Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Love in English

i also really enjoyed the reality of how someone can project their perceptions and hopes onto an individual, without that person necessarily being a problem. harrison didn’t really do anything wrong, he was sweet and kind, but ana didn’t love him for him. i love that subversion of expectations, she didn’t get with the boy who is the pinnacle of the american dream. i love that and i was rooting for neo even when she was crushing on harrison.

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melinabarbuto's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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bookishandjoyceful's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Maria E Andreu delivers a wonderful story of Ana who is a young girl who has recently moved to New Jersey from Argentina and is learning English and trying to navigate a new school in a new country. Ana meets a young man, Harrison in one of her classes and instantly building a church on him, but when she connects with another boy in her ESL class, Neo, she is confused with what her heart wants while she navigates this new world with a new language and culture.

This was a quick listen, thank you @libro.fm for the Educator ALC. I enjoyed this, but it was fairly predictable, but the characters were extremely lovable and gave a window like view into what it is like for students making a big move and navigating this new world. This is greatly because I much rather a plot-driven book, whereas this book was more about character development. I enjoyed it, but if you are extremely driven by a fast paced, action packed book, this one may need to be put on your TBR until you are ready for a relaxing character-driven book.

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allisonletts's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I loved this book. I loved the way it was written, and how well it conveyed that Ana was learning English and missing pieces of conversations. It was sweet and poignant. It’s about high schoolers, and definitely for a teen audience, but I’m in my early thirties and I learned something new about the human experience in reading this book.

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melaniereadsbooks's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow, I loved this book so much! It was written so beautifully; definitely like poetry, which is fitting since Ana is a poet! This book explores what it is like to feel like an outsider and not have the words to express yourself the way you want to. I absolutely loved the themes and messages of this book. I also found the romance really adorable and was happy with the way it ended!

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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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rendz's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a very cute story and I enjoyed it. Reading from the perspective of an English-language learner was new for me and I really enjoyed how Andreu discussed the difficulties and intricacies of learning English (and generally any language). At the heart of the story is a girl trying to navigate a new language and new country, grappling with feelings of belonging and rebuilding a relationship with her father (although I would have like to have seen a little more on that). It has a cute semi-triangular love story, but it was light, realistic and adorable because at the end of the day understanding feelings can be just tricky as understanding a new word. Ana's poetry was woven beautifully into the chapters and I really enjoyed the deeper look into her learning, thoughts and feelings. Overall, it was a quick, sweet read.
Thank you HCC Frenzy for the ARC!

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leahjanespeare's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Ana has recently moved from Argentina to the United States, but quickly realizes her years of studying English at school has not prepared her for living in a new country. This #ownvoices debut perfectly captures the feeling of learning a new language—the difficulties, the breakthroughs. (English is such a weird ass language, I cannot even begin to imagine what it’s like to learn.) She makes dear friends to help her fit in, and struggles with how to identify with two worlds while she and her ESL classmates deal with xenophobic attitudes. Ana writes beautiful poetry as a way of expressing emotions she doesn’t have the vocabulary to fulfill yet, and it helps her to understand all the nuances of this new language. But no matter where you’re from or what language you speak, it’s a universal truth...cute boys are endlessly difficult to understand. I loved this book; it’s inclusive, and funny while remaining sincere. I can’t wait to see what the author has next in store.

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