A person who painstakingly tries so hard to be appreciated by her parents and given credit for being a good kid and student. It speaks of every teenager in the world who wants to be given the chance to live life according to her terms, not her parents'. All these experiences force her to cling on to her faith and discover things about herself. Only after being almost drowned in a flood, the object of rivalry between two friends, being outcast by Mexican girls of her age and sexually harassed. In Mexico, she gets to know herself better and found strength to stand up to her mother. This is a coming of age story of a girl out to prove to her mother that she can be responsible, trusted and independent. This is the story of Mila, an American who got to spend her summer in Mexico to improve her Spanish as credit for school. I received this book in return for an honest review. Warnings: attempted sexual assault (not graphic), violence, drug references, underage drinking. Note to the author: I really wanted to see Mila's chalk sketch it would make a nice addition to the end of the book.
While both Mila and her mother make unwise choices, it's nice to see how both of them grow over the course of the summer. Instead, the characters' religious beliefs are used to explain their actions. This is an inspirational story with a lot of religious references, yet the author never pushes her beliefs on the reader. It was hard to warm to Mila, due to her penchant for hiding things from her parents, but my heart did break for her a few times, following the cruel behavior of her "friends". The reasons for her mother's attitude become apparent later, but I still found them unwarranted. Given their over-protective behavior, I found it hard to believe that Mila's parents allowed her to make this trip. These vivid descriptions, especially the kaleidoscope of colors, make us feel like we are actually there. Through Mila, the author describes everything with an artist's eye for color and texture. But, with the help of her supportive host family, two boys who compete for her attention, and a strange old man, Mila may learn a bit more than just Spanish this summer. However, she lacks confidence and doesn't think she has what it takes to be an artist.
Mila has a passion for drawing and sketches every moment she can. If she earns enough Spanish credits now, she'll be able to sign up for the advanced drawing class she wants to take in her final year of high school. As part of a six-week immersion program, seventeen-year-old Mila travels from Indiana to Mexico to learn Spanish over the summer.
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