Adios to My Old Life [Paperback]

Caridad Ferrer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 4, 2006

Does a seventeen-year-old from Miami have what it takes to be the next big Latin superstar? And does she really want it?

As a talented singer-guitarist with a dream of going pro, Alegría Montero is getting fed up with the endless, boring parade of quinceañeras and other family party gigs. She's longing for something bigger. And Oye Mi Canto -- a new reality TV show that's searching for the next Latin superstar -- is definitely that. Ali figures she'll never make the cut, but auditioning seems like a good way to get her overprotective father to take her ambitions seriously.

To Ali's complete shock, she passes her audition. Next thing she knows, she's dealing with wardrobe fittings, cameras, reporters, vocal coaches, and websites designed by lovestruck fanboys. She's also dealing with jealousy, malice, and sabotage among the contestants, all of which has her wondering: Is it really time to shoot for the stars and try to win the whole competition, or is it time to say "Cut!" and become a normal teenager again?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ali Montero, 17, has been brought up by her father, a music professor in Miami, to be a good Cuban American girl as well as a talented singer and guitarist. But he's not pleased when she makes the finals in a nationwide TV competition to find the "next Latin superstar." Could she win? Caught up in the performance rush with makeup, wardrobe, and publicity, she is helped by cute Jaime Lozano, a smart production major from NYU, who loves her. Ali's first-person colloquial narrative is "totally" with it. But there's also a real story here, with frenetic action, romance (including some hot sex), pop-scene fantasy, and surprises to the very end. What shines through in Cuban American writer Ferre's first novel (part of the MTV Fiction series), though, is the rich diversity of Latino culture, and the celebration of music and its universal connections. Teens who liked Nancy Osa's Cuba 15 (2003) may like this as well. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"This brilliant debut resonates with the sparkling rhythm of Ali's talent. Her path to independence via reality show madness makes us cheer for her every step of the way . . . because all a girl really needs is love, laughter, and a rocking guitar." -- Alesia Holliday, author of American Idle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: MTV Books; Original edition (July 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416524738
• ISBN-13: 978-1416524731
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,821,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Caridad Ferrer is a first generation, bilingual Cuban-American, whose young adult debut, Adiós to My Old Life was Romance Writers of America's 2007 RITA® winner for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance as well as being named to the 2009 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list, awarded by the ALA and winning the Bronze medal in the Young Adult category of the Florida Book Awards.

Her latest young adult novel, When the Stars Go Blue, a contemporary retelling of Bizet's Carmen, was released by Thomas Dunne Books with Booklist calling it, "Well written, with contemporary characters and an engaging story line." Recently, Stars was honored as the first place YA Novel: English Language at the 2011 International Latino Book Awards.

A native Floridian, Ferrer now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest, thriving amidst the rain and cooler weather, finding it the perfect writing environment as she hangs out with her dogs, family, and good coffee, dreaming up new stories with which to entertain herself and her readers.

Follow her on Twitter at @BarbFerrer or on Facebook at Barbara Caridad Ferrer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming story of music, teen angst, and family, August 11, 2007

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Adios to My Old Life (Paperback)

When she sneaks out to enter a 'Next Latin Star' show, Alegria (Ali) Montero figures it's just a chance to be seen. But when she's selected as a finalist, the Catholic schoolgirl has to confront her old-fashioned father and persuade him that her dreams, while not his, deserve a chance. Ali lives for music and for performance. And she's completely in her element while she's on the stage. Of course, as soon as she's off the stage, she just might be hurling out her guts--she is, after all, a virgin schoolgirl competing with some of the hottest talent in the Latin world. Unfortunately for her, the one other contestant from Miami, sultry Fabiana, will do anything in her power to sabotage Ali and keep her from reaching her dreams. Only one of the finalists will make it all the way to the recording contract, the guaranteed single, the final stardom.

Old-fashioned Latin American sponsors insist that Ali have a chaperone since she's under 18, unlike all of the other finalists who get to live in a mansion and enjoy the finest of Miami, but Ali doesn't mind too much since her chaperone is a woman who's had the hots for her father for a long time and who is close to Ali's best friend. She's also not a very strict chaperone and Ali finds she can spend a bit of time with a cute college intern production assistant. But when the pressure is really on, will he be there for Ali--and will Ali be able to cope with the fact that she really is saying adios to her entire old life?

Author Caridad Ferrer spins a charming tale of coming of age and young love. With Ferrer's Cuban heritage and bilingual upbringing, the Latin American aspects of the story ring true. The musical elements, too, are completely convincing. I found myself laughing and hoping along with Ali for the right result as she sang her heart out for the crouds, the judges, and for her father. The fan site set up by 14-year-old boys was a laugh, and the overwhelming fan moment scary.

ADIOS TO MY OLD LIFE was the surprise winner of Romance Writers of America's top award (the RITA) for best single title romance even though it had been initially entered in the young adult category (because there weren't enough entrants in that category, it was closed and ADIOS was shifted into the adult category). Facing very stiff competition, ADIOS pulled out a deserved win.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adios to My Old Life, September 25, 2006

By 

Mandy Moran "Mandy" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adios to My Old Life (Paperback)

Read this book.

It doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, if you're not a fan of Enrique or Shakira, if you're not even an MTV watcher. You'll fall in love with this. Ally is the most liveliest, most likable character I've read in a long time.

This is definitely one of the best music themed books I've read. Ferrer's ability to translate music into the written word is magical.

I'd give this book ten stars if the option was available!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hello, Adios, July 3, 2006

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adios to My Old Life (Paperback)

Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer takes readers into the world of Oye Mi Canto, a televised singing competition, as seen through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Ali. This otherwise reserved high school student wows the judges with her voice and her guitar playing. After she is chosen to be one of the finalists on the program, her life changes in a million ways. All the while, she tries to remain true to herself, her family, and her music.

Think Latin American Idol, but instead of relying upon pop culture and backstage gossip, the story focuses on Ali's life, her relationship with her father, and her love of music. Ali tries to balance her culture and her future, respecting her father's traditional values while enjoying her life as a modern-day teen in Florida.

Caridad Ferrer's teen fiction debut makes for a compelling story and is composed of many elements. It will strike a chord with teens who can relate to any of those elements: Ali's passion for music, the loss of her mother, her bilingual family, and her attempts to make her dreams come true.