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bookiecharm 's review for:
Don't Date Rosa Santos
by Nina Moreno
Wow. I feel so full. I'll carry this feeling of hope and light forever. 🌺🌊
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I decided to write up a full review even though the above really captures how I felt once I finished and how I feel about this gem now.
Nina Moreno created an unforgettable story that will resonate so much with Cuban-Americans and other Latinx folx like me. The title Don't Date Rosa Santos entices you with the promise of a YA summer romance but offers a story about, not only loving a boy, but also loving your mother, grandmother, homeland, and community. Don't get me wrong, Alex was a great love interest too! A boy that bakes and loves the sea? I also loved that Rosa defended him with this wonderful line: "There's a lot of pressure for immigrants and their kids when we want to make good on sacrifices." This is a story about loss, love, and the power of healing after generations of inflicted trauma.
The Santos women are cursed to lose the men they love to the sea. Born in Cuba, Rosa's mother comes to Port Coral in a boat pregnant with Rosa. Rosa's mother handles the loss of Cuba and her husband with anger. Rosa's abuela, Mimi, handles her own loss by burying all her wounds away. This leaves Rosa feeling somewhere in between. Neither here nor there.
Rosa feels a hole inside that can never seemed to be filled. The family curse was such a smart way of exploring the intergenerational trauma and I absolutely loved how the process of healing played out with magical realism prose. Moreno hit all the right notes when it came to reflecting the heartache of living in the hyphen. This was such a charming debut that had me on the brink of tears but also giddy with light and love! I'm looking forward to more from Nina Moreno.
CW: death & grieving, anxiety
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I decided to write up a full review even though the above really captures how I felt once I finished and how I feel about this gem now.
Nina Moreno created an unforgettable story that will resonate so much with Cuban-Americans and other Latinx folx like me. The title Don't Date Rosa Santos entices you with the promise of a YA summer romance but offers a story about, not only loving a boy, but also loving your mother, grandmother, homeland, and community.
Sometimes it felt like the idea of being cursed was all in my head. Like it was a fabled warning to remind me to work hard and focus on my goals. The women before me had lost too much for me to be anything but firmly focused on the future. I was meant to achieve and make all of the loss, heartache, and sacrifices mean something.
The Santos women are cursed to lose the men they love to the sea. Born in Cuba, Rosa's mother comes to Port Coral in a boat pregnant with Rosa. Rosa's mother handles the loss of Cuba and her husband with anger. Rosa's abuela, Mimi, handles her own loss by burying all her wounds away. This leaves Rosa feeling somewhere in between. Neither here nor there.
My first time in the sea felt like returning to something. I thought of my mother and abuela, the image of them sharp and sudden. I wanted to see what was on the other side. I wanted to find what was lost. I wanted to know how to move forward… My only offering heart, humility, and these coins. My tongue was heavy with the wrong language.
Rosa feels a hole inside that can never seemed to be filled. The family curse was such a smart way of exploring the intergenerational trauma and I absolutely loved how the process of healing played out with magical realism prose. Moreno hit all the right notes when it came to reflecting the heartache of living in the hyphen. This was such a charming debut that had me on the brink of tears but also giddy with light and love! I'm looking forward to more from Nina Moreno.
CW: death & grieving, anxiety