Customer Reviews

Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps

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4 star:		(3)
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"Becoming Latina......" is not just about being Latina; it's about learning who you are. And it's a delight to read. I so related with the primary character, which makes little sense given my ethnic background is Scottish, Irish and English. But Lara Rios has created a wonderful character who is much like, and angsts like, any other young woman. It's a must read for anyone, of any age, who enjoys a light hearted look at themselves in the mirror.
Charlotte Maclay

When Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps opens, heroine Marcela finds out that she's half white, the result of an affair her mother had. Add to that her family's assertions that she's a sell-out, and not Mexican enough, and she's questioning her identity.

So she, with the help of her best friend, makes a list of 10 steps that will help her discover her inner Latina, find her self, and get her family off her back.

As you might expect, things don't go exactly as Marcela plans, and there are some wildly funny situations, as well as some dramatic, poignant, and even frightening ones.

It's a story of self-discovery, and also about the challenge of being true to yourself while embracing two cultures.

I appreciated the glimpse into a Latino culture, as well as the universality of the search for ones own identity.

Larger societal questions aside, Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps is an entertaining, warm-hearted story with a heroine you can root for. I enjoyed it very much.

I bought this book becuase I read about the author in the local paper so I thought I would support the local talent. It turns out, I absolutely loved this book, and read it in two days. The main character is so real and believable, you just can't help but to cheer her on. She writes up this list and then goes full steam ahead trying to become this great latina, when the whole time she should just realize that being a great person is enough. I loved how much I disliked her political activist aunt and how much I wanted her to love George the guy from Accounting. I think this is a really good book and I can't wait to read the next one!!

I absolutely love this book! Lara Rios did a wonderful job in creating a very believable character, Marcela, that brings up true issues that sorround Latinas living in the United States. What does it really mean to be Mexicana/Latina? Is there such a thing to be a true Mexicana/Latina? What makes you a Mexicana/Latina? There are many different answers to these questions, but the correct answer is to be yourself. I found this book to be very funny, romantic, and most of all, inspirational. It has encouraged me to be who I really am without worrying to be too Mexican to please my family and not worrying in trying to fit in to American society. Marcela has become my mentor.

If you are latina or not you'll enjoy the book. This book was given to me as a joke because of the title. One day I picked it up and started reading....I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the book and the adventures of Marcela. A great summer or anytime read!

I was browsing through the book store, just looking for something to read and picked this up because the title intrigued me. After reading the brief description on the back cover and the first few paragraphs inside, I decided to give it a try. It turned out be a wonderful book. Marcela is a lovable, but flawed character, trying to figure out who she truly is - someone many of us can relate to. Definitely worth the read! I can't wait to read more of Lara Rios' work.

I have just finished reading one of the most realistically funny novels about Latino life. 'Becoming...' is just a vabriant telling of Latinos in America and the struggles we all face with our own identities as Latin Americans. This is exactly what the Latino community needs and is looking for. More books on Latino life in a realistic view. Though sterotypical, the truth of the matter is, it's real. This book takes a good look at what it means to be Latino and American and shows how hard it is for Lations to prove to other Latinos how Latino we are and to show Americans how American we are. This book is a great telling of the strength of Latinos.

This book is hilarious in some ways as I saw much of my own family in this authors depiction of a Mexican family... though we are not Mexican-American but Puerto Rican. Though, I appreciated the passion in which this author writes, the sex scenes were a little intense for me. There are a few dark parts of the book dealing with issues such as drugs, abuse, rape, and child abuse that were described so well that I was cringing. I was pleased overall with the general story. It was exciting, romantic, heart breaking, and funny. What I like most about this book is that it depicts a Latin American woman not as a sexy hot tempered "fire cracker" but as a real person with real problems and vulnerabilities. I hope to see more from this writer.

When Marcela Alvarez finds out she's half-gringa, she questions what it means to be Latina in this warm and funny story.

Let me start by saying I loved this book. The problem is, after reading the first 15 pages I did not want to finish it. I only actually kept reading it because a friend of mine gave me the book, and I did not want to hurt her feelings. I am so glad I did.

The first few pages are choppy and the character does not come across as believable or likeable. The author spends too much time telling the story and not enough time letting it tell itself. But keep reading.

After the first chapter or so, things pick up nicely, and we actually get to know and like the character. We see her as one person with her family, another with the men in her life, a different girl with her friends, and someone else entirely when she is at work. As the little dramas in her life unfold she finds the barriers she put up around the different parts of her life come tumbling down.

About half way through the book, Marcela really fleshes out. We discover she is human and does things that make us laugh or roll our eyes. She makes good choices and bad ones, and really works hard trying to figure herself out. Her romantic antics are anything but boring (sometimes even becoming scary), and between her family, a trip to Mexico and mentoring a juvenile delinquent, she manages to keep the story exciting to the end of the book. She has a family and friends that are well developed and complex as well, and there are several smaller plot-lines revolving around the people surrounding her that are great as well.