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A review by brooke_review
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira
2.0
Oh, when you have such high hopes for a book and it disappoints you! I am sad that Monica Gomez-Hira's debut YA novel, Once Upon a Quinceanera, did not live up to my expectations. Having heard of quinceaneras (Latin America celebrations marking a girl's passage to womanhood at the age of 15), but knowing little about them, I was excited to read this novel and get a glimpse into this tradition. Not only did Once Upon a Quinceanera fail to capture what makes quinceaneras so special, it also lacked in all other departments as well.
This novel unfortunately has more flaws than it does attributes. I was confused by the plot from the very beginning. Gomez-Hira brings readers up to speed in the first few pages by dumping an enormous amount of backstory into their laps before they are even prepared to receive it. Let us get to know and care about the characters before you tell us everything about them! Then there are the characters themselves, who are unlikeable and not engaging. The writing is stale and uninspired, and the conversations between characters are boring. Even the quinceanera itself was not the glittering, magical affair I expected. Once Upon a Quinceanera suffers from major lack of development and descriptive language. I felt like I was reading a book that could practically be happening anywhere, to anyone, when what I wanted to read was a novel that felt wholly special and unique.
I listened to an audiobook production of Once Upon a Quinceanera, and perhaps the most interesting aspects of this book was Gomez-Hira's sprinkling of Spanish words throughout the novel. It livened up an otherwise drab story, making it feel more authentic and interesting.
This novel unfortunately has more flaws than it does attributes. I was confused by the plot from the very beginning. Gomez-Hira brings readers up to speed in the first few pages by dumping an enormous amount of backstory into their laps before they are even prepared to receive it. Let us get to know and care about the characters before you tell us everything about them! Then there are the characters themselves, who are unlikeable and not engaging. The writing is stale and uninspired, and the conversations between characters are boring. Even the quinceanera itself was not the glittering, magical affair I expected. Once Upon a Quinceanera suffers from major lack of development and descriptive language. I felt like I was reading a book that could practically be happening anywhere, to anyone, when what I wanted to read was a novel that felt wholly special and unique.
I listened to an audiobook production of Once Upon a Quinceanera, and perhaps the most interesting aspects of this book was Gomez-Hira's sprinkling of Spanish words throughout the novel. It livened up an otherwise drab story, making it feel more authentic and interesting.