I tried, but I couldn't even read the whole thing. I started, skipped to the end, then went back and read some of the middle. It seemed very preachy to me. Plus I had a hard time knowing that the author is a white man writing like an hispanic teenage girl. ( )

The realism of this book will resonate with many students. Sonia must struggle with a passive a lazy mother, an alcoholic lecherous uncle, a lazy, drug-dealing brother, and a society that assumes Sonia will fail in her goal to graduate from high school. Sonia's determination is inspiring and her straight-talking, sometimes cynical voice will ring true with many students. ( )

The overall storyline is pretty harsh but, a reality for many female teens. Sitomer has created an inspiring story that will keep the teen reader engrossed in the main character's, Sonia, life of turbulence.

Sonia wants to be the first girl in her family to graduate high school. But her family is dragging her down. She does all the cooking and cleaning and caring for her younger siblings, as well as putting up with a mean aunt and a drunken uncle. Her father works long hours to support them, and her mother doesn't see why a girl needs an education. Sonia just wants to graduate and make something of herself. ( )

There were several times that I had to put this book down because I was frustrated ~ not frustrated *with* the book so much as I was frustrated *for* Sonia, and I had to walk away. This is a heart wrenching story of the difficulties of growing up as a first generation Latina immigrant who is trying to strike the balance between respecting her family and her cultural heritage, and respecting herself.

While I appreciated the characters in the book and was routing for Sonia in the most heartfelt manner, there were a few nagging things that kept me from enjoying this book completely. Sitomer's writing style skips large amounts of time with a single sentence or two, and while I understand the need to move the story along, I found the abrupt jumps slightly jarring. There were times, too, when I was strongly aware that I was reading a grown man trying to find a teenage girl's voice.

I also found the ending a little too fluffy, fairytale-happy. Don't get me wrong, I am glad that everything worked out for Sonia, but it wasn't very realistic. Sitomer spends so much time in gritty, gruelling details to make this story true to life, it felt like he took an easy out. I understand it was meant to be inspirational (as the sign in one of Sonia's classroom's states, "Good things happen to those who try"), but this was winning the 'good things' jackpot...

READ MORE: http://girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/2008/12/jenns-review-secret-story-of-sonia.... ( )