Review: Oh my God, how did this author know my life? ;-)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 15, 2014
So glad I borrowed this from a friend. It was totally hilarious! And touching. I had so much in common with the protagonist that it almost made me feel like it was my own biography. I grew up in New Jersey, but Caridad's tale is a universal one. I think that any girl who has had awkward teenage years can relate to this piece a LOT, but if you're Catholic, you will be blown away by Ms. Tarazona's adept skill at capturing those divinely awful and humorous moments unique to our upbrigings. I couldn't put this down—read it one sitting.Between the awkwardness of becoming a woman, relationships with grandmoms, and the sheer horror of having to confess sins every week, I found a lot in this book that brought me back to my teenage years. But in a hilarious, thought-provoking and interesting way. I had my own Nazaret, as well, so I really related to Caridad's pure anger at this "red-headed devil." I wanted to whisper to her "Things will get better!" And the incident with the cigarettes...too funny.All of the characters were expertly drawn. I found it similar in certain ways to the perennial classic "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret". Absolutely brilliant, entertaining, and sweet. Loved the plot and can't wait to read more from this author.