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The Latte Rebellion

by Sarah Jamila Stevenson (Goodreads Author)

3.25 of 5 stars 3.25 · rating details · 321 ratings · 90 reviews

Our philosophy is simple: Promote a latte-colored world! —from the Latte Rebellion Manifesto

When high school senior Asha Jamison gets called a "towel head" at a pool party, the racist insult gives Asha and her best friend Carey a great money-making idea for a post-graduation trip. They'll sell T-shirts promoting the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-ra...more

Paperback, 327 pages

Published January 8th 2011 by Flux

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Jan 05, 2013 Potassium rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This is the story of Asha, the straight A high school student who, with her friend, come up with The Latte Rebellion as a way to bring acknowledgement to people of mixed races (and how they don't really fit in anywhere) as well as to sell t-shirts to raise money for their vacation before college starts. Of course everything gets waaaaay out of hand and that is what this story is about.
This book gave me a lot of food for thought: being mixed race myself I totally agreed with the feelings of the...more

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May 16, 2011 Diane Mankowski rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

I tried to like this one, but after 100 pages I just didn't care about Asha, Carrie or their cause. In real-time, Asha's facing the school board at an expulsion hearing for her work organizing and promoting the latte rebellion-or the positive qualities of mixed race people. The trouble for me is that the real cause, for the vast majority of the book, is selling enough latte rebellion t-shirts to fund a vacation with her friends. In the end, I didn't read on to discover if Asha's rebellion morphe...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Asha and her best friend Carey start "The Latte Rebellion", a website to sell t-shirts and - almost as an afterthought - promote mixed race teens, who don't fit in with any of the ethnic clubs at school. The Latte Rebellion develops a life of it's own however - not selling heaps of t-shirts but becoming a movement in lots of high school. Meanwhile Asha and Carey's friendship suffers, and as Asha spends more time on the Rebellion, she spends less time on school work.

I wanted to like this book, bu...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Julie Suzanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: classroom-books-grade-7-8, racism

I didn't finish this. The narration of this spunky protagonist was amusing and could've kept me interested, but the book wasn't what I expected. Based on the back cover, I thought I'd be able to relate to this passionate high school student who tries to do something idealistic and profound (meet my high school self). Her project gains momentum, goes viral, she can no longer control its impact, and she then gets busted. This sounded like a successful version of me as a teen (whose projects never...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

3.5.

I really liked what the story did here, but I don't think that the execution worked as strongly as it could have, and I pit that on Asha. At the beginning of the story, she's into the entire idea of selling shirts to make money for a vacation with best friend Carey. She sticks with this plan and mentality for a long, long time, even when secondary characters suggest she pursue the Latte Rebellion as something much stronger and more significant. But it's too little too late for her, and she w...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Irene Grumman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: social-issues, young-adult

BOOK REVIEW

THE LATTE REBELLION, BY SARAH JAMILA STEVENSON, FLUX, LLEWELLYN WORDLDWIDE LTD., WOODBURY, MINNESOTA, 2011

TYPE: YOUNG ADULT

High School Senior Asha gets tired of racial slurs and being excluded from ethnic clubs at school because she doesn’t fit neatly into one category. After all, lots of students at her school have heritage from more than one continent. In fact, they’re just plain brown, like most people on earth.

The Latte Rebellion starts as a gesture of defiance and a money making...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Melanie Goodman added it

Asha Jamison’s classmates are quick to categorize her. She is called both a “towelhead” and “barely Asian.” Asha and her best friend Carey have a harder time describing their own ethnicities. Asha is part Indian, part Mexican, and part Irish, while Carey is half Chinese and half Caucasian. When they begin describing themselves as lattes—a mix of coffee and milk—they start brainstorming ways to distribute their idea to other multiethnic teens and coffee lovers. The Latte Rebellion is born, first...more Asha Jamison’s classmates are quick to categorize her. She is called both a “towelhead” and “barely Asian.” Asha and her best friend Carey have a harder time describing their own ethnicities. Asha is part Indian, part Mexican, and part Irish, while Carey is half Chinese and half Caucasian. When they begin describing themselves as lattes—a mix of coffee and milk—they start brainstorming ways to distribute their idea to other multiethnic teens and coffee lovers. The Latte Rebellion is born, first only through t-shirt sales that Asha and Carey hope to use for a post-graduation trip but spiraling quickly into a viral social movement.

