Customer Reviews

Estrella's Quinceañera

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very quick read and should engage girls who live in an urban and Latino setting. Many of the girls in our school will love this story of Estrella and her upcoming Quinceanera. The story takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area where Estrella has just entered a prestigious private school. She is thrilled that she has been accepted and now has a new group of friends. However, with her upcoming party she feels she is being pulled between a group of old friends and her new friends who may not understand the importance of the party from a heritage standpoint and consider it old fashioned. I think it will be very easy for all middle school girls and they will to be able to identify with Estrella and all her "friend" problems. There is a glossary at the end of the book to help those who don't know all the Spanish references. This was a great book to read and share with young girls.

My 6th grader read this book faster than any mystery (her previous favorite genre). I was thrilled to see her engaged with girl issues. She was extremely anxious to discuss the book and share her opinions about Estrella's emotional "rollercoaster" ride on the way to her Quinceanera. There are wonderful lessons on culture and ethnic identity to be learned, all with peer pressure. The humor keeps all the topics light, not heavy like a lecture. This will be a very popular addition to our library with our large Latino population.

Reviewed by Sandra Lopez, Author of "Esperanza" and "Beyond the Gardens"
Member of Livin' la vida Latina
[...]

Review: What do most of us do when the topic of quinceañeras come up? We sigh, we roll our eyes, we cringe so hard that we shrivel up inside like a burnt out match. The feeling's mutual in just about everyone. That was exactly how Estrella Alvarez felt in this story.

Even though I have never had a quince myself (thank god,) this story gave me warm nostalgia as I recalled my own years of growing up in a barrio. I remembered the "cholo losers" and the busy-body neighbors; the buttinski mother and the crazy relatives, everthing. You can't help but empathize with Estrella when it comes to how her family views her as the last gleaming hope for a good education, or how she feels like an alien in the world of her rich, prep-school friends. Don't we all feel that way at some point?

I loved Estrella's surly and sarcastic tone as she described every grueling (and often, embarrassing) detail of the party planning. I also liked how Speedy wasn't your typical "cholo" but actually a nice guy (so few of them left in the barrio.) I did think Estrella needed to relax and slow down on growing up. She should've enjoyed hanging out with Speedy as a friend/person instead of concentrating so hard on getting her first kiss from him.

One unique thing about this book was that each chapter had a definition of barrio slang that you couldn't help but smile at. This was a relatable story of finding one's self while coming of age in a dark, scary world. Great job, Malin!

My 4th grade students loved this book. They were also lucky to have met Malin Alegria the author and loved listening to her read from Estrella's Quinceanera. It is a funny and enjoyable book for children as they can relate to the main character. A must read book!

I bought this book to give to my Latina foster child who is 12 years old, hoping to encourage her to read. I had heard an interview with the author on NPR and thought this would be a good way for her to connect to literature. Luckily, I picked it up and read (most of) it. It is well written and pretty engaging. A turning point in the book is when the main character, a 14 year old, goes to a party with the "popular" kids and takes shots of tequila. That's not something I want to condone. There were no consequences for the drinking (except for a brief mention of getting sick on the sidewalk), the conflict was just with the popular kids and their "mean" attitude and who real friends were. Important, to be sure, but I just don't want to romanticize the alcohol aspect any more than it already is. If you aren't concerned about your child drinking or avoiding drink, it's a good story about family relationships and friendship.

I read this and it was not the best book!I don't think it could be more about the culture... I think this is for a 13 year old girl and up .... If you want a book about girls life then this is the book for you! But if you want a book all about culture and nothing more then