Customer Reviews

Playing With Boys

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez cornered the Latina chick-lit market with her debut, "The Dirty Girls Social Club." But she hits the sophomore slump in "Playing With Boys," an overstretched story about defying the cliches that dog Hispanic women. It's a good idea, just not executed well.

Alexis Lopez is a slightly overweight talent agent, with a nasty "gangsta" boyfriend and a longing to break Meximericans into the spotlight. She finds her possible breakout star in Marcella Gauthier Bosch, a stunning rich wild child who wants to be a serious actress, but keeps getting offered roles as "maids" and "crack whores."

As Alexis struggles to find Marcella an outstanding role with no jiggle, she encounters Olivia. Olivia is a dowdy, traumatized young mom, with a crumbling marriage. But she's also written the brilliant "Soledad," a screenplay that chronicles her mother's life -- the perfect vehicle for Marcella. All three women struggle to bring "Soledad" to the screen, and struggle just as hard to deal with their delicate relationships with men...

At first glance, this sounds like a feisty romp, with three very different Latinas plotting to challenge the behemoth that is Hollywood. It's a cool idea, and one ripe to be explored. Unfortunately, Valdes-Rodriguez doesn't give it everything it needs to really bloom. There's too much book here for too little plot -- it putters out about halfway through the book, and just sort of limps to a finale.

This is probably the only book I've ever read where the women think about sex about fifty times more often than the men. In fact, at times it seems to be all the women think about -- even the joyless Olivia checks out porn. If Valdes-Rodriguez wants to portray Hispanic women in a uncliched light, she might want to avoid that. Her writing is solid enough, with looks at the different lifestyles and social positions of L.A., with a look at how hard it is to get a stereotype-free role in Hollywood if you aren't a blonde Caucasian.

While Valdes-Rodriguez succeeds in making three radically different women, only one of them is really likable. Olivia is as faded as her sneakers -- she doesn't register a single emotion you can identify with. Marcella is a little too insistently wild and decadent, not to mention bitter. The ultra-nice Alexis is much more likable, with her seemingly hopeless love for a sexy Cuban rapper and body image problems.

Valdes-Rodriguez had a good idea, just not the characters and plot to flesh it out. "Playing with Boys" is a dullish, overstretched slice of chick-lit, without much to make it come to life.

I find it strange that I am the first to review this item, but not strange that it is now priced as a bargain book.

I decided to read this because I enjoyed this author's last work, The Dirty Girls Social Club. This was another good read, but there were entirely too many political references for me such as (ugh, she is a Republican or ugh, she is a Democrat). References I found out of place in a chick novel like this.

I also tired of Alexis' fat girl complaints, such as "nobody will like me", etc. etc. Also out of place in a chick novel ... we need more inspiring women!

But ... overall the book does not disappoint and there is quite a bit of inspiration in the story of these three women.

So enjoy the book but be wary of the political and "Jemima J" references. Chick lit readers will know what I am talking about!

Alexis Lopez is a transplanted Texas conservative living among the liberal left in PLAYING WITH BOYS, the latest novel by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, whose first was the bestselling THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB. Alexis manages Latino musicians and her most famous band is the Los Chimpances del Norte, a Norteno band that is world famous among those of Hispanic persuasion.

The opening chapter has poor Alexis worrying over the band, all of whom are misbehaving badly at an exclusive party honoring the band members who had just donated $5,000,000 to UCLA's Center for Chicano Studies. The band, dressed in brightly colored outfits with huge belt buckles, is embarrassing Alexis, who believes in dressing conservatively in public, especially at these high-society functions. She also believes that those with money would know how to behave appropriately, but this rule does not seem to apply to "The Chimps." These men are millionaires, yet here they are at this fancy party groping the female guests.

One of the women who the bandleader, Filoberto, decides to grope is a famous Latina actress, Marcella Gauthier Bosch, known for those popular Mexican telenovelas. Alexis doesn't recognize the actress at first, because Marcella is working as a server at the party. When she explains to Alexis who she really is, Alexis is star-struck. At the same time, Alexis does not understand why this wonderful actress is working at a party when she should be the star of the party.

After Alexis saves Marcella from the hands of Filoberto, she bumps into Samuel, who had helped her set up the party and the donation to UCLA. Standing next to him is a very petite woman who turns out to be his wife. She's very quiet, shy and insecure, but once they get to talking, Alexis finds out that Olivia has written the script for an intriguing movie.

