Accidental Love

Accidental Love by Gary Soto is a witty novel that follows a teenage girl named Marisa. When Marisa accidentally switches phones in a hospital with a nerdy boy named Rene, she soon finds herself in love with this unlikely match. She has a fresh start when she transfers to a new school, and encounters even more inner conflict. Gary Soto brilliantly relates his characters with real problems and situations that teenagers face. Many adolescence struggle with their bodily images, similar to the inner battle that Marisa faces throughout the novel. The main reason why I enjoyed this novel is the way that Gary Soto seamlessly introduces the reader to Spanish words and phrases. In much of the dialogue, Soto includes words such as mi'ja and tía to indirectly characterize the Latino heritage of Marisa and other characters in the novel. One particular example of excellent detail in that characterization is when characters use elements of Spanish grammar that are not correct in the English language. The most evident in this novel is the use of double negatives in much of the dialogue. Soto uses colloquialisms and vernacular dialogue to keep the mood of the story refreshing and amusing. Overall, this is a delightful story to read, one I would highly recommend.

Accidental Love is a sweet book about two teens who end up with eachothers cell phones and fall in love. The thing I loved so much about this book was the style of writting. It is written in the same style as Star Girl. I enjoyed the way that Marrisa and Rene grow up. I think its neat that Rene made Marrisa want to become a better person. Overall this was a sweet love story with a different plot.

Marisa Rodriguez is a Latina with a hot temper. She goes to a rough school and is accustomed to solving problems with her fists. This is actually how she meets the boy who will end up changing her life. When Marisa gets into a fistfight with Roberto, the slimy boyfriend of her best friend Alicia, Roberto's nerdy math tutor Rene is there to break it up. During the scuffle, Marisa and Rene accidentally pick up each other's cell phones. Upon exchanging them, it is evident that there is an undeniable chemistry between the two. They begin dating and become inseparable. Marisa ends up transferring to Rene's school and uses her aunt's address on her registration. They audition to be in Romeo and Juliet together, begin a fitness plan (Marisa wants to lose weight and Rene is determined to gain muscle), and each desire a personality makeover (Marisa would like to stop reacting so violently, while Rene wishes to be cooler). Because their attitudes and personalities are so different, it's understandable that Marisa and Rene must deal with certain conflicts and pressures in their relationship. These are the kinds of problems that all teenagers will face at some point in their lives. As a result, readers will be able to relate to this young couple quite well; they will want them to succeed and be happy with each other. Included at the end of the book is a glossary containing Spanish terms that are sprinkled throughout the pages. In no way do the presence of these words detract from the overall reading of the novel; most can be figured out easily from the context of the sentence they are in. Through his outstanding story, Gary Soto demonstrates that young adults indeed are capable of overcoming various hurdles to become whatever it is they want to be. They can succeed and make better lives for themselves, just as Marisa and Rene have done in ACCIDENTAL LOVE. --- Reviewed by Melissa A. Palmer