compass_rose_reads 's review for:

Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan

3.0

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While I quite liked this book, especially the characters, I decided not to assign it to my middle grade book club after all.

Spoiler

I feel like the bad experiences with the alcoholic, self-centered mom cast too great a shadow over the good experiences with the other adults in their lives. I was never sympathetic toward her. And the suspense of the custody battle was too frightening given that in the real world not-great parents like her can twist the court to their way, while good parents like Abuela, who truly get the job done well with love, can sometimes lose.