Amor and Summer Secrets (Amor and Summer Secrets, #1)

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Amor and Summer Secrets (Amor and Summer Secrets #1)

by Diana Rodriguez Wallach (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · rating details · 46 ratings · 16 reviews

In the first novel of a sparkling new series that's reminiscent of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, Wallach introduces an unforgettable heroine who's learning all about friendship, family, rivalry, and secrets.

Paperback, 296 pages

Published September 1st 2008 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

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Apr 16, 2009

Jennifer Wardrip rated it

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Life can be so unfair! Just when Mariana Ruiz was excited for school to be over and to have the best summer ever, her parents spring a surprise on her and her older brother, Vincent. The two of them are off to Puerto Rico to spend the summer with relatives they never even knew existed.

Mariana's paternal grandfather moved his family to the States when her father was very young. At that point, her grandfather cut all ties with the fami...moreReviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Life can be so unfair! Just when Mariana Ruiz was excited for school to be over and to have the best summer ever, her parents spring a surprise on her and her older brother, Vincent. The two of them are off to Puerto Rico to spend the summer with relatives they never even knew existed.

Mariana's paternal grandfather moved his family to the States when her father was very young. At that point, her grandfather cut all ties with the family in Puerto Rico. Mariana grew up hearing how her grandparents and then her father struggled to achieve a better life in the United States. And it's true. Mariana's father is successful, and she wants for nothing in her Spring Mills home.

But when Mariana and Vincent arrive in Utuado, they couldn't possibly be any further from home. No one speaks English. Mariana and Vincent, even though they are half Puerto Rican, are as American as apple pie. The only Spanish they know is what they learned in their Spanish class at school.

Mariana is livid with her brother when she finds out that they were sent off to Utuado because their parents learned about the party that Vincent had when the two were left alone earlier in the year. Vincent pleaded to go on a European trip with his buddies prior to his leaving for Cornell in the fall, but the trip to Puerto Rico is to be his punishment. Unlike Mariana though, Vincent is laid back about things, and looking forward to an entire summer away from parental supervision. Mariana would rather be in Spring Mills, watching her best friend, Madison, plan her Sweet Sixteen party.

Once the two arrive in Puerto Rico, they are relived that they have a cousin, Lilly, who is their age and speaks perfect English. Mariana has a hard time warming up to Lilly though, after overhearing her tell Vincent that her parents expect her to include Mariana in everything.

It's only after Mariana secretly helps Lilly's mom plan Lilly's Quinceanera that Mariana starts to appreciate the life that her distant relatives have in Puerto Rico. Mariana's family keeps to themselves and avoids confrontations of any kind. The close-knit connection that her Puerto Rican family has is one she envies.

The summer unfolds unexpectedly for Mariana and she has to confront many changes in her life. Her friends might not have been who she thought they were. She may have her first boyfriend. And Lilly has become far closer to her than she would have imagined possible.

AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS is the first book in a series by new author Diana Rodriguez Wallach. The feelings and struggles that Mariana encounter are real and heartfelt. She struggles to come to understand what family means and how to let down her guard, even just a little. The story flows quickly and leaves the reader with a feeling of anticipation for the follow-up novel, AMIGAS AND SCHOOL SCANDALS.

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Sep 01, 2008

Isabella rated it

Recommends it for: Teenagers, Adults, Multi-Cultural Families

Recommended to Isabella by: Amazon

I was extremely impressed with Rodriguez Wallach’s first young adult novel. The fresh, well-paced story was completely absent of the common clichés found in the YA genre. The characters are realistic and compelling, and are creatively developed throughout the book in a way that shows maturity beyond what you would expect from a debut author. My favorite part was certainly the end, which provides an unexpected twist that cleverly excites the reader to pick up the sequel.