The three women's lives become entwined, as Alexis decides to buy Olivia's script and make it into a movie starring Marcella as the woman who portrays Olivia's mother, Soledad. Soledad and Olivia had witnessed the murder of Olivia's father in San Salvador many years ago, and this movie is the story of Soledad's life. As the deal is inked in pen, the three women bond and become unlikely friends.

In the meantime, Alexis is having boyfriend problems, and Daniel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning news reporter, becomes rather psychotic after she decides to break up with him. Soon after the breakup, she meets (by accident, literally) a handsome Cuban named Vladimir (Goyo), who takes the reader to Cuba and the story of his girlfriend, who is still trapped there, living in an oppressed country without any freedoms. Alexis feels an immediate attraction to this man and has no idea that their lives will soon intersect in more ways than one.

PLAYING WITH BOYS takes on a light tone throughout, but underneath the comedy lies a more serious theme. While Alexis's Hispanic friends are living a life taken for granted in the heart of Los Angeles, the stories of Soledad and Goyo remind them of what it was like for their friends and families before they came to the United States. Olivia suffers through reoccurring nightmares of what she experienced as a child in her homeland of El Salvador, while Goyo dreams of his lost love trapped in Cuba. And through it all, Alexis, Olivia and Marcella become friends despite their differences. What they share are universal feelings about men, relationships and what it is like to be a Hispanic American living in California.

It may take a while for the reader to get into the novel, as it takes some time to set up the characters and the plot. But once the reader gets past this, PLAYING WITH BOYS will keep one absorbed until the very end. The author does a good job describing Southern California, from the Valley to East Los Angeles and in between. The many different characters, both major and minor, are fun, fully developed and real. The story itself is original, with flashbacks to Goyo's and Olivia's childhoods, although the ending may be obvious to most readers. This reviewer gives PLAYING WITH BOYS four stars out of five and will definitely get a copy of THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB.

--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton (Ratmammy@lofton.org)

PLAYING WITH BOYS by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

September 10, 2004

PLAYING WITH BOYS is the latest novel by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, whose THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB was a big hit the other year. In this novel, three Latina women living in Southern California become friends through a movie script written about a woman that endured horrors while living in El Salvador.

Alexis Lopez, originally from Texas, is now living in Southern California, and manages Hispanic musicians. Due to some "mishap" that involved her most famous act, Los Chimpances del Norte, she discovers she may need to expand her horizons. She comes across a woman, Olivia, with a wonderful script about her mother's life in El Salvador, and Alexis decides to buy it and make a movie out of it. She also hires out-of-work Latina actress Marcella Gauthier Bosch to play the lead in the film.

The three of them become friends, but in the meantime, they each have their own set of problems. Alexis is dealing with a psychotic ex-boyfriend. Marcella is dealing with a mother that never showed any support for Marcella, despite the fact that they are both actresses. She is also worried about her fading beauty, insecure that some younger actress will take her place in the world of Latina beauties. And Olivia is dealing with nightmares, memories of life in El Salvador. She's losing sleep and weight.

When Alexis meets handsome Cuban singer Vladimir, her life takes on an interesting turn, but learns he's still in love with a woman he left behind in Cuba. His goal is to get her out safely and to be reunited with her. Alexis is disappointed that she will never win his heart, but takes him on as his new manager and does what she can to promote his music, and to help him bring his one true love to the United States.

I enjoyed reading PLAYING WITH BOYS. Although it took a while to get into the novel, once I saw where the plot was heading, I was hooked. The strength of this novel are the characters, who come to life and feel as real as the person sitting next to you. I would love to read a sequel to this book, if only to see what the future brings to these wonderfully created characters. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately this book has NONE of the spark of the authors' first novel, which I truly enjoyed. This novel is cliche' all the way in regards to LA, and I didn't find the characters realistic or even likeable. The main character is a slightly self-righteous Mex-Texan Republican entertainment rep/agent, who has recently relocated to LA. If that is not enough in itself- she constanly uses annoying phrases like "geez-Louise" and "darlin'". She is truly a loathsome creature-one of her fav food groups is lard- ugh.. The dialogue is completely unbelievable and the characters do not mesh at all. The only likeable character is Olivia and she is a side act in this awful book. This is a huge flop. If you like the sassy "Dirty Girls Social Club", and you have good taste- you do not want to buy this book! No sass and just plain dull.

There are two separate reviews I would give this book.

Regarding entertainment value: less than average.

Regarding inspiring debate: above average.

