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machster9's review against another edition
3.0
There were certain aspects of this book I enjoyed; the dilemma faced by a Latino teenager, trying to fit in with her peers in a predominately white school, find her identity, and establish independence from her parents; two young women from different backgrounds, establishing an unlikely relationship because they provided a view into a life each of them thought they were missing out on; the "girl who has everything", who wishes for the one thing she doesn't have - a loving relationship with her parents. In the end, though, I really found it hard to like any of the characters. I recall having difficult relationships with girlfriends in high school, but these two were just awful to each other, most of the time. Rocky's parents were self-centered, ignorant of their children's needs, and uncaring about anyone but themselves. Out of anyone, I empathized the most with Maria's parents, who, although dealing with their own issues, clearly wanted the best for their children in the long run.
whatsbeckyreading's review against another edition
1.0
Glad that this one was an Amazon Prime freebie. I was never really sure what it was about, and when the protag's best friend's dad began a relationship with the protag (a teenager) I was done.
zlovatt's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
erincataldi's review against another edition
2.0
Debut author, Stephanie Jimenez, doesn't pull any punches in this arresting coming of age novel. Wealth, racism, and privilege duke it out in this powerful young adult story between two unlikely friends. Maria comes from a close knit family in Queens down on their luck financially and Rocky comes from the Upper East Side where she uses her money as a shield from family drama. Together they attend an elite girls school and find themselves drawn to each other. Their budding friendship is riddled with questions and boundaries as they navigate unexpected jealousy that threatens to tear them apart. What happens when you want something so bad that you'll stop at nothing to secure it for yourself? Family and friendships pale in comparison to the deepest unspoken desires of both Maria and Rocky and the choices they make will effect far more than their friendship. Brilliantly narrated by Almarie Guerra, who gives the young girls authenticity and youthful naivete. Sincere, at times uncomfortable, and always authentic; this teen novel will appeal to readers of all ages.
pamjsa's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't finish. This book has no plot and randomly skips among points of view. The writing itself is sometimes engaging, which is why it gets 2 stars rather than 1.
t_a_matz's review against another edition
5.0
Great book
Enjoyed the story and the writing. Would never have thought it was for me if I didn’t get it in my Prime account. Glad I read it.
Enjoyed the story and the writing. Would never have thought it was for me if I didn’t get it in my Prime account. Glad I read it.
wildgurl's review against another edition
3.0
They Could Have Named Her Anything:A Novel
by Stephanie Jimenez
2019
Little a books
3.5 /5.0
The main themes of this difficult novel are teen angst and racism. I found it hard to connect to the characters, it was a good story, overall.
Maria struggles to find her identity at Bell Seminary in Queen, NY, in 2006. This books reminds us there is personal education and academic education. That some friends accept you and some merely tolerate you when in their presence.
A good story, I just didnt like the characters much.
by Stephanie Jimenez
2019
Little a books
3.5 /5.0
The main themes of this difficult novel are teen angst and racism. I found it hard to connect to the characters, it was a good story, overall.
Maria struggles to find her identity at Bell Seminary in Queen, NY, in 2006. This books reminds us there is personal education and academic education. That some friends accept you and some merely tolerate you when in their presence.
A good story, I just didnt like the characters much.
megatsunami's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't care for this book. 3 stars because there was some original and interesting writing. But I felt the characters were very stereotyped, especially Rocky. The main character Maria didn't really feel coherent. She seemed to have totally different values and opinions and behaviors at different times throughout the book. Also I just really disliked a major aspect of the plot - and wouldn't have probably chosen to read the book if I'd realized that was going to happen. It felt icky to me.
Also, it seemed like the entire POV of both the dads was looking at themselves in the mirror and thinking about how they weren't attractive anymore. The moms (although we didn't hear their POV) also got a lot of commentary about whether or not they wore makeup and how they looked with or without it. It felt like a take-away message of the book is that anyone over 40 feels old and ugly and doesn't have value except maybe kind of as a parent.
Spoiler
the whole American-Beauty-esque plot with Maria hooking up with her friend's dadAlso, it seemed like the entire POV of both the dads was looking at themselves in the mirror and thinking about how they weren't attractive anymore. The moms (although we didn't hear their POV) also got a lot of commentary about whether or not they wore makeup and how they looked with or without it. It felt like a take-away message of the book is that anyone over 40 feels old and ugly and doesn't have value except maybe kind of as a parent.
rennegade's review against another edition
2.0
Whew, this one was... rough.
This novel was picked by students as the choice for a university book club I co-host. I am always down for new authors and diverse characters, so I dug in with enthusiasm.
I don't really know what to say about the book. Parts of it were interesting, but other parts were either slightly confusing, nonsensical, or straight up boring. All of the characters - every single one except maaaybe Karen - were unlikable. They were all poorly-formed caricatures totally lacking depth and full of stereotypes. The writing often took the long and winding road to the point, and the characters/plot were not good enough to afford it that luxury.
It was a quick read, and it will definitely provide the content for an interesting discussion, but this was definitely not my favorite.
This novel was picked by students as the choice for a university book club I co-host. I am always down for new authors and diverse characters, so I dug in with enthusiasm.
I don't really know what to say about the book. Parts of it were interesting, but other parts were either slightly confusing, nonsensical, or straight up boring. All of the characters - every single one except maaaybe Karen - were unlikable. They were all poorly-formed caricatures totally lacking depth and full of stereotypes. The writing often took the long and winding road to the point, and the characters/plot were not good enough to afford it that luxury.
It was a quick read, and it will definitely provide the content for an interesting discussion, but this was definitely not my favorite.
alyssah3768's review
2.0
The story line was very slow and choppy. The jump between characters was good because you got to see all sides of the story; however, It didn't always give the other person's side in every situation. And I was definitely not satisfied in the end. I feel like strings were left untied, especially with Rocky and Maria. Overall, I was not a huge fan of this book and found it hard to continue reading. I finished it only because I hate leaving a book unread.