Product Description

Taina's turning fifteen-and is so dreading her Pepto-pink quinceañera, her Sweet Fifteen.What about her secret Jamaican artist boyfriend? Should she let Mami choose her escort, or follow her heart-and ignite a family riot?

Grachi must choose between being the good Chicana-and grabbing la oportunidad de la vida. Now she needs her Sister Chicas more than ever...

Leni's the rebel-with a punk style and an attitude to go with it. But as she tries to make sense of her roots with her Chicas, her life gets more complicated, especially when her childhood friend turns into a handsome rockero...

And even though Taina,Grachi, and Leni don't always agree on things-like boys, clothes, and music-nothing gets in the way of their friendship.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #993666 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

From Booklist
Three different women--Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal, and Jane Alberdeston Coralin--each writing about a different character, authored this story of contemporary young Latinas who, despite their differences, have become fiercely devoted friends. Graciela, whose parents were professors in Mexico and factory workers in the U.S., yearns to be a writer; Taina, dressed in prim outfits, struggles to appease her strict Puerto Rican mother; Leni, who loves to photograph fans at punk clubs, lives with her Anglo mother and envies her gorgeous Puerto Rican cousins. All three met while working on the newspaper at their Chicago high school, and as their friendship deepens, they help each other through the turbulence of first love, Quinceaneras, and new opportunities that force them to redefine their relationships with their parents and each other. The chapters don't always knit together smoothly, but the vividly detailed portraits of contemporary teen girls, and their questions about family, guys, or what it means to be a Latina are bright and captivating. Buy copies for both the adult and teen sections, since this is sure to be a crossover. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Poet and artist Lisa Alvarado has been published internationally. She's also received several fellowships and been featured in national media.

Ann Hagman Cardinal is a freelance writer, humorist, and university marketing director.

Jane Alberdeston Coralin is a member of Cave Canem and her poetry has been widely published. She is completing her Ph.D. in English and creative writing.

Customer Reviews

Watch for this one!
As a librarian, I'm familiar with the landscape of Young Adult fiction. "Sister Chicas" is just the kind of book that young women today enjoy -- a real story about real girls, girls like them, girls they know. The Amero-Latina perspective is fascinating, but it's honestly just a good, accessible story -- one that all young women could relate to. Family duty, identity, goals and dreams -- I truly hope this book receives widespread publicity, because I think any young person (or not so young person) who reads it will enjoy it.

Sister Chicas Rule!
I thoroughly enjoyed this coming-of-age tale about three young Latin women. Taina, Graciela, and Leni are well-drawn, diverse characters with unique and fascinating voices that tell the story of Taina's upcoming Sweet Fifteen party. Through their eyes, the reader learns about their individual backgrounds, their dreams, and their love for each other. We experience their fears as they encounter attractive young men and the disapproval of their parents, and we cheer with them as they achieve independence and a sense of self enviable to all. At the end of the story, I had tears in my eyes, wanting to continue on in the journey with these three special ladies. Kudos to the three authors for writing such an engrossing and heartwarming story.

The glossary in the back of the book was most helpful for learning Spanish phrases used in the text, and I also enjoyed reading the recipes included. I feel that I learned a great deal about Latin culture by reading this book, but I also feel that "Sister Chicas" transcends any genre of literature in the way it portrays love, family, and friendship. Go read it for yourself -- you will feel uplifted.

Absolutely Fascinating
A friend told me to read this book and I'm glad she did. I learned so much about the search for identity... the identity of girls becoming women and of Latinas trying to find their place in a culture that isn't too sure it wants to include them. I'll admit that this book also made me feel a sense of relief that I am the father of two boys and not girls... I got a clear sense of the power a father has over the self-image of a daughter whereas my sons have already learned to tune me out. The characters in this book are wonderfully distinct, a feature no doubt of the different writers behind each one. While I'm sure there are people who will identify with a particular character, I was intrigued by the facets in each which begin to feel universal by the time you get to the end. By the way, love the glossary in the back!