Entertainment value:

You should read this "novel" if you really just have too much time on your hands. I'm not saying it is useless, but if I'm going to start recommending books for people to read it would not start with Playing with Boys. I put novel in quotes because I think this is very "on and off the shelf." I was not moved. At times I was offended. The foreshadowing was less than impressive.

Debate:

As I read this to analyze representation of Chicana and Latina identity, I found many ways it could possibly challenge the constructs of race, gender, and sexuality. However, I found myself having a weak argument as I was greeted with many strong opposing views. Some claimed how the novel reinforced many of the same constructs. Examples are the ways in which the women of the novel lack autonomy.

Most of the men in the novel are nothing short of "tools." I mean this not only by way of their surface level portrayal, but they are merely present as a cause/effect relationship with the women. The men don't respect the women they are involved with. They screw-up and the women find men who do respect them. The sad thing about this portrayal is the women meet the respectable men while involved with the tools. Why is it that these women are portrayed as having to settle? Their identity lies in being with a man?

While much of this is only speculation, there is, unfortunately, many controversial portrayals of femininity, masculinity, race, and sexuality.

I read the book because I really liked Ms. Valdes-Rodriguez's first book (Dirty Girls..). This one started out well and had an interesting twist with a political side to the characters. Unlike other reviewers, I did not mind that aspect and felt it worked well with the story. It did not get a higher rating as I felt the last few chapters could have been left out. Once she did the wrap up at the end she could have ended there (not to give away too much of the plot)she could have left off the few short chapters at the end. The "mush" factor went up too high for me and resulted in a lower rating. Life is life and has good and bad.

I picked this book up on a whim and was very pleasantly surprised.

Though I found it slow in the beginning, I pushed through the first 100 pages or so and then I was hooked. Valdes-Rodriguez writes charmingly and weaves an intricate storyline full of complicated, realistic characters - each loveable in his or her own way.

Alexis is a plus-sized music manager with an eye for talent. Texan born and raised, she is friendly to a fault, always smiling and going out of her way to help others. Though underneath her innocent exterior is a witty, bright, even sexy girl with a true eye for talent and real potential to make it in the industry. Her self consciousness is endearing rather than annoying, and the respect she recieves from the other characters only enhances her appeal. It is impossible not to root for Alexis as she seeks success in a cut-throat business, while trying to balance a busy social life and an unrequited love in the meantime.

Marcella, a former soap actress oozing confidence and beauty, refuses to be degraded by Hollywood, which offers her only stereotypical Mexican roles, such as the foreign maid, or "Hispanic Stripper Number One." Seemingly heartless, Marcella is not afraid to be a [...] After all, she was raised by two parents immune to love and affection. But over the course of the book, Marcella gradually softens and becomes Alexis' number one confidante. Their relationship is touching, and an example of a great womanly bond.

Olivia is most unlike the other girls. In her mid-thirties, she is stuck in a lifeless marriage, suffocated by the burden of caring for her energetic two year old, and perpetually haunted by a gruesome, heartbreaking past. She has let herself go - her hair is streaked with gray and she could care less about fashion. But Olivia has one passion that still burns, despite her depression and hopelessness. She loves to write, and harbors an impressive talent. When she pours her heart, soul, and history, into a riveting screenplay, she is bound to get noticed. Though meanwhile her home life falls apart.

As the title implies, the book is centered around the girls' exploits with men. The male characters are well-developed, too, but in particular, Goyo shines. He is undeniably sexy and if the girls can't keep you glued to your seat, I'm willing to bet Goyo can.

This book is definitely recommended to chick lit fans. Its happy ending will leave a satisfied smile on your face.

In all honestly she ddin't live up to her first book. This is very disappointing in comparison. It seems as if she used a few of the ideas that created the old charcters and just switched their names or sexes.The title its self is quite misleading, it should have been, "Relationships with boys, who aren't men yet." I guess I kept reading it hoping it would get better, and in some ways it did, right after page 100.

Suprisingly I did not care for one of the main charcters for half of teh book, and wouldn't have cared if she got hit by a bus. Its quiet predictable, and its as if she was very angry when she wrote it, so much negativity, and viciousness. But it was a fun book, to pass time.

I am highly afraid of reading her third book, because it might be another repitition.

I gave this book 2 stars because although some parts did make me laugh and some parts were enjoyable, for the most part I I kept reading just to finish rather then because it was a page-turner. In my opinion it was not nearly as good as "The Dirty Girls Social Club". Also, I know it's fiction and all - but this author tends to give everyone a nice, happy ending in like the last 2 pages... So not believable....