Reviews

Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira

intherightlight's review

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

karty_v's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-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? Yes

3.0

Not terrible but Carmen's mom & tía PISSED me tf off! Like adults being this childish REALLY irritates me now. I know it's a story & I know they redeem themselves but it was so irritating that I skipped a few chapters just to get to the conclusion 😂

redlikerosebuds's review

funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

pinesandpages's review

3.0

This was fine

mrsjoylovesbooks's review against another edition

5.0

I adored this cute Latinx-flavored YA story. I have lived most of my life in South Texas and quinceañeras are a really big deal down here. For my own 15th birthday, my parents gave me a choice of having a quince or taking a trip to Spain & France. I chose the trip, but to 14 year old me that was not an easy decision. All of my friends were having these fancy quinces and I wanted one too. I’m sure my personal connection to the tradition helped me connect to the story as well. This book is funny yet the family dynamics also add emotion. I can totally see how it’s been compared to the telenovela Jane the Virgin. Carmen’s relationships with Ariana, Mauro, Alex, even her mother and her tia...I was intrigued to follow along and see where Carmen figured out what and who she really wanted in her life.

megs_s's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

audri_thebibliophile's review

lighthearted slow-paced

2.0

kateleos's review

3.0

I didn't LOVE this, but it was diverting, which was what I needed.

katgothertongue's review against another edition

5.0

Full disclosure, I first encountered this novel when it was still in a fetus stage as a part of my writing group. But it was an absolute joy to read the final product after editing and rewrites. Encountering a heroine like Carmen, who can be difficult, stubborn, judgmental, and at times, a general pain in the a**, yet you still root for her and hope she gets her happy ending was an absolute pleasure. All of the characters, including the side characters, were multi-dimensional and truly human, not just props to move the main story along. I laughed, I cried (no really... I cried, and I'm not a cryer...). Not going to lie - I am picturing a Netflix adaptation in my head because it really would be perfect for that platform. And if I were at all skilled in video editing, like our heroine, I would probably create a trailer.

I'm just trying to come up with the ship name now.

book_nut's review

4.0

Super cute. Loved the narrator.