Accidental Love (p, 1-44)

Summary

Marisa is a tough Latino (hispanic) who speaks her mind and doesn't mind fighting, even though her parents beg her not to. The story starts in the middle of action with Marisa skipping school to go see her best friend in the hospital. The guard see's her but he doesn't care. Marisa goes to a school made of Latinos and Blacks, with White and Asian trying to act Latino and Black. So, when she get's to the hospital she asks her friend if she wanted her to beat up and man who put her there. Her best friend Alicia had gotten into a car crash with her boyfriend Roberto. Right after she found out Roberto was cheating on her. Alicia was in the hospital with a broken leg but with a broken heart as well. Marisa couldn't stand to see her in pain, and she promised that Roberto would get what he deserved, but Alicia told her not to do anything. Well, Marisa got caught at the hospital by her mother, but after she got scolded they decided to leave. Marisa said good bye to her friend and was on her way when she ran into Roberto and his friend, Rene, in the hospital lobby. Marisa couldn't contain herself and started to punch Roberto. Her mother was able to get her off him and bring her home. When they were home Marisa's mom told her father that she skipped school but he didn't seem to care. During dinner, Marisa's phone started to ring when she realized that she had the wrong phone. It was Rene's, the boy who was with Roberto. They decided to meet outside her school to exchange phones. When they met up, Marisa couldn't believe her eyes. Rene was the ultimate nerd! She tried to contain herself and not to be mean. After that they went to the park, Marisa didn't know what it was but she started liking Rene. After that she kept waiting for his calls and even decided to change schools and go to Rene's. She described his school of being an all white rich people school. But when she got their she thought that maybe they have the same problems she does and their lives weren't all perfect after all. When she got their she started thinking about how she should tell Rene that he's such a geek and how to "hook up his wardrobe". Make him dress better. While all this is happening, Marisa still have to deal with her weight an losing it.

Quote

"Marisa was unfamiliar with her new school, though she suspected that most of the students came from homes where money grew on trees. But she had to admit that she might be wrong. Maybe those money trees were bare and fruitless, and maybe the students had their own fears" (Soto 35).

Reaction

I totally agree with the quote above. Sometimes we look at the physical appearance and come up with our conclusion, and most times those physical base conclusions, or even stereotypes are not true. Like the quote says maybe the inside tells a whole different story than what the eyes can see. I also like the fact that the book has a Spanish glossary in the back.