Friday, April 24, 2015

Down to the Bone


Mayra Lazara Dole
Harper Teen
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Nancy



Summary



This edition is different from new paperback and Kindle edition with black cover where girls are a breath away from kissing. This edition was written for reluctant readers, middle graders and very young teens. If interested in a changed, updated, rewritten, augmented edition with the same title, please find the other version.

Here's what it means to be a tortillera. It means you're a girl who loves girls. Which means you get kicked out of school faster than Mother Superior Sicko can can grimace. Which means your dramatic mom finds out. Which means you're kicked to the curb with nowhere to go, and the love of your life is shipped off to Puerto Rico to marry a guy. But this is Miami. If you have a bighearted best friends, and your broken heart is still full of love, you just might land on your feet.


My Review



Laura is a junior in a Catholic high school looking forward to summer and to celebrating her two-year anniversary with her girlfriend, Marlena. Instead, she is humiliated when her teacher reads a love letter from Marlena out loud in front of all her friends, resulting in her expulsion from school and in the loss of her friends. Her mother has thrown Laura out of the house, promising that she can return only when she reveals the name of her secret lover and changes her ways.

Laura moves in with her best friend, Soli, and her mom. Her life takes a turn for the worse when Marlena's family arranges for her to be wed to a man in Puerto Rico.

Down to the Bone is a warm, colorful, funny, and heartbreaking story with a great cast of characters that provides a glimpse into the rich, diverse, and fascinating culture of the Cuban community in Miami.

This is a great teen book, but also a lot of fun for adults too. There's a glossary in the back of Cuban slang and commonly used words and phrases. This is a wonderful story that’s all about love, discovering oneself, finding acceptance, family bonds, friendships, food, laughter, and valuing differences.