Jasmine de Los Santos, a high school senior, cheer captain, and immigrant from the Philippines, has always been told to work hard to earn what she gets. Being the perfectionist she is, she won’t settle for anything lower than an A and doesn’t stop until she can do something correctly. Life seems perfect until she meets Royce Blakely, a boy that she met in the hospital where her mother works, who turns her organized life upside down. Juggling her responsibilities as cheer captain, getting good grades, a social life, and time with her family is already tricky, but it’s not until she receives some devastating news that she finally realizes how important it is to live life as it is. Melissa De La Cruz’s magnificent novel describes Jasmine’s life as she goes through the ups and downs on the bumpy road of life.
Out of all the teen bestsellers, this one is definitely one of my favorites! While at times it’s funny, at other times it has the reader at the edge of their seat, clenching their teeth. Also, this piece of work truly captures what an undocumented immigrant’s life would be like, as it takes the reader through a series of important events in Jasmine’s life. Honestly, the only criticism I would be able to give this book is its grammar at some points. Sometimes a minor grammar mistake would occur, but overall it used strong adjectives, descriptive figurative language, and words that captured the beauty of Jasmine’s life, both social and school-related.
The most memorable part of this book is when Jasmine finds out if she got into Stanford or not. As I wouldn’t like to ruin the surprise for anyone else, I’ll just say for now that it leaves the reader awestruck.
Reviewed by Jennifer, Grade 6, Twin Hickory Area Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 