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Overview
Evie Gomez is one chill chica.She and her best friend, Raquel, hang with the Flojos, a kick-back crew named for their designer flip-flops. And their habit of doing absolutely nothing.
But the return of long-lost amiga mejor Dee Dee wrecks Evie and Raquel's Flojo flow. A few years in Mexico City have transformed their shy, skinny, brunette Dee Dee into a Sangro nightmare. Dee Dee has reinvented herself as "Dela," complete with tight designer threads, freaky blue contacts, and that signature blond hair.
When Raquel wants precisely nada to do with the new Dela, Evie finds herself caught between two very different friends. At heart, is Evie a Cali-casual Flojo chick, or a sexy Sangro diva?
Synopsis
Evie Gomez is one chill chica.
She and her best friend, Raquel, hang with the Flojos, a kick-back crew named for their designer flip-flops. And their habit of doing absolutely nothing.
But the return of long-lost amiga mejor Dee Dee wrecks Evie and Raquel's Flojo flow. A few years in Mexico City have transformed their shy, skinny, brunette Dee Dee into a Sangro nightmare. Dee Dee has reinvented herself as "Dela," complete with tight designer threads, freaky blue contacts, and that signature blond hair.
When Raquel wants precisely nada to do with the new Dela, Evie finds herself caught between two very different friends. At heart, is Evie a Cali-casual Flojo chick, or a sexy Sangro diva?
Children's Literature
Evie Gomez is the black sheep in her wealthy Hispanic family. Unlike her parents and older sister, whose ambitions put the "Go in Gomez," Evie prefers to be laid-back, to do as little as possible. This does not make for an inspiring heroine. She shares this lack of ambition with a group of four other well-to-do Hispanics, including best friend Raquel and resident nice guy Alex. Evie's uneventful life turns upside-down when her old best friend suddenly returns after four years. Dela, formerly known as DeeDee, has returned with not only a new name, but a new hair color, eye color, wardrobe, figure, and step mom. Dela and Raquel immediately despise and insult each other, and poor Evie is stuck in the middle. Forced to choose sides, Evie ends up following Dela, leaving her usual friends (and her usual self) behind. When she whines to Alex (the only intelligent character in the story), "I don't know who my friends are anymore," he replies "Maybe they don't know who you are." The frequent sprinkling of Spanish phrases (most of which are neither translated nor understandable) does not disguise the derivative, predictable nature of this book. Evie is self-absorbed (as Alex points out near the story's end) and shallow, and the fact that she is torn between two equally unappealing characters generates neither sympathy nor interest. Frequent and unnecessary profanity as well as lewd references only serve to provide more reasons not to buy this unflattering portrait of today's Hispanic youth.
Editorials
VOYA
Evie Gomez, California suburban Flojo slacker extraordinaire, is not known for her impulse control. Her life mainly consists of partying with her best friend, Raquel, spending her father's hard-earned money, and aspiring to be a surfer-although, of course, never actually getting on a board. She avoids work like she avoids the superficial, giggling, fake-blonde Mexican city girls, the Sangros. When her childhood best friend, Dee Dee, moves back into town sporting the Sangro look and attitude, Evie finds herself drawn into Dee Dee's world, changing her look, her hobbies, even her name to fit in. Soon Evie is losing her old friends, including her crush, Alex, and she wants them back. When she learns that Raquel's boyfriend is cheating on her, she knows she must take action to help her friend, but how could Raquel possibly believe a Sangro girl? This novel is a quick, enjoyable read by the producers of the Gossip Girl and A-List books. Teens will relate to being torn between social groups, Evie's indecision, her insecurities, and her sarcastic, direct manner. Serros creates a nice balance between a popular teen angst romance story and witty commentary on the dynamics of a Mexican American family and social strata. At times the story seems predictable, the villainous characters obvious, and the characterization inconsistent. The sprinkling of obscenities sometimes feels glaring within the text's language but overall does not distract from the story. This book is recommended for public libraries with large popular fiction collections. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to12). 2006, Simon Pulse/S & S, 304p., Ages 12 to 18.—Angela Semifero