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Jan 14, 2012

BookChic Club rated it

The title pretty much sums the novel up- it's all about love and secrets, and it's a fantastic debut. While the voice of Mariana is very much chicklit, there's still another layer there that makes it more than just a novel about summer love, and that mainly has to do with the aforementioned secrets and the rich details that fill this novel. Much of the action takes place in Puerto Rico, which almost becomes a character in its own right with the way Wallach describes it all- the weather, the cust...more

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Jun 04, 2009

Alexis rated it

Recommends it for: girls 13+

Shelves: teen, my-reviews

Fifteen-year-old Mariana Ruíz has red hair, pale skin, and freckles. When her friends in an affluent Philadelphia suburb jokingly call her "Spic" she protests that she isn't Hispanic, only her name is. The daughter of a Puerto Rican father and Polish mother, Mariana feels no affinity with the culture that marks her by her last name. Her Spanish grades are average, and she would much rather be at ballet class or hanging out with her two best friends.

And then Mariana's fathe...moreFifteen-year-old Mariana Ruíz has red hair, pale skin, and freckles. When her friends in an affluent Philadelphia suburb jokingly call her "Spic" she protests that she isn't Hispanic, only her name is. The daughter of a Puerto Rican father and Polish mother, Mariana feels no affinity with the culture that marks her by her last name. Her Spanish grades are average, and she would much rather be at ballet class or hanging out with her two best friends.

And then Mariana's father decides to ruin her life by sending her and her older brother to Puerto Rico for the summer. The whole summer, which means missing her friend Madison's Super Sweet Sixteen. Mariana is devastated, as only a fifteen year old girl can be. When she arrives in Utuado, a mountain town in Puerto Rico, she meets tons of relatives she didn't even know she had. At first she is determined to have a terrible time, but as she learns more about her family and culture, she begins to have fun in spite of herself. It helps that she finally sees a family resemblance in her cousin Lilly, who is having a huge Quinceañera that summer.

Amor and Summer Secrets tells the story of Mariana's discovery of her culture, and how it relates to who she is as a person. Having denied it for so long, her trip to PR gives her a more complete view of who she is, and helps her embrace it. Being Latina isn't just speaking Spanish and eating rice and beans; it comes with so much more.

This book struck a personal chord in me, so I'm going to get a little personal talking about it. Like Mariana, and like Diana Rodriguez Wallach, I am also half-Puerto Rican. I speak just enough Spanish to get by in a foreign country. I'm terrified of dancing salsa. I have no idea how to cook arroz con gandules and I won't eat pernil. But I am a Latina. Unlike Mariana, I grew up in the Bronx, where there is no getting away from Puerto Rican culture. However, I know how it feels to be in the middle. Like I said, I'm only half. I straighten my curly hair and I threw out that dark lip liner a long time ago. My best friend once pointed out that we (our class at school) were developing our intellectual identities when other kids were developing their racial identities.

Have I occasionally felt culturally adrift? Yes. Not Puerto Rican enough to hang with the Hispanic girls but definitely not a white girl. I'm just me. Seeing Mariana struggle with these same feelings - of not quite fitting into a particular group, of feeling "too ethnic" or not enough - made me very glad that someone wrote a book that more closely matched my own experiences. There are tons of other mixed kids out there, and there need to be more books like this that detail those experiences. I want to read more books about Puerto Rican culture, but despite growing up in New York City, I didn't grow up "inner city." (I've read Random Family, and I know that that the only thing that separates me from those girls is the extreme willpower of my grandmother, and then my mom, who made sure that wasn't going to happen to their families.)

I certainly wasn't anywhere near rich, like Mariana's family in the book, but some of her responses and observations, along with many descriptions, were spot-on from the POV of a visiting half-Puerto Rican Americana. Yes, they never let you forget the sacrifices they've made for the sake of education. Yes, the drive into the mountains is absolutely terrifying! (I don't know exactly where Utuado is, but it sounds like it was right near where my aunt used to live.) Yes, the teenagers drink. Yes, there are creepy drunk guys who just sit around, but they're harmless (because they're so wasted). Yes, El Yunque is absolutely beautiful and you can just chill at the waterfalls while it "rains" for two seconds. Yes, I have two bottles of Barrelito in my kitchen right now. No, I never had a Quinceañera, but I did have a Quinceañera Barbie. (No joke. Huge pink dress and everything!) I love reading a book that has so many "yes, that's exactly right" moments.