Things get out of hand, though, when other chapters of the movement take the message too far. Asha promotes peaceful rallies, but others resort to hate speech and violence. The Latte Rebellion becomes targeted as a terrorist group, and Asha is forced to go before the school board for a disciplinary hearing as a result of her involvement. Now more than ever, Asha must find her voice and speak out for what The Latte Rebellion is truly about: empowerment, belonging, and identity.

Sarah Jamila Stevenson’s The Latte Rebellion sports a gorgeously textured cover, and it was the side-by-side glossy and matte finishes that lured me into the book initially. I can’t help but be tempted by a delicious-looking cup of coffee. While I couldn’t always identify with Asha’s struggle, I admired the book’s promotion of mixed-ethnicity understanding and acceptance. I was rooting for Asha, though after reading a book about advocacy—albeit a fictional one—I would have liked to have gotten more riled up. Throughout much of the novel, it was hard to accept that these teens cared about much more than their t-shirt sales, vacation plans, and cute guys. They are teenagers, after all.

The Latte Rebellion is founded on a solid premise, but its message is one that can be grasped quickly from the first few chapters. Much of the remainder dragged on and on. Unfortunately, I found this book to be short on substance, too much milk and not enough coffee. (If you are not a fan of the latte metaphor, this book is most certainly not for you, as they are used in abundance.) Perhaps teens who can relate better to Asha’s quest will find more meaning behind The Latte Rebellion’s manifesto and pursue their own journey toward social change. As for me, I’ll stick with the coffee and the cool t-shirt.

Originally published at Elevate Difference.(less)

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Jan 18, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-dac

This was my first choice for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren. I picked it because I needed something quick and I knew Amazon would have it on my doorstep just in time for me to have something to read at work.
The Latte Rebellion centers around Asha, a high school senior of mixed race who, with her friends Carey and Miranda (also mixed-race), launch a website to sell "Latte Rebellion" t-shirts in hopes of raising enough money to go on vacation after graduation. What start...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 3 of 5 stars

Best friends Asha Jamison and Carey Wong, senior year and friendship are threatened after an inappropriate joke at a pool party. Roger Yee, a classmates calls Asha a towel head. Asha and Carey are tired of the misconception and inappropriate remarks of their peers.

"The heat rose behind my cheeks, my head filling with any number of things I could tell her. Carey is not Japanese. And J. Lo. is not from Mexico - she's a Puerto Rican American. This is not even close to the same thing. There are thes...more Best friends Asha Jamison and Carey Wong, senior year and friendship are threatened after an inappropriate joke at a pool party. Roger Yee, a classmates calls Asha a towel head. Asha and Carey are tired of the misconception and inappropriate remarks of their peers.

"The heat rose behind my cheeks, my head filling with any number of things I could tell her. Carey is not Japanese. And J. Lo. is not from Mexico - she's a Puerto Rican American. This is not even close to the same thing. There are these things called maps; you should look at one. And, am I dreaming or did you just say my butt was big? But in the end, I didn't say any of it. It seemed futile. Kaelyn just didn't get it. Maybe she really did think she was paying us a compliment."

The two decide to start a business selling T-shirts. They call it Latte Rebellion, for their love of Lattes and multiethnic people, who come in many shades of Brown. Soon Asha decides she wants to do more then sell T-Shirts. When everything gets too big it leads to unexpected trouble for Asha

The story alternates between Asha hearing in front of the school disciplinary board and the beginnings of the Latte Rebellion. This really worked for me, I liked being able to see Asha in both situations. Its obvious that the Asha in front of the school board is very different from the one who started the Latte Rebellion. Though I wish the author's transitions were smoother. They were too abrupt and early for me. There were many times when I felt a scene could've been developed more.

I enjoyed The Latte Rebellion but was also frustrated it. As good as it is, I don't think it reached it's full potential. The author's writing is good. I kept reading because of Asha. She was a great character, I couldn't help but care about her. Though I wish Stevenson's editor would've challenged her to flush out and develop her characters and storylines more.

I still found this a very worth while read, there's a lot here. I believe Asha got in so much trouble partly because of one word- Rebellion. To her it meant change. To her school board it meant - threat. It because of things like that I think this would make an excellent book club selection. Also it doesn't hurt that Asha remembers to have fun while taking up the cause of the Latte Rebellion.

