Review: It's not shakespeare
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2011
While I'm usually a huge fan of Amy Lane's work, this was not a favorite. It had all the elements I normally enjoy in a Lane book, I just didn't feel like they worked in this book. One of the things, I didn't enjoy was the phonetic spelling "What witchu, heifer?". Lane calls this code-switching,(the ability to speak proper English with certain people in certain situations and a less formal, slangy English with other people and other situations)which as a language major, I have studied and understand. But it's not pleasant to read. Lane tried so hard to make Rafi extra-Mexican with all this slang and description of his cholo clothing, but all she really does is make him this character who is extremely hard to relate to. The sex scene are mostly brief when they're not "fade to black" (referenced to but not seen on scene) and there are huge jumps in the relationship where developments are referred to rather than shown. This book is a lot of "tell not show" rather than the other way around so I would say save your money and buy any of her other books.