Don't Date Rosa Santos

May 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Rosa Santos has Cuba in her blood. Living in a seaside community in Southern Florida with her abuela, she knows only part of the family stories that tie her to the Caribbean island where her ancestors lived. Both her mother and grandmother have experienced tragedies related to the sea, and they caution Rosa to stay away from the water at all costs. Her mother, an artist who has abandoned Rosa to travel the country, returns intermittently, and though their relationship is strained, Rosa yearns to know more about the woman who gave birth to her. When Rosa encounters Alex, an attractive sailor who works by the docks, she cannot resist his charms and begins to fall for him despite her family's superstitions. As her senior year ends, Rosa struggles to make decisions about college, but one thing continues to influence her choices: her desire to connect to Cuba and her family's past. The teenagers in the book experience conflicts and growing pains, and the Latinx culture of their environment infuses the action with traditions, language, and attitudes that are refreshing. While there is room for more in-depth character and plot development, these deficiencies are easily forgiven in the midst of the vibrant setting. VERDICT A sweet story that celebrates Latinx culture.-Karin Greenberg, Manhasset High School, Manhasset, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
Whatever you do...Don't. Date. Rosa. Santos. They say she is cursed by the sea, and perhaps they are right, but love doesn't keep to still waters.After attending both high school and community college for the last two years, it is time for Florida teen Rosa to pick a four-year college, and she has made the perfect choice: one with a study abroad program in Cuba. For most students, this would be an exciting adventure, but for Rosa, it's personal. Her grandmother left the island as an exile and will not entertain the idea of going back, while Rosa longs to understand the place her family came from. Now, if she can just tell abuela. Things get more complicated when she literally runs smack into Alex Aquino, a tall, dark, and tattooed guy who comes waltzing back into town--and into her life. Rosa soon learns that love is never easy, especially when the boy has a boat. Readers will feel Rosa's excitement and anxiety as she not only navigates life's difficult relationships, but pushes to make the journey to Cuba to find out where she came from and, ultimately, who she is. Rosa's Cuban-American best friend, Ana-Maria, is Afro-Latinx. The text is enhanced by authentically Cuban Spanish.Full of complex family relationships, a diverse community, and plenty of swoonworthy moments, fans of rom-coms won't be able to put this one down. (Romance. 13-17)

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February 1, 2019
Grades 8-12 Rosa Santos knows she comes from a long line of heartbreak at the hands of the roiling sea. Her grandfather was killed on the boat from Cuba, and her father was lost to the ocean before she was born, so she grew up knowing her family always expected her to stay close to home and away from the water. That means things get very complicated when she sets her sights on studying abroad in Havana and meets a boy who feels the pull of the ocean just as much as she suddenly feels pulled toward him. This beautifully written first novel tells a story of finding your place. Moreno paints a lush picture of what a crush can feel like when more than a potential break-up seems to darken your meet-cute. Rosa is a compelling protagonist whose unique voice?smart and funny, but also warm?is refreshing in the YA landscape. Don't Date Rosa Santos is the perfect read for those searching for answers about their world and about themselves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)