously funny. The supporting cast were also fabulous, with a strong community feel, but still everyone kept their distinct characterisations and it was just SO RICH.
Plot 5/5:
One thing that tends to bother me in many YA contemporaries is a lack of a nuanced and complicated plot, but UM THIS HAD THAT IN SPADES. There were so many plot elements that wove their way through this, including the fundraiser to save Port Coral, Rosa's budding romance with Alex, her connection to Cuba, and her relationships with both her mum and her abuela. They were all balanced expertly and I felt like each got just enough time to really sink in. There were some time jumps used in this, but they felt natural and skimmed over the right kinds of stuff to make this whole plot just POP.
Setting 4/5:
Nina Moreno did a great job of building the community and culture of this town of Port Coral. It felt so real and solid in my head, I could feel the Florida vibes seeping off it and I could imagine it in my head like I'd lived there. Unfortunately, I think a little less time was spent building the atmosphere of Havana and Rosa's abuela's hometown, so those moments weren't quite as richly set, but still fabulous!
Writing style and narration 5/5:
I thought the writing in this was great: Rosa has a strong narrative voice, so first person worked really well. The audiobook narration was also fabulous! I'm starting to learn that I prefer YA contemporaries (especially those told in first person) when I listen to them on audiobook, they feel more personal and I engage with the characters better, so I'm glad that's the route I chose for this story. Also, I cried during this, and not even just at the points you would have expected. Rosa's connection to culture and her family really spoke to me and there was one point I started sobbing in my car so that's fun! I can't wait to see what else Nina Moreno comes out with, I'll definitely pick up more from her in the future!
Summary:
Don't Date Rosa Santos is a compelling YA contemporary following Rosa's struggles with deciding where to go to college, connecting with her Cuban culture and navigating relationships when her family is cursed.
Characters 5/5:
Rosa is such a well developed character: she has a lot of complexities and issues she's dealing with, but she also has a strong connection to family, friends and the wider community around her. I loved that she felt embedded in the story with all these threads and connections which is something I can find a little lacking in contemporary stories. Although I can't directly relate to many of Rosa's experiences, I still felt such a strong emotional connection with her, and her point of view was at times heartbreaking and at other times hilariously funny. The supporting cast were also fabulous, with a strong community feel, but still everyone kept their distinct characterisations and it was just SO RICH.
Plot 5/5:
One thing that tends to bother me in many YA contemporaries is a lack of a nuanced and complicated plot, but UM THIS HAD THAT IN SPADES. There were so many plot elements that wove their way through this, including the fundraiser to save Port Coral, Rosa's budding romance with Alex, her connection to Cuba, and her relationships with both her mum and her abuela. They were all balanced expertly and I felt like each got just enough time to really sink in. There were some time jumps used in this, but they felt natural and skimmed over the right kinds of stuff to make this whole plot just POP.
Setting 4/5:
Nina Moreno did a great job of building the community and culture of this town of Port Coral. It felt so real and solid in my head, I could feel the Florida vibes seeping off it and I could imagine it in my head like I'd lived there. Unfortunately, I think a little less time was spent building the atmosphere of Havana and Rosa's abuela's hometown, so those moments weren't quite as richly set, but still fabulous!
Writing style and narration 5/5:
I thought the writing in this was great: Rosa has a strong narrative voice, so first person worked really well. The audiobook narration was also fabulous! I'm starting to learn that I prefer YA contemporaries (especially those told in first person) when I listen to them on audiobook, they feel more personal and I engage with the characters better, so I'm glad that's the route I chose for this story. Also, I cried during this, and not even just at the points you would have expected. Rosa's connection to culture and her family really spoke to me and there was one point I started sobbing in my car so that's fun! I can't wait to see what else Nina Moreno comes out with, I'll definitely pick up more from her in the future!
I absolutely adored this book. I loved ALL of the characters and the ways that they interacted with one another.
I loved this so much. One of my favourite YA Contemporay stories. Great characters, setting and I loved all of it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s a cute, easy beach read. Rosa Santos, grand-daughter of a Cuban refugee, dreams of seeing Cuba. Her abuela Mimi is the curandera of their coastal town of Port Coral. Her mother Lilliana is an artist who is away most of the time. Both Mimi and Lilliana fell in love and lost their men in tragic sea accidents so the Santos women are said to be cursed . Main conflicts: The local marina is about to be sold so Rosa decides that putting the town’s efforts into their annual Spring Fest will draw enough tourists dollars to save it. Also Rosa does not know where exactly she wants to finish college- only that she is hoping to see Cuba through a study abroad program. Rosa agrees to help plan/organize the events and the wedding of two townspeople. Enter handsome sailor/baker, Alejandro “Alex” Aquino, son of the people who own the marina. He is back and her former schoolmate is also interested in saving the marina. Rosa and Alex fall for each other. Spring Fest is successful. Rosa confronts the curse by sailing in a regatta with Alex, which they win. Mimi dies and Rosa and her mother bring her ashes back to Cuba, where she finds Alex waiting for her in the harbor to go on a sailing adventure.
This is a beautiful story. I liked it and gave it 4 stars although my enjoyment was just 3 stars but the culture and the meanings here deserve a star more.If you are a fan of magical realism,you would give it 5 stars. I didn't know it was magical realism and I didn't like the parts as the rituals and that stuff but it was okay cause I wanted to continue the story.
