 | Ana of California : a novel Author: Teran, Andi | |
| Price: $13.12 | ||
Summary:
Fifteen-year-old orphan Ana Cortez has just blown her last chance with a foster family. It's a group home next - unless she agrees to leave East Los Angeles for a farm trainee program in Northern California. When she first arrives, Emmett Garber is skeptical that this slight city girl can be any help on his farm. His sister Abbie, however, thinks Ana might be just what they need.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/15/15)
School Library Journal (12/00/15)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 12/01/2015 In this modern adaptation of the beloved Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, the red-haired heroine from Nova Scotia has been updated to a curly haired Mexican American teen from East Los Angeles. Fitted with a similar, tragic backstory, Ana has a penchant for getting into scrapes, and her hard-won resilience echoes her predecessor's example. However, in this tale, Ana channels her creativity through art and her appreciation of punk music instead of writing, and the cast of the small town that she gets sent to as part of her road to emancipation is more diverse. Gender-flipped roles and contemporary issues make this a fresh take that even the uninitiated will appreciate. The brother/sister pair who take her in to help with their ailing farm have their own drama, and her love interest (Cole) and best friend (Rye) are troubled teens themselves, adding to the realism that permeates this work. Farm life, social issues, and small minds are threads that young adults will relate to, and Ana's memories of her past life with a loving grandmother and a gang-ridden upbringing will add a level of poignancy. The latter half picks up the pace, and here is where Teran departs from the original story line. Even secondary characters are well-developed, and the food descriptions will make mouths water. Despite some harrowing scenes, Ana's place at Garber Farms is never in doubt. VERDICT A heartwarming homage to a classic with a diverse twist that will be a hit with fans of realistic fiction.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
