This book's topic is how individuals evolve and develop with time, as well as how their views and expectations alter. The main character, Mario Sotero, is a young man who lives in Argentina. He is a painter who is trying to make it big in Europe but fails repeatedly. In fact, he ends up in jail twice. Mario meets two women while in prison: one is his cellmate, the other is Rita, a famous singer from Spain. Through these three characters, we learn about the changes that occur within people as they grow older. Rita goes from being a popular star in Spain to becoming a homeless woman living on the streets. Her career never recovers after this incident. Mario, on the other hand, becomes more sympathetic as he processes the mistakes of his life and moves on. Taking Sides is a novel that talks about betrayal, forgiveness, redemption, and growth. It is written in third person narrative, featuring an alternating point of view between Mario and Rita. Here are some themes that can be found in Taking Sides by Gary Soto: love, hate, guilt, innocence, responsibility, fate, death, justice, democracy, tyranny, happiness, sadness.