8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 16, 2009
This review is from: Confetti Girl (Hardcover)
CONFETTI GIRL should be a big hit with the middle grade market. It takes a Latino backdrop and combines it with likeable characters experiencing the typical ups and downs of middle school life and puts it all in a fun, eye-catching cover.
Meet Apolonia (Lina) and her crazy sock collection. She sees herself as overly tall and gawky with skinny legs, an interest in science, and a sometimes annoying directness. Lina lives with her father, a high school English teacher. Several years earlier her mother died after she fell and cut her leg. The cut was not really serious, but the blood infection that followed was.
Life has been difficult, but Lina has her best friend, Vanessa, as support. In fact, they have supported each other since Lina's mother died and Vanessa's mother went through a nasty divorce. They have weathered the events fairly well, and now are hoping that their parents can begin to adjust and live more normal lives.
Mixed in with these personal tragedies are several other plot twists. Lina's grade in English is plummeting so she finds herself ineligible for sports, the one area where she shines. Vanessa has been acting strange anytime she is around Carlos. Lina has even caught them kissing. She knows part of her anger about this is due to jealousy, since she has liked a boy named Luis for quite some time, but their relationship doesn't seem to be progressing to the same level.
Author Diana Lopez is spot-on with her descriptions of budding middle school romance, merciless teasing, and parent/child misunderstandings. Young readers will find much to like about CONFETTI GIRL, including the added bonus of the Latino words of wisdom that begin each chapter and the Hispanic customs scattered throughout the story.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Satisfying and Enjoyable Read, September 22, 2009
This review is from: Confetti Girl (Hardcover)
Apolonia Flores, nicknamed Lina, struggles with her father's concept that "books are your best friends" ("Los amigos mejores son libros"). That is not true in Lina's life, and she resents that her father, who shares the sorrow of her mother's death the previous year, buries himself in books, thus distancing himself not only from sadness but also from his daughter. Luckily, though, Lina has a lot going on in her life. For one thing, she has her hobby: socks. Her dresser is divided into drawers for her daily wear socks (organized by color and style), socks without partners, socks with holes, and "sock heaven" (outgrown and otherwise useless socks). Lina is creative with her socks, fashioning earmuffs, wallets and more from them.
Lina's very best friend, Vanessa, lives just across the street. Their relationship has gotten a bit more complicated lately. Lina doesn't care that Vanessa is gorgeous and she is not. But she does mind that Vanessa does everything first, and when Vanessa's relationship with her first boyfriend progresses rapidly, Lina is not always thrilled with her own standing in Vanessa's life.
Speaking of boyfriends, Lina has a love interest, too. The very nice Luis reciprocates her fascination with him. Luis is cute and smart. His stutter (usually) doesn't distract Lina one bit from his tremendous potential.
Vanessa's mother is another in a cast of well-drawn characters. Ms. Cantu's bitterness about her husband leaving her has manifested itself in a constant marathon of cascarone making. One of the many pleasures of CONFETTI GIRL is a plentiful array of fascinating bits about Lina's culture, and we learn that cascarones are decorated empty eggshells filled with confetti. Although most people make them for Easter, Ms. Cantu makes heaps of them year-round. Vanessa has decided that she and Lina will manipulate their parents into a love match, but Lina is decidedly reluctant about the whole caper. Will their carefully laid plans backfire?
Lina's school life is portrayed in a more balanced fashion than seen in many similar books. Sure, there is a mean person who targets Lina and Luis, but there are a number of compensations. Lina has her friends and the team sports she adores. She delights in what she learns in science class, although she struggles in English class (coincidentally, her father is an English teacher, leading to conflicts). In fact, Lina's problems with academics have serious consequences that lead her to play more of a role she calls being a Hollywood extra --- an insignificant character who is forgettable instead of the sports star and leader role she has enjoyed in the past. However, Lina's struggles in school also lead ultimately to her contemplation, resolution and redemption.
Lina is a likable and realistic main character to whom readers can easily relate. The plot maintains a nice pace, and while Lina has several problems and issues to work through, these subplots never overwhelm or confuse. Spanish proverbs open each chapter, along with their translations --- a delightful addition to a story filled with interesting tidbits of Latin culture. CONFETTI GIRL is a satisfying and enjoyable read.
--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cascarones...Didn't even know thats what theyre called, June 28, 2009
This review is from: Confetti Girl (Hardcover)
I LOVED this story. It was the cutest book I've read in a long time. I bought a copy of it for my Ipod and never once put it down. I loved everything from the dichos to the overload of cascarones. The character of Lina was beautiful written; a bit of an insight into a teenage girls mind. The idea of feeling like your losing your best friend to another person, to dealing with your first love. This books is amazing and I recommend it to anyone with Tween and/or teenage girl or even themselves.
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