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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
"Playing" around, October 2, 2004
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.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good & even inspiring read, but I could do without the politics and Jemima J references, December 3, 2005
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!
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I loved this book!, September 10, 2004
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.
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