Fifteen-year-old Cuban-American Marianna Ruiz’s father has been a politician Mari’s entire life, but when he runs for president, Mari’s family is subjected to a new level of exposure, and Mari starts to see her dad with new eyes. A novel about privacy, waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero—while the whole country is watching.
Review: Oh this book is so much a coming of age story about identity, family and heart all dressed up in one man’s campaign for president. I loved it. I love the fact that politics has become something we can talk about in Young adult fiction. I felt like this writer assumed I had prior knowledge of the electoral system and the political playground as a whole and I love it when I feel like an author doesn’t have to talk down to me. More politics in fiction please!
Mari was a great character to spend this book with because she is at that stage of life when she has her family loyalty and that is as strong as it has ever been but she also wants to be her own person and has her own ideals and values and sometimes those go against the family values. I loved watching her trying to overcome these struggles and find a balance at the same time as forming her own identity.
There is an awful lot about friendship in this book as well. Friendships where you wouldn’t think to find them and friendships weathering the test of time. We have all been through those times when actually a friendship isn’t what it used to be and it can be painful to acknowledge that or throw away your preconceived ideas about where your loyalties lie.
Identity is such a key theme in this book, racial ideaty, family identity and identity as a woman coming of age in today’s society, Throw into that mix some political identity and some gender identity and wow Mari has a lot on her plate. It was tough to read at times but overall this book has something for everyone and is definitely something I wish I had read when I was struggling with my own conflicting identities when I was her age!
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