Review-Amor and Summer Secrets by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Mariana is a 15-year-old girl in Philadelphia. Her father is Puerto Rican and her mother Polish. Mariana's world comes crashing down when she receives the worst news: her parents are sending her to spend the summer in Puerto Rico. Doesn't sound too bad but for Mariana it's the end of th world. She's going to miss her best friend's Sweet Sixteen party to spend the summer with only her brother and some distant relatives she didn't even know she had. To makes matters worse she soon finds out that only one of them speaks English and the only Spanish she knows is from school. But after awhile Mariana soon realizes it's not as bad as she thought it would be when she learns more about her culture and family.


This book was very well written and another new favorite of mine. I'm guessing a lot of teenagers will be able to find themselves identifying with Mariana.
One of the best Debut Novels I've read. I definitely recommend this book. Sometimes Mariana seems a little whiny and well, yeah a tiny bit of a push over, but you see her learn through the book (and I assume in the sequels as well) so its bearable. I'm not a fan of her friends either, but I'm still waiting for her to tell them to shove it and grow up :) Okay a little bit hostile but I used to know people like that and I got tired of it. Her parents mad me mad too. And her brother, he's too much like my brother (and I hate him. Seriously.) Huh, I guess the only characters I liked in this book were Mariana and her Puerto Rican family and friends. Thank god they're in the majority of the book. Anyways I do recommend this book and I give it of my little heart and crossbones thingy.