Addicted to Her
Gr 9 Up–High school junior Rafa Montoya is infatuated with sexy bad-girl Monique Cardera, whom he compares to an Aztec goddess. After rescuing her from an abusive encounter with her loutish boyfriend, Luke, he enters into a tumultuous relationship with her. However, the relationship changes him for the worse, and he lets his family responsibilities, which include taking care of his younger siblings and helping his stepfather with the family business, fall by the wayside. Also, Rafa abandons his dream of attending college on a wrestling scholarship because Monique ridicules the sport. A more compelling subplot concerning Rafa's stepfather, who is an undocumented immigrant, is unfortunately glossed over in favor of Monique and Rafa's tedious and clichéd romance. Toward the novel's end, a contrived and hastily executed blackmail scheme involving molestation drives an already unconvincing story line over the edge and into the realm of absurdity.Lalitha Nataraj, Chula Vista Public Library, CA© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.