Author: Sarah Darer Littman
Published: July 2010
Source: Traded
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Everything changes for Dani and her family when a truck loaded with explosives detonates outside the AMIA building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing her beloved aunt and unborn cousin. Because of the ensuing political upheaval, economic hardship, and emotional toll, Dani's family moves to the U.S. It is a terrifying place--new school, new language, new hardships--and Dani's angry father is turning into a stranger, more so everyday. Just when Dani thinks she is about to lose it, she befriends Jessica, one of the girls who has been cruelly teasing her since she arrived.
It is the most unlikely of friendships. Jessica is wealthy, groomed, spoiled. But Jessica has a past that only Dani can understand. She lost her father in 9/11. It is a friendship that allows them both to heal in unexpected and surprising ways, and changes them and their families forever.
I'm really happy that I decided to trade for this book, I liked it even more than I thought I would! I hadn't read anything else by this author, but if I come across one of her other books I'll definitely check it out!
I must confess that I didn't know anything about the AMIA bombing in Argentina before reading this book. It makes me sad that I didn't since affected many people there the same way that 9/11 did here. I could really feel what Dani was feeling and understand her pain. She was such a real character and I really got to know her by the end of the book.
I thought that the author portrayed moving to a new country perfectly. She didn't make it seem like it was no big deal, but she didn't make it seem too unbearably horrible either. The whole time all that I could think about was what I would be like if I had to move to Spain. I would probably curl up in fetal position screaming "No se! No se!" Dani was really strong to get through it.
I liked most of the supporting characters, but something that I didn't like was that sometimes their relationships with Dani didn't seem fully formed. Or a character would be introduced but then we wouldn't really see them again. It was small stuff, but still noticeable.
Basically I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to people who like contemporary!
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover Comments: I really like this cover, it's cute. It doesn't really have much to do with the story though.
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This sounds really interesting- I've been looking forward to reading it. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the terrific review. I had not heard of this title before, but it sounds like a wonderful book that is definitely both character and plot driven. I will have to check it out.
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ReplyDeleteOverall I enjoyed this book too, but would you agree that at certain points, the author may have romanticized her life too much? At certain points in the book it appeared to be that the author was writing Dani's life in such a picture perfect way that seemed too unrealistic to me. I noticed most of this when she arrives in Twin Lakes and all of a sudden meets a cute guy named Brian Harrison, as well as abruptly becomes best friends with the girl who used to look at her with disgust. I just felt like the author should've added more depth and realism to her situations, not just all of the sudden the popular rich girl becomes her friend all at once because Dani helped her brother, or the boy who keeps walking her through the halls flirts with her so profoundly. I just think that the author could have provided more dimension to her story in Twin Lakes.
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