Nico MedinaReseñas

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Started with L, she finished on her own.

Once again, begins from a white settler colonialist perspective, with Captain Cook "discovering" (i.e. crashing into and getting stuck on) the Great Barrier Reef.

Timeline, bibliography, map.

Oh the tangled webs weaved by both Jonathan and Laura in this book. Laura uses Jonathan to pull the wool over the eyes of her public (and her parents) and Jonathan is bribed with tickets and a trip to London to see Kylie Minogue. It felt like everyone was using everyone else right?

Lessons are learned all around, about respecting one's self (something Jonathan should have known from the beginning - his Volvo is named Aretha after Aretha "R.E.S.P.E.C.T" Franklin!), telling the truth to each other and maintaining/making new friendships. One of the things these kids don't seem to learn [there are no real adults who seem aware of the problem either] is that drinking is not only bad for one's health but also for making sensible choices. The shear amount of underage drinking in this book is amazing and sad. (Yes, I have a soapbox and I will stand on it on occasion.)

This well-researched children’s book gives a lot of information about the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Not only does it tell how the reefs are formed, but it also tells about the corals and algae that create it. This book also tells a lot about the history of the Great Barrier Reef, and about that part of Australia. It concludes by describing the dangers that that great wonder is in and the movements that have been created through the years, to save it. This is a wonderful book that is written specifically for children. The pencil sketches throughout are well-done.

I really enjoyed how Nico Medina made such a historical topic and time period so enjoyable for children to read and learn about. Medina provides lots of real life pictures that depict the ice age era. He also provides illustrations to help the children visualize the text. Although the text was very informative, it was also fun to read. Medina makes the ice age come to life with his descriptive language and visuals. The text was full of factual information that children can learn so much about when reading.

Cute, though not great novel. Gay boy plays at straight to get a trip to see/meet Kylie Minogue. I was kind of apprehensive after reading the summary, but the reviews were good. The book was all right, not great, but very cute. Unfortunately, things worked out a little too perfectly and that didn't sit well for me. Overall enjoyable, but not the best I've read.

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Jonathan Parish, the ALL OUT Kylie Minogue lover, has done the unexpected. He slept with a girl. Okay, that may seem normal to most of us, but not for Jonathan--since he is gay and everyone knows it. This wouldn't have happened if Joanna's mother hadn't canceled their plans, then Jonathan and Joanna wouldn't have had to come up with a birthday party, which meant that they wouldn't have had to invite their friends, including Alex (not as in Alexander but as in Alexandra), which wouldn't have led to Jonathan sleeping with Alex. Of course, Jonathan had a choice to say no to Alex, but he was just too drunk and Alex just persuaded him in the right way.

After "that night" happened, Jonathan believed that the whole ordeal was over, that is until he discovered that the whole school found out about it. Now all the girls seem to be looking at Jonathan in a new light. Everyone, including the richest and the most popular girl in school, and also his math buddy, Laura Schulberg. But Laura has bigger plans for the both of them; if Jonathan becomes Laura's boyfriend, not only would she keep her own social status but Jonathan would become popular, too. At first Jonathan isn't buying it, until Laura bribes him with tickets to go see Kylie Minogue. How can he say no to that?

Before he knows it, Jonathan finds himself back in the closet, trying to keep up the charade as being Laura's boyfriend. Which isn't so hard, until Jonathan's friends begin to turn their back on him and he then finds the guy of his dreams. Can Jonathan survive being straight just to see his idol?

THE STRAIGHT ROAD TO KYLIE is NOT funny but is HILARIOUS. The journey that Nico Medina writes is one of a high school kid, trying to find out who he really is, and that is what makes THE STRAIGHT ROAD TO KYLIE one of the greatest books that I have ever read. The obstacles that Jonathan faces will make you laugh out loud. Not only that, but the problems that he faces shows us all how the lives of teens are so hectic and full of so much drama. Lets just hope that Jonathan's adventures don't end here, and that the road continues.

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

Margarita Antonia Diaz is a big, beautiful, and proud Latina woman. Okay, she's still in high school, so maybe not a woman, but definitely more than a girl. Either way, this is Margarita's senior year, and everything is perfect! She has Lucas, her fabulously gay best friend; she has amazing clothes, thanks to her talented designer of an older sister; the cute boy seems to be noticing her; and really, no one can help but love Margarita.

Except maybe Bridget Benson. Bridget and Margarita were best friends when they were little kids. Both were child actors and Bridget got a part that Margarita wanted. They've hardly spoken since. Not that Margarita didn't try, but it's been a long time, and the hurt has turned into anger. Somehow, during a huge confrontation at a party, Bridget and Margarita end up daring each other to compete for Prom Queen. Suddenly senior year is looking much more dramatic.

Margarita gets sucked into competing for popularity, and more than loses her perspective. In fact, she's beginning to think she's losing herself. Though not in poundage, despite her mother's best efforts to irritate and prod and serve the blandest, most boring food ever! When her dad gets sick unexpectedly, Margarita's great year has officially collapsed. What else can go wrong? Sometimes it's better not to ask, but Margarita has way too much personality to not pull through, right?