While Mariana sometimes seems a little more insightful than her occasionally immature behavior warrants, it doesn't detract. If anything, it seems more like Mariana's real voice coming out, the voice that doesn't get heard when she's around her spoiled American friends. The end is kind of abrupt, but I read the blurbs of the two other books in the trilogy so I wasn't totally left hanging. This first installment is fast-paced and fun. I zipped right through it. It's about family and culture and finding yourself, with a little romance thrown in. It's definitely a first novel but I'm really looking forward to reading the next two. I can't stress enough how there need to be more books like this. (less)

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May 05, 2009

cecilia rated it

Overall a pleasant read, though I started to get annoyed with Mariana when she whined about Puerto Rico and worried about her friends who seem way too superficial. Once she got over it (somewhat), she got to be a lot cooler. I could relate to her inability to speak fluent Spanish even though she is half-Puerto Rican and took some high school Spanish courses. I do not recall a lot of cultural tidbits throughout the story beyond Lilly's quinceañera, but it was heartwarming to see Mariana attempt t...more

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Jul 09, 2010

Sara E. rated it

Shelves: young-adult, latinos-latinas-fic-and-nonfic

A really cute book about a half-Puerto Rican, half-Polish, all-American teen girl who lives a life of relative luxury in Pennsylvania and is forced by her parents to spend her summer in Puerto Rico with her wayward older brother. Mariana, our heroine, must adjust to the culture shock, and also learn more about herself and also her family.

I thought it was well written and the voice was really authentic. It brought me back to those summers I spent in Puerto Rico with my Grandmother an...more

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Feb 25, 2011

Anna LaGrois rated it

Shelves: family-issues, friends, realistic-fiction, romance, series, five-stars

Going into Amor and Summer Secrets, I had heard many great things. I had also spoken with Diana Rodriguez Wallach before (I did an interview with her closer to the release date of the book) and she's really nice. So, I went into this book with extremely high expectations.

And they were most definitely met. While in the beginning, Mariana was a bit annoying and whiny, it wasn't overdone, and it was in places that I could understand. I mean, going to visit family you knew existed, but h...more

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Oct 01, 2008

Rachael rated it

It’s the summer after her first year in high school, and all Mariana Ruíz can think about is her best friend Madison’s upcoming Sweet Sixteen. It’s going to be the event of the summer with every perfect detail catered to Madison’s expensive needs. But then Mariana’s parents force her to accompany her brother Vince on a summer-long vacation to Puerto Rico. Mariana is outraged and devastated; she doesn’t understand why she has to miss her friend’s birthday blowout to spent time with Puerto Rican r...moreIt’s the summer after her first year in high school, and all Mariana Ruíz can think about is her best friend Madison’s upcoming Sweet Sixteen. It’s going to be the event of the summer with every perfect detail catered to Madison’s expensive needs. But then Mariana’s parents force her to accompany her brother Vince on a summer-long vacation to Puerto Rico. Mariana is outraged and devastated; she doesn’t understand why she has to miss her friend’s birthday blowout to spent time with Puerto Rican relatives she’s never met before and frankly has no desire to meet. But she has to go, against her will, and at first, Puerto Rice is everything Mariana has dreaded: conversational limitations due to the language barrier, cramped quarters she has to share, and muggy weather. But gradually, Mariana realizes she can’t spend the summer pining for her hometown and its luxuries and stars to embrace her family and her ethnicity. And she just might get some new friends in the bargain.

Amor and Summer Secrets was a cute and well-written story. I really liked Mariana’s character; sure, she was spoiled and annoying at times, but she knew her flaws and genuinely tried to be a good person. I could easily relate to her struggles, especially the ones involving her family, friends, and boys. The problems Mariana deals with may see a little generic, but Wallach presents them in a realistic way that makes them appear fresh. I would’ve liked more development of the minor characters, particularly Lilly and Vince, because they were hard to understand at times, but their characterization was in the end adequate. I also liked how Mariana grew to accept and love her cultural identity. And of course, there’s enough romance, drama, and secrets to keep the plot interesting.