(less)

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Feb 08, 2011 Eva Leger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-fiction, y-a

I'm at a loss as to how to review this. I read it in about a day which, right now for me, is really good. YA is still a fairly new genre for me even though I'm reading more than ever before.
When I read the description for this on a friends blog I was curious but wasn't sure I'd like it. To be honest I don't like the title at all. I "get" the title. But I still don't like it.
As for the characters, I have to disagree with the reviewers who hated Asha because of how she acted. I know a lot of peo...more I'm at a loss as to how to review this. I read it in about a day which, right now for me, is really good. YA is still a fairly new genre for me even though I'm reading more than ever before.
When I read the description for this on a friends blog I was curious but wasn't sure I'd like it. To be honest I don't like the title at all. I "get" the title. But I still don't like it.
As for the characters, I have to disagree with the reviewers who hated Asha because of how she acted. I know a lot of people who read their books and want the perfect happy ending, characters they love, etc. That's not me. I would find that boring. If I can hate a character - and be passionate about it - that's great for me. That's not to say I hated Asha, I think if anything she represented a plethora of young people in America and around the world today.
Can anyone out there say they haven't said something negative about someone before? I can't. I'm very race aware and have been since I entered my teens. Super aware. And I've still stereotyped certain people at different times in my life. Something I like to admit? No. But it is honest. If there's anyone who can honestly say they have never done the same then maybe they should consider sainthood.
Asha isn't "perfect" - I say that makes her relatable more so than any other "perfect" character.
The story definitely flows. I thought I knew where it was going towards the end when she sees a certain someone in the hall during the board meeting. (I'm trying to be vague on purpose.) I was wrong. I was also scared the ending would be the perfect happily-ever-after type of ending I hate and it wasn't. I think I'd have liked it to be a little more "not happy" to be honest. Maybe a little more real world if you will. But it certainly wasn't like I expected it to be.
I have a bit of a problem with a Asha's thinking on page 295 (ARC edition) when she's thinking about her father and thinks "That my dad is brown on the outside and white on the inside. An insult." Did I misunderstand this? How is being white an insult? I'm white and I'm not an insult. Neither is any other race. I have a problem with the author implying what's implied here. I have a problem with it in any book, anywhere for that matter, about any race or ethnicity. It was particularly sad for it to be here, with Asha. Am I to think that because of the way the world has been up to now that brown people are better than white people? That can go somewhere else because it's not staying around me.
Nearing the very end there is a part where Asha is talking to someone and they "find out" that she was playing a certain key role in the Rebellion all along. I found it *kind of* hard to believe she hadn't been recognized by others, mainly schoolmates, but that this person didn't know doesn't make sense being that a little prior she actually speaks to said person on the phone about it all. Or, that was implied at the very least. It was a hiccup in an otherwise smooth-flowing story.
The author can write, there's no doubt about that. Writing can seem easy but as anyone who is even remotely connected to writing knows, it isn't. The author is talented and I'd be open to reading something else by her. I'd be careful of the content for myself and my own reasons and because of my being so race sensitive. I wouldn't want to stumble upon a book of hers or anyone else's filled with the likes of what I mentioned above about the "insult". Barring that I think I'd like to read another of the authors works.

A few reviewers mention the way the story flips between the past and present. A lot of times that bothers me as well. Here, it didn't. It's obvious what the author is doing, it's not confusing, and it works with the story IMO. My two cents. (less)

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Mar 02, 2013 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, school, multicultural, racially-mixed-people, clubs

Stellar students Asha, Carey, and Miranda want to make a difference and earn a little bit of money in their senior year of high school. They form the The Latte Rebellion for kids like themselves, i.e. those of racially-mixed heritage. It starts off with a well-designed website citing their manifesto and they sell latte-colored t-shirts with the rebellion logo on it.

While the money-making part is most important at first...they want to make enough to take a trip abroad after graduation, the club...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Jan von Harz rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson is an offbeat contemporary coming of age novel that I found both engaging and conceptually noteworthy in plot, characterization, and theme.

From the beginning when Asha and Carey, two smart and academically driven seniors, decide to sell T-shirts as a way to raise money for a much needed summer vacation, I was caught up in their money making scheme. I loved how Stevenson used lattes as a metaphor for her mixed-race protagonists and how she catapulted...more The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson is an offbeat contemporary coming of age novel that I found both engaging and conceptually noteworthy in plot, characterization, and theme.

From the beginning when Asha and Carey, two smart and academically driven seniors, decide to sell T-shirts as a way to raise money for a much needed summer vacation, I was caught up in their money making scheme. I loved how Stevenson used lattes as a metaphor for her mixed-race protagonists and how she catapulted the girls’ innocent money making idea into a movement that spread nationwide.

