This is a fun book about Isa, a 17 going on 18 year old, fresh out of high school, awaiting the upcoming Fall when she will have the chance to get away from the Miami she's always known to go to school in Michigan. Isa's spending her summer at a camp teaching art and flirting with her new-found flame, an older man, no less! Isa's a well-grounded young woman who briefly loses her head while in the midst of her relationship, but quickly regains it once she learns the truth about how this handsome, new guy likes to play the dating game. While Isa's teen lust/love craziness is going on, her mother is diagnosed with an illness and throughout the entire book, Isa struggles with coming to terms with her Cuban heritage and acknowledging who she is and how she wants to define herself.
Cubanita tells the story of a 17 yr old girl named Isabel aka Isa who struggles with her Cuban heritage and preparing to leaving for college in the fall. I really enjoyed Cubanita as a lighthearted, quick read. There were so many points throughout the story where I found myself literally laughing out loud. Growing up in a Cuban household I really related to Isa and her family. I saw so much of myself in her and I couldn't help but feel connected to her. (view spoiler)[ The one downfall of this book was the love story. Andrew was such a sleazy character and I didn't like him from the start. As soon as I found out his was 6 years older than Isa, I knew he was going to cause a lot of trouble for her. Sure enough, he didn't let me down. What a sleazball. (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Cubanita (2006)?
CIP: Seventeen-year-old Isabel, eager to leave Miami to attend the University of Michigan and escape her overprotective Cuban mother, learns some truths about her family’s past and makes important decisions about the type of person she wants to be.This is an easy read that will most likely suit tweens & teen girls best. The main character is a high school senior who faces some issues surrounding boyfriends, but nothing too racy or that needs pre-mentioning to readers. It is the normal girl growing up and leaving the nest story, but with a multicultural twist that the literature world needs.Reviewed in School Library Journal (Aug 2005) and The Booklist (May 15, 2005).
—lucem
Okay, so, I definitely picked this up because it was autographed, it was about hispanic culture, and because it was 2$ I think what pissed me off the most was Andrews character. I didnt buy his act for a second from the start. Especially the second Susy said she thought he was cute when Isa arrived for her first day at camp. It put something off for me between them. Especially by ho fast Isa seemed to be moving with him. I really appreciate the ending because (view spoiler)[ rob didn't seem like the best fit either. He definitely broke my heart with how much he loved her but... she said she wanted space and despite how much she annoyed me sometimes I could respect that (hide spoiler)]
—Victoria