I liked the characters.I loved Rosa alot and it had been a while since I saw a strong character without being annoying or rude. I loved Alex as well but I think we didn't know enough about him.
The family dynamics here was beautiful. I loved the grandmother and the mother. I loved how friendly the mother was.
The contest was a little long in my opinion but I can understand why the author did that. She gave me the details of the town and made me as a reader love it.
I liked the characters.I loved Rosa alot and it had been a while since I saw a strong character without being annoying or rude. I loved Alex as well but I think we didn't know enough about him.
The family dynamics here was beautiful. I loved the grandmother and the mother. I loved how friendly the mother was.
The contest was a little long in my opinion but I can understand why the author did that. She gave me the details of the town and made me as a reader love it.
Dear Rosa Santos,
Welcome to my all-times-favorite bookshelf.
You made me smile, you warmed my heart, you made me cry, you made me feel all the emotions and I will most likely recommend you to everyone all around because you are just that amazing <3
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin'
Welcome to my all-times-favorite bookshelf.
You made me smile, you warmed my heart, you made me cry, you made me feel all the emotions and I will most likely recommend you to everyone all around because you are just that amazing <3
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin'
Many thanks to Ian at Disney Hyperion for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
"I was a collection of hyphens and bilingual words. Always caught in between. Two schools, two languages, two countries. Never quite right or enough for either."
To be completely honest, this book just made me realize how not in touch with my heritage I am.... whoops.
So, what's this book about?
Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that's what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you're a boy with a boat.
But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.
As her college decision looms, Rosa collides - literally - with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?
Believe it or not, I am 50% Latino which... I think makes me biracial? I'm not sure... I don't know these things. But anyway, I know some of the stuff that was in this book and some of it I didn't know but I came away realizing I don't know as much as I probably should about my heritage...
This book was a really fun and fluffy book to read. It gave me the Babysitters Club vibe. I also loved the blend of light romance and actual real-life problems and challenges that a lot of people have faced or (like me. eek) will be facing very soon.
I wasn't totally a fan of the whole curse things because it did feel like a bit of a cheap way to squeeze in conflict and I think there could have been a better more logical way to do it but oh well.
Overall, this book was fluffy and heartfelt and I highly recommend it!
Bottom Line:
4 stars
Age Rating - [ PG ]
Content Screening (Mild Spoilers)
Positive Messages (4/5) - [Dealing with grief, Choosing your own needs over the expectations of others]
Violence (2/5) - [Brief near-drowning, Heart attack]
Sex (2/5) - [Sexual themes, Kissing]
Language (1/5) - [Mild language]
Drinking/Drugs (0/0)
Publication Date: May 14th, 2019
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Hachette Book Group)
Genre: Young Adult/Romance
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Cute and bittersweet! Review to come
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thank you, Chelsea for the rec during the (chaotic) Contemporary-a-thon Livestream!!
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*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
This was a treat to read.
The writing is so well, the atmosphere of the book surrounded me and truly made me visualize the colors and sounds of the community. Everything is so colorful and held such joy, while any less than joyous moments were also detailed well.
The thing is, even though there are some sad or anxious moments, the main takeaway I have of this book is just how sweet it is. There is a huge sense of family, both those by blood and those of the community we accept.
I liked Rosa as a character as well. She thinks she has her life planned out for her, but in the face of change realizes she has to come up with new plans. She is a planner and willing to try new things. She also mentions a lack of romantic interests in the past, but does say she has crushed on both guys and gals. Her romance with Alex is adorable and sweet, while also potentially cursed making her waffle about what to do. Alex is charming though and I did wish we had more of him in the book. But more of him would have meant less time for family matters.
Because romance isn't the main part of this book, I truly think it is about family and learning how to move forward in life without having to leave your past...if that makes sense.
And while I will gush about how cute an sweet this book is, it also took my emotions for a ride. I wasn't a huge fan of the last chapter or so of the book -- I thought it dragged some-- but it rounds out the story and the topic of the curse -- another reason why I also mark this book as magical realism.
I definitely recommend this one to people looking for a summer read, or something about identity and family.
This was a treat to read.
The writing is so well, the atmosphere of the book surrounded me and truly made me visualize the colors and sounds of the community. Everything is so colorful and held such joy, while any less than joyous moments were also detailed well.
The thing is, even though there are some sad or anxious moments, the main takeaway I have of this book is just how sweet it is. There is a huge sense of family, both those by blood and those of the community we accept.
I liked Rosa as a character as well. She thinks she has her life planned out for her, but in the face of change realizes she has to come up with new plans. She is a planner and willing to try new things. She also mentions a lack of romantic interests in the past, but does say she has crushed on both guys and gals. Her romance with Alex is adorable and sweet, while also potentially cursed making her waffle about what to do. Alex is charming though and I did wish we had more of him in the book. But more of him would have meant less time for family matters.
Because romance isn't the main part of this book, I truly think it is about family and learning how to move forward in life without having to leave your past...if that makes sense.
And while I will gush about how cute an sweet this book is, it also took my emotions for a ride. I wasn't a huge fan of the last chapter or so of the book -- I thought it dragged some-- but it rounds out the story and the topic of the curse -- another reason why I also mark this book as magical realism.
I definitely recommend this one to people looking for a summer read, or something about identity and family.