While the story begins slowly, I never felt that the pace lagged because Stevenson’s exposition built a strong foundation to her characters. I also liked how she moved between flashbacks to present as Ahsa faces a disciplinary hearing at school over her involvement in the rebellion. I thought that this format provided a very realistic look at how actions and other peoples’ misconceptions can propel a set of circumstances into a life-altering event.

I also felt drawn to many of the characters and especially Ahsa, who struggled to be the academically successful student her parents expected her to be. However, like many teens on the verge of independence, she questions her inability to juggle these expectations with her own very typical teenage desires, which include a need to have fun, be popular, and achieve a life that goes beyond the “perfect report card, the perfect college and the perfect list of achievements.” The Latte Rebellion ends up being Ahsa’s outlet and as the rebellion grows so does she.

Even the secondary characters lent a realism to the story. For example as the rebellion grew, Ahsa and Carey friendship waned. I found this unfortunate, but also very true to life because each girls’ goals changed. I loved the inclusion of Ahsa’s grandmothers and how their own differences clashed and yet added insight into Ahsa’s personality. Finally, I really enjoyed Miranda, whose enthusiastic belief in the Latte Rebellion Manifesto contributed to Asha’s seeing beyond her self-serving idea and helped her find direction.

However, the real strength of The Latte Rebellion for me is that Stevenson effectively uses her characters to illuminate the “complex nature of today’s racial landscape.” The story never becomes preachy, yet still manages to bring up issues of acceptance, tolerance, friendship, and the pressures our youth face in navigating the bridge between adolescences and egocentricity to adulthood and social awareness. (less)

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Jan 10, 2011 Akoss rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut-authors

I will describe "The Latte Rebellion" as a Contemporary YA novel, which brings into focus the feeling and notion of being of a mixed ethnicity. That was one of the reasons why I was so exited to read it and find out more about the "rebellion".
It was a great read.

I will make no mystery about how it all started: slow. If you are one of those readers (like me) who have been spoiled with a strong hook from the start of a story, you may need a little bit of patience with this book. Why am I giving th...more I will describe "The Latte Rebellion" as a Contemporary YA novel, which brings into focus the feeling and notion of being of a mixed ethnicity. That was one of the reasons why I was so exited to read it and find out more about the "rebellion".
It was a great read.

I will make no mystery about how it all started: slow. If you are one of those readers (like me) who have been spoiled with a strong hook from the start of a story, you may need a little bit of patience with this book. Why am I giving this advice? Because the ending was soooooo worth it I could not believe it. That's why.

The author did a good job with character development. I don't know if she did it on purpose but I was not a big fan of Asha in the beginning. She came off a bit "smug" and "spoiled". I liked her friend Carey a lot better (voice of wisdom) even though she was a bit of a follower. However they both grew a lot by the time the story was over. Asha became more mature (think before you act) and Carey was more than ever career driven and she grew a spine.

The other characters along with the main protagonist brought fun, a little bit of romance, some well known high school rivalry and "rules defiance" into the mix of the story line. I've never been to California but wow, now I so want to go check it out.

The plot itself kind of took me by surprise but also reminded me how easily something that was supposed to be fun and not so serious, quickly took on a life of its own and brought disaster along.

I did expect her to make a stronger racial statement off the start (because of the title) but she still did it toward the end as everything unraveled, affecting Asha, her family and friends; even the entire high school. The statement in my opinion was very strong even if she went at it in a different way. It is a YA novel after all and it is important to make it appealing to the age range.

There is so little I could say without being a spoiler, so my conclusion is: if you've ever felt like a "Latte" (a mix of coffee and milk, no matter the brand) then this book will be a great read for you. It is about identity, equality, what you truly believe about yourself and doing (working for) something you believe in strongly.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Zanzarr rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book (and also this review) was refreshing. Lately I've read far too many depressingly dull, tiringly rigid YA novels for comfort. I've written far too many bad reviews to find any encouragement as a writer myself. But The Latte Rebellion did not disappoint and for that I am grateful. Sarah Jamila Stevenson managed a great, well paced plot; realistic characters; and believable relationships all in one try. I loved Asha, the heroine of this breath-taking novel, for her intelligence, determin...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Adrienne Furness added it

Shelves: teen-fiction

Read it almost entirely in one sitting. Sarah tackles a lot of issues and themes--forming identity, bullying, mob psychology, parental expectations vs. real life--in a book that doesn't feel weighted down. Asha is a smart, lively, and sympathetic narrator, even when you kind of want to give her a little shake to help her make better decisions, and the plot keeps the reader guessing. I found myself really surprised at the way things turned out. Also, I like the way Sarah asks the question of whet...more

