Belinda Acosta

DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ: A QUINCEAÑERA CLUB NOVEL by Belinda Acosta was quite the funny and moving read. Full of moments that any mother or daughter can relate to, this story pulled at my heart while leaving me chuckling at the same time. I would highly recommend this book to any lady looking for a nice read, a good laugh and a general feeling of happiness.All Ana wanted was a nice celebration to mark her daughter’s transition into womanhood. How then, did she end up with mass chaos and destruction? The party is in shambles, her daughter hates her and the world is likely about to end. Where did she go wrong? DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ follows the story of Ana and her daughter Carmen beginning with the day of the big party. The narrator adds quite a bit of humor as she pauses the event and takes us through the chaotic events that are about to happen. To better understand it all, before the whole party explodes, the narrator brings us back to the day that Ana first decided to throw a Quinceañera for her daughter. Of course Carmen is none too pleased, still blaming Ana for her father leaving and makes life fairly miserable. The story leading up to the party is full of bratty teenage behavior, tender moments, hilarious moments, and an overall story that makes you think that there just might be hope for all distanced mothers and daughters out there. I found DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ to be highly entertaining and actually quite touching. This is definitely a book that earned a treasured spot on the bookshelf. As I’ve mentioned, there are quite a few bits of humor thrown throughout the book. Much like the beginning, Acosta writes the story in such a way that you can pause the images in your head and shudder as you know the disaster that’s about to happen. I wouldn’t say that the story is necessarily predictable, but there are times when it’s obvious that something is going to happen. This just made the story that much more enjoyable to me. It added to the humor aspect and then also allowed us to focus on the deeper aspects of the book such as the character’s emotions and the reasons that things are happening the way they are.Another great aspect of DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ for me was the characters. A lot of work obviously went into the creation of each of the characters, including any minor characters. I felt that the reader really got to know each person and become acquainted with them throughout the entire story. The characters were complex, adding a nice amount of depth to the story and giving us more to ponder. Acosta did a great job with this and really managed to bring her characters to life.One great thing that I found about DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ was how much I got to learn about another culture through reading the story. Through the language and customs, Acosta seemed to stay fairly true to Ana and Carmen’s culture. I imagine this would be a great read for many girls wanting to learn a little bit more outside of their own culture.The story was wonderful, the characters detailed and the pacing was just right. I would warn readers; however, that Acosta does give her characters fairly authentic dialog. Throughout the book, Spanish is used quite freely and occasionally I had to look words up to figure out what was going on. I don’t think that it really detracted from the book; instead, I felt like I may have actually learned something in the process!… (plus d'informations)

Drama, Drama and more Drama. This book is about the relationship of a mother, her 14 yr.old daughter and son. The book focuses more on the mother which was a nice change. We all know how the teen years can add chaos to the relationship of a mother and daughter. Add to that a divorce that the daughter blames on the mother, and the mother won’t set her straight. I love that amid all this turmoil there is humor and that the characters are so complex. There are Spanish phrases throughout the book which I loved and it introduced me to the Quinceañera, an Hispanic tradition of throwing a party for a young girl when she turns 15 and “becomes a lady”. There are many moments of stress for this family, but in the end it is their love for each other that shines through. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any one wanting a mix between humor, intense family scenes and chick lit.… (plus d'informations)