I love Margarita! I want to hang out with her every day. She feels like a real person from the first paragraph. She has such a unique, strong, hilarious voice and point of view. I felt like I was listening to her talk, not reading a story.

I love this book! It is honest, and sweet, and evil, and hilarious! This is real high school, with drunken parties, swearing, gayness, cattiness, pettiness, crushes, frustration, and serious attitude. And, really, how can you not love the title?

I fully intend to go out and buy any other book I can find by Nico Medina. If you don't want to go that far, you should at least read this one. It's way too much fun to miss!

Bridget Benson beat Margarita Diaz (“Madge”) out of a TV role when they were 8 years old. Madge was devastated. But she was even more devastated when Bridget didn’t return her phone calls. It was the end of a beautiful friendship.

Bridget’s career took off. She is gorgeous…what a teen TV star is supposed to look like. She has her cadre of followers and is liked for her star power rather than herself. She has to maintain her star image and works hard for it.

Madge, on the other hand, decided acting wasn’t for her. In the intervening 10 years, she’s put on a few pounds…well maybe a little more than a few pounds. She now tips the scale at over 200 pounds, but she has no body image problems. Actually, she’s feisty and friendly and an all around dynamo.

In a fit of drunken daring, Madge’s gay best friend Lucas dares her, for $50, to ask Bridget why she, already popular, is running for Prom Queen. Bridget’s demeaning response prompts Madge to run against her…not because she wants the prize. Only to deny Bridget the honor. Thus begins a humorous, serious, rollicking account of the Prom Queen race.

As with any such book, you have romance: Madge thinks Redneck Randy is cute. Lucas is having problems with his boyfriend Zach who is not quite ready to come out. Bridget thinks she’s irresistible to every guy. You’ve got family problems: Madge’s mom wants her to eat healthy but Madge can’t resist Krispy Kremes or McDonalds. Madge’s workaholic dad has a heart attack. I won’t tell you about Bridget’s mother. Let that be a surprise. And I certainly won’t tell you who became Prom Queen.

In fat hoochie prom queen, Nico Medina has created a bunch of characters you immediately like (Madge, Lucas, Lucas’ Mom-Mitzi) and some you don’t especially like (Bridget). He’s created a story that has both fun moments and serious moments. He has created a great beach read. Give it a try.

Out and proud 17-year-old Jonathan lives for Kylie Minogue and loves to party with his best girlfriends. When the opportunity for an all expenses paid trip to London to see and possibly meet Kylie presents itself, he finds himself driven back into the closet in order to take advantage of it. Needless to say his life begins to spin out of control and he is forced to make some crucial decisions about who he is, and who and what means the most to him.

I've been reading some really depressing non-fiction and YA fiction lately and needed a break which is why this book looked like it was right up my alley at the time I bought it. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what I was looking for. I thought this story was very empty and found the main characters to be one dimensional, annoying and very superficial. They weren't likable people and, with the exception of Carrie, the majority of the time they did not exhibit very positive characteristics or behavior which made it hard for me to care about them or what was going on in their lives. I don't think this would have been the case had the author fleshed them and this story out a bit.

I also thought the way they interacted with each other was very unrealistic. Or maybe not even unrealistic, just irritating. The way they talked to each other made it hard for me to picture them as teens, too. Twenty-somethings, yes, but teens, no.

The book wasn't all bad, though. For the first 100 or so pages I kept thinking I was going to have to give up on it but it picked up a bit once Laura came into the picture, and it got quite a few laughs out of me. I also really liked the fact Jonathan's being gay was never considered a negative thing by him or anyone around him. Yes, he was "forced" back into the closet but it wasn't because he or anyone else thought that being gay was bad. Well, for the most part. It's a little more complicated than that (I won't go into details so as not to spoil the book) but for most of the people around him, his being gay was not a determining factor as to whether or not he would be treated with kindness and respect by those who were not, which is how it should be.

Hip and savvy, fast paced and partied out, this story is absolutely dripping with pop-culture references.

Jonathan is gay, and out and proud, until the most popular girl in the school offers him a deal. If he will go back in the closet, and be her boyfriend for their final school year, she will pay for him to go to London to attend a Kylie Minogue concert. Accepting the deal is easy, but when a cute boy enters the scene, Jonathan must weigh the cost of denying his true self.

This novel is full of fun, parties, fabulous humour, rich kids, drinking, and swearing. And it’s a really interesting and clever twist on the theme of acceptance/denial of gay identity. Jonathan is a very strong character, confident and happy with how he is living his life. It is the reaction of his friends to his new found ‘straight-ness’, and his interest in a possible boyfriend, that cause him to reexamine his sense of self.

I have to say that I feel Jonathan’s life as a young gay student - totally out, totally accepted, totally confident and proud - might seem more like a fantasy story for many gay kids. That being acknowledged though, it is a fun, fabulous read.½

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