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May 25, 2011 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 21, 2013 Aurora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This was one of those books that I just grabbed off the shelf because I thought that the cover picture looked really cool. As I continued to read, I realised that although the idea of the Rebellion was really clever, Asha only started it to earn money for a vacation. I think that this was really shallow of her. If it was a cause that she really cared about, she should have started the Rebellion just for that. And not as a petty money-making strategy. I think that it was brilliant to come up wit...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Sian Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, first-person-narrator

What I liked best about this novel was the voice. I was delighted at how genuine, rather than gimmicky, the voice was. It felt like the voice of a teenager, a smart teenager, who was trying to find her way, figure out her place, her future. I even found myself being frustrated at moments with how she didn't know something yet, and then my more compassionate self would say calmly to me, Yes, you were just like her, weren't you? I absolutely was. What I'm saying is, the novel captures too well wha...more

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Jan 24, 2011 BookChic Club rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one hell of a debut- it's smart, well-written at a good pace, and also fun. The story starts with the incident that starts the Latte Rebellion and then shifts to the following year after things get out of hand and Asha is at the disciplinary hearing. Each chapter is like this- the majority of it starting in the summer and going chronologically with a few pages at the end taking place at the disciplinary hearing the following April. In the last 60 pages or so, the story catches up and we...more This is one hell of a debut- it's smart, well-written at a good pace, and also fun. The story starts with the incident that starts the Latte Rebellion and then shifts to the following year after things get out of hand and Asha is at the disciplinary hearing. Each chapter is like this- the majority of it starting in the summer and going chronologically with a few pages at the end taking place at the disciplinary hearing the following April. In the last 60 pages or so, the story catches up and we see what happened to bring about the hearing as well as how the hearing ends, and Asha's life in the following months. It was a wonderful, compelling way to tell the story.

The pages flew by for me and I was surprised at how many pages I'd read after just a half-hour or so. I loved this story and it was a lot of fun to read, but it also raised some interesting questions and revealed prejudices against mixed-race people. I'm not a mixed race person, but the attitudes some people have in this book had me wanting to punch them. It bugs me that people in the real world have this attitude too; I mean, we're in the 21st century- can't we just get over petty things like that? This book is for anyone who's been treated poorly because of who they are, because of something they can't help- gender, race, sexual orientation. It's heartening to read a book like this that gives a voice to the unheard. I was proud of everything Asha and her friends did, as well as everyone who supported the Latte Rebellion, though it may seem weird to be proud of fictional characters, lol.

Speaking of the characters, they were all wonderful (well, you know, except for the ones I wanted to punch) and I loved how multi-layered everyone was. Stevenson did a fantastic job writing her characters and I really enjoyed spending time with them. I liked the extra touch of including the evidence for the hearing at the beginning of each chapter, some of which included drawings. It made the whole Latte Rebellion thing come together for me, being able to see the things they made to promote the cause.

Overall, an amazing debut and one I think everyone should check out. I cannot wait to read more from Stevenson.(less)

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Dec 27, 2010 Tara (Fiction Folio) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was really excited to read this book because of the topic it tackles. Racism and prejudice are always taboo subjects, and I highly applaud the author for tackling these important issues. While I did enjoy the book overall, it fell a bit short for me in some areas.

I enjoyed reading about Asha’s journey creating and managing The Latte Rebellion. My heart went out to her throughout the book while she dealt with the racial slurs and other terrible things people would say. I think what makes it eve...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Erin Sterling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, story

I thought this book would be really good--kind of a Ally Carter/Frankie Landeau Banks sort of book, but I just had trouble getting into it and thought it was kind of preachy. Essentially, a few friends decide to start a mixed-race club at school which they start underground called the Latte Rebellion. It gets beyond the school into the public and gets out of hand. The story alternates between a hearing in the present to decide whether the main character should get kicked out of school and the pa...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

As someone who helped start a social justice club in her own high school (a gay-straight alliance in my case), I was definitely excited going into this book, and could sympathize with a lot of the struggles Asha and Carey face as the Latte Rebellion grows from fun money-making scheme to nationally-recognized movement (okay, my little club never quite went that far).

While overall a strong and poignant look at the way goals and friendships can change in the face of life-altering events (discoverin...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Justine W. rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 16, 2011 Medeia Sharif rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Multiracial Asha