I definitely recommend Amor and Summer Secrets and can’t wait for the sequel, Amigas and School Scandals. Fans of Cruel Summer by Alyson Noël and Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs will also enjoy this novel with similar themes. (less)

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Sep 29, 2008

Lily rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Amor and Summer Secrets by Diana Rodriguez-Wallach
It's a story about Mariana Ruiz. She's half Puerto Rican, half Polish, 15, loves ballet, hanging out with her two BFFs: Madison & Emily, and is about to plan and attend the biggest Sweet 16 ever in all the history of Philadelphia for none other than her BFF, Madison... only to have her world flipped upside down! In what she thinks is a plot conceived by her family to ruin her life, she gets sent to the small town her father grew up in - Utu...moreAmor and Summer Secrets by Diana Rodriguez-Wallach
It's a story about Mariana Ruiz. She's half Puerto Rican, half Polish, 15, loves ballet, hanging out with her two BFFs: Madison & Emily, and is about to plan and attend the biggest Sweet 16 ever in all the history of Philadelphia for none other than her BFF, Madison... only to have her world flipped upside down! In what she thinks is a plot conceived by her family to ruin her life, she gets sent to the small town her father grew up in - Utuado, Puerto Rico to "babysit" her older, more popular, live-for-the-moment brother, Vince and live with family she's never met.
Did I mention she doesn't speak Spanish? (Well ok, she sorta speaks... if you count 2 years of classes that run over things you'd never actually use in real life except for "Donde esta el bano?")
Thankfully she stops the temper tantrums and constant moping around. Thanks a million to her cousin, Lilly Sanchez - who speaks English and startlingly resembles her! As the summer progresses she gets a chance to learn more about where she came from, the culture and lifestyle. She even does some behind the scenes planning for Lilly's Quincenera (the Spanish Sweet 16 - except she's 15) - which to her amazement is just as big a deal if not more so than a Sweet 16 ever could be.
What comes from the rest of her summer is what we all hope for. A taste of paradise, a little romance, self-discovery and some mystery. All I can say is what would you do if you found out a 30-year old secret your family has kept, that changes everything you've ever known about them and yourself?
Diana Rodriguez-Wallach tells a fantastic story that I reminded me of some of the challenges I had growing up multi-ethnic and all the sacrifices that my family made just so I could be where I am today. I laughed and cried and I even learned a few things about myself. I was so touched by the sincerity of the story. I highly recommend reading this book and following up with the next two in the series: "Amigas and School Scandals" & "Adios to All The Drama"(less)

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Jun 22, 2011

Harley rated it

Read it on the cruise, so maybe that's why i liked it so much ha. Pretty basic story line: stuck up rich girl is forced to stay with family for the summer, but she can't communicate with them because she doesn't speak spanish. Over the summer she learns to be a better person blah blah blah. Definitely worth reading if you're into basic teen romance novels

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May 18, 2009

Heidi rated it

I enjoyed this book about a girl spending the summer in Puerto Rico and learning about her extended family and herself. It is definitely geared for the teenage set, had a few swear words, and a lot of teenage drinking (a cultural thing in Puerto Rico I guess), but I did enjoy the story and plan to read the sequel.

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Nov 11, 2009

Hosbel Hernandez rated it

Life can be so unfair! Just when Mariana Ruiz was excited for school to be over and to have the best summer ever, her parents spring a surprise on her and her older brother, Vincent. The two of them are off to Puerto Rico to spend the summer with relatives they never even knew existed.

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Feb 15, 2011

BCPL Youth Services Librarian added it

Shelves: chick-lit, realistic-fiction, romance

Click to see book in BCPL's online catalog

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Mar 15, 2010

Maggie Hargrave rated it

Shelves: girl-books, multicultural, ya

Another go back to "fatherland" to find and appreciate culture

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Aug 26, 2008

Diana rated it

· (Review from the author)

I'm completely biased because I wrote this book. :) But you should read it! Enjoy!

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Sep 15, 2009

Mariella rated it

this was cute teen girl book. Hella lot of Puerto Rican references that I had to experience growing up and heading to the island every summer.

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About Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s debut young adult novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, is the first in a three-book series published by Kensington Publishing in September 2008. The second book in the series, Amigas and School Scandals, debuted at the end of October 2008. The final installment of Mariana's story, Adios to All The Drama, launched in January 2009. Diana holds a journalism degree from Boston Uni...more

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Amigas and School Scandals (Amor and Summer Secrets, #2)

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