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A review by maryehavens
Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and Other Quinceanera Stories by Adriana V. López
5.0
The joy of browsing library shelves!!
I found this gem while weeding other books and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I laughed many times at the absurdity of the situations (drinking = situations!) and also the author's reconciling with their own teenage pasts. We've all been there, cringing at our actions as teens and tweens. These people have it on tape!
Beyond the initial humor lies a deep dive into transitioning from girl to woman and allllll the cultural nuances that goes with that. I loved how each contributor dealt with that issue in their own way, regardless of gender. The "womanhood" issue is forced into the spotlight and that's a lot for a 15 year old to deal with. Shoot, that's a lot for a 39 year old to deal with! It seems like it would be comforting to know that you have your entire family behind you...or it could be a lot of pressure. I felt like each contributor really looked at how they fit into the culture and how they felt about it. Some quinceaneras shined, others folded, some hated it, others didn't.
There was only one story that I didn't really care for because it seemed like it fiction and it felt very flat. The last story is just heartbreaking.
Great collection and a wonderful insight into quince culture!
I found this gem while weeding other books and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I laughed many times at the absurdity of the situations (drinking = situations!) and also the author's reconciling with their own teenage pasts. We've all been there, cringing at our actions as teens and tweens. These people have it on tape!
Beyond the initial humor lies a deep dive into transitioning from girl to woman and allllll the cultural nuances that goes with that. I loved how each contributor dealt with that issue in their own way, regardless of gender. The "womanhood" issue is forced into the spotlight and that's a lot for a 15 year old to deal with. Shoot, that's a lot for a 39 year old to deal with! It seems like it would be comforting to know that you have your entire family behind you...or it could be a lot of pressure. I felt like each contributor really looked at how they fit into the culture and how they felt about it. Some quinceaneras shined, others folded, some hated it, others didn't.
There was only one story that I didn't really care for because it seemed like it fiction and it felt very flat. The last story is just heartbreaking.
Great collection and a wonderful insight into quince culture!