Book Review: Joyride by Anna Banks

Goodreads Summary:

It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber’s mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.

All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

Review:

All I can think right now is… YES. Why do I have such reaction? Well I’ll tell you why. WE FINALLY SEE MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS AND UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS PORTRAYED CORRECTLY IN YOUNG ADULT FICTION. *claps forever*

Okay, maybe I should not be screaming that at you guys, but I am just SO HAPPY to see a real portrayal [even if we didn’t really go down and dirty into the lives of an immigrant family]. I’m disappointed with how little the publishing world talks about the reality of hispanic immigrants in the United States. And we all know how rare it is to see another ethnicity other than caucasian as a main character in young adult fiction. Now let me clarify, I am not bashing those books. I obviously don’t mind reading about white characters, but it is refreshing to see someone rise up to the challenge and write something else. With all that said and done, let’s continue.

One of the reasons why I really like Joyride is how real the story felt. Every single character was developed. They didn’t feel two-dimensional to me. They had depth. I love it when an author can write a story so well that the reader feels as if she were reading a true story, an account of something that happened in real life. Maybe I feel that way because I grew up in neighborhoods full of Mexican/Hispanic immigrants and know the struggles of those whose parents are undocumented. It is tough when you have to grow up at such a young age just like Carly. There is a lot I want to talk about, but I would go off on a tangent so instead…

In Fat Amy’s famous words… Ms. Banks crushed it!

Rating: 5 out of 5