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jenny_bean_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I cannot imagine what it took for Ms. Manzano to share her pre-Sesame Street life with us. I am so glad that one of her teachers saw something in her and encouraged her to audition for the performing arts high school. I am even gladder still that one of her teachers took her to West Side Story so that she could see her self on screen. Representation matters so much. Thank you so much for becoming Maria and being such a huge part of my childhood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug use
sarahanne8382's review
5.0
What an unexpected treasure. Having someone who's spent her career in children's edutainment write a memoir about her childhood is a bit magical.
Manzano's earliest memories sound like a scene right out of Sesame Street with a random preschooler. She manages to tap into what it's like to be a child and how differently a child's mind works in a way than many memoirs of childhood miss. Enough time has passed that she has some real perspective on the events of her childhood, but she shows restraint in letting them play out the way her childhood self remembers them and only hinting around the edges at the conclusions she drew in later years.
And then there's the story itself - learning about the world of the South Bronx in the '50s and '60s, meeting her large and close Puerto Rican family with a variety of eccentric characters, the unraveling of the dysfunction in her family, and eventually, her discovery of a way out of that cycle.
This wasn't what I expected, but I should have known that someone who's spent so many years as an integral part of show that doesn't shy away from telling kids hard truths would take a similar approach to her memoir for adults. And she manages the switch in audiences masterfully. Since this is all about her life before Sesame Street, you really don't have to have any interest in the show to care about this book. It's a compelling coming-of-age story about a young Latina in the Bronx overcoming a tough family situation by discovering and following her passion for acting.
Manzano's earliest memories sound like a scene right out of Sesame Street with a random preschooler. She manages to tap into what it's like to be a child and how differently a child's mind works in a way than many memoirs of childhood miss. Enough time has passed that she has some real perspective on the events of her childhood, but she shows restraint in letting them play out the way her childhood self remembers them and only hinting around the edges at the conclusions she drew in later years.
And then there's the story itself - learning about the world of the South Bronx in the '50s and '60s, meeting her large and close Puerto Rican family with a variety of eccentric characters, the unraveling of the dysfunction in her family, and eventually, her discovery of a way out of that cycle.
This wasn't what I expected, but I should have known that someone who's spent so many years as an integral part of show that doesn't shy away from telling kids hard truths would take a similar approach to her memoir for adults. And she manages the switch in audiences masterfully. Since this is all about her life before Sesame Street, you really don't have to have any interest in the show to care about this book. It's a compelling coming-of-age story about a young Latina in the Bronx overcoming a tough family situation by discovering and following her passion for acting.
allysonbogie's review
5.0
Becoming Maria grabbed me from the very beginning and was super compelling the whole way through. I could barely put it down. The story was engaging, and very well written. But even page turners have their faults. In this case, I really, really would have liked to hear more about Sonia's experience in high school and her early days on Sesame Street. There was so much about her family at the beginning, and then performing arts high school was told in little snippets (I still don't understand how she didn't get kicked out) and all of a sudden she was at a Sesame Street audition. It seemed like all of a sudden the book needed to be over but she hadn't written about high school yet, so she did it quickly with just a few highlights.
But it really, really was wonderful. And if you want to read an awesome memoir, this is the book for you.
But it really, really was wonderful. And if you want to read an awesome memoir, this is the book for you.
johnnymacaroni's review
4.0
I'm hoping Sonia Manzano writes another memoir about her life after "becoming Maria"... not only would I love to hear about her time on Sesame Street and as a writer for the show but also for how her life changed and what else happened to her family.
cathpaal's review
4.0
my library has this shelved as young adult, but I was very disturbed by the scenes of a horrific childhood. How she was able to pull herself up is amazing. The memoir ends with her audition for Sesame Street, I hope there is a follow up so we can learn about the wonderful work she has done.
leafthroughmypages's review
4.0
"Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx" was written in an interesting style. I think, as seeming par for the course as Maria on Sesame Street, it was written for younger audiences to be able to digest it. More than that, it was written as if she's telling the story from that moment/age rather than looking back on it. This attempt at in-the-moment context may feel "more real" to the younger audience. I appreciate what it's trying to do, even if it isn't necessarily for me. I also believe that the abrupt changes in the story probably reflect the feeling of how the events occurred to Ms. Manzano in real life: quickly and mostly without explanation.
The story is a tough, but solid one. While my heart breaks for this little girl, and frankly her entire family, who all seem like psychological case studies displaying various symptoms of poverty and the patriarchy, I am in awe of the woman that emerges from the flames. Generally speaking, my thoughts about any given TV celebrity is that they come from privilege(or are being exploited for their poverty a la Honey Boo Boo), but as Sonia grew up among these pages in front of me, I became so grateful for the true grit experience that brought her to Sesame Street and that continued to inform her character once there.
I am glad Ms. Manzano wrote this. I hope it inspires children, or anyone really, who struggles daily to keep the suffering from devouring their hope whole to persevere and keep reaching for their West Side Story dream.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommend this story.
The story is a tough, but solid one. While my heart breaks for this little girl, and frankly her entire family, who all seem like psychological case studies displaying various symptoms of poverty and the patriarchy, I am in awe of the woman that emerges from the flames. Generally speaking, my thoughts about any given TV celebrity is that they come from privilege(or are being exploited for their poverty a la Honey Boo Boo), but as Sonia grew up among these pages in front of me, I became so grateful for the true grit experience that brought her to Sesame Street and that continued to inform her character once there.
I am glad Ms. Manzano wrote this. I hope it inspires children, or anyone really, who struggles daily to keep the suffering from devouring their hope whole to persevere and keep reaching for their West Side Story dream.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommend this story.
readerpants's review
5.0
Many separate thoughts. 1) I bet she scoffed at the saccharine and misleading publisher's blurb. 2) you know how A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is raw and harsh and reminds you that kids are living and surviving in ways that their teachers know nothing about? it feels facile to compare the two because of the setting they share, but the two books really are so similar in tone and feel. 3) I kept marveling that she survived and thrived without being a reader, without books as a primary means of escape or creating space. amazing.
Shelved in YA in my library, but this is a mature memoir in tone and content. a crossover at least. gritty, smart, well done.
Shelved in YA in my library, but this is a mature memoir in tone and content. a crossover at least. gritty, smart, well done.
molly_dettmann's review
3.0
Man, this memoir was a gut-punch at times. It took me some time to get used to Sonia's writing style, but once I was, I was sucked into this intriguing life story.