A review by nidiamelgoza
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira

4.0

Once Upon A Quinceañera follows Carmen the summer after she was supposed to graduate high school and is working as Belle for a party Princess company in order to complete the final project that holds her diploma hostage. The drama quickly ramps up when her easy summer suddenly includes working for her estranged cousin’s quinceañera partnered with her Beast of an ex, each having contributed to the worst moment of Carmen’s life. If Carmen wants her happily ever after she’ll need to break the curse that seems to be persistent in winning her over.

I loved how Gomez-Hira really dug into Carmen’s flaws and insecurities, it made her all the more real to me. It’s so hard, especially at that age, not to let other’s beliefs of you define you and at the same time not let your own insecurities hold you back. Carmen goes through some painful but necessary growth, for her own sake as well as her relationships, and Gomez-Hira does well in capturing the inner and outer emotional turmoil.

This book was SO much fun! I could totally see OUAQ being adapted for a Netflix/TV series. It has teen drama/telenovela vibes, with Carmen doing voiceovers at the beginning and end of each episode. Someone get Netflix on the phone!!

Thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC.