Yo!

!Yo! by Julia Alvarez is a great book to read. I thought it was easy to follow because of the good sequence it had. Its characters were very diversified and were all connected through Yolanda Garcia, the main character of the book. This book will definitely make you want to read more of Alvarez' books. I also read In the time of Butterflies by the same author and I was equally excited when I finished reading it. I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed Yo! more than I did How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. Julia Alvarez does such a great job of developing each point of view on Yolanda Garcia, that by the end of the novel you feel as if you personally know this character. She brings to life her central character through the stories of those who were a part of her life and she does this so skilfully, with each character given its own writing style and voice, so it is as if each person was telling you a story about Yolanda and informing you about their involvement in her life. And no you do not need to read How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent to read this. Julia Alavrez fills the reader in on everything, although nothing much is missed. But, if you have read the Garcia Girls, you'll find yourself saying, "Oh I remember that!" and such. If you haven't read it, read it and you will see how each is inter-related. But, you do not need to read Garcia Girls to get this book, it stands alone. Definitely recommend all her books!

wow! I remember being blown away by "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent". Even then, Yolanda was my favorite character. It was easy to get right into this book-it was fast-reading, interesting, and definitely worthwhile. Being a resident of Vermont myself, I am amazed with Julia Alvarez' amazing writing talent. And although she is not nationally well-known, she is a name commonly heard around here. Yo! was a truly extraordinary book-a Hispanic version of "The Ya-Ya's", with a little added flair. I believe this is the type of book you would either HATE or LOVE-luckily, I loved it and recommed it to anyone who enjoys a good laugh, and a good read.

This was such a wonderful read! It felt like a coming home! All the distinct characters have an opinion about Yolanda Garcia. "Yo" has written a book whose characters bare way too much resemblance to her family members and everyone is in an uproar. "Yo" seems unaffected by it all. Julia Alvarez has the ability to take you in to her story with a warmth that has the scent of the "sancocho" your Mami made on Saturdays. It's a wonderful sequel to "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents". Ms. Alvarez has done it again!

Julia Alvarez' writing is characterized by her impeccable ability to create convincing characters whose travails and disappointments, joys and triumphs, the reader inevitably experiences as though he were an integral part of the book. In this, the sequel to How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Alvarez once again has taken us in a wild ride that reverberates with the sound of truth. Amazingly, we re-acquaint ourselves with the Garcia sisters, and especially with Yolanda (Yo), while at the same time we meet a whole new procession of characters who--at one time or another--have had an impact in Yo's life. This novel works so well because even though each chapter is told from a different point of view (so that at the end we're looking at a composite picture of Yolanda as seen by these narrators), Alvarez has successfully endowed each narrator with a distinctive, entirely credible voice. As usual, the stories are alternately poignant and hilarious, ponderous and lighthearted, yet regardless of the tone, Alvarez masterfully compels the reader to look at life in a different light, because love, death, failures, triumphs, and dreams is what human existence is all about. In short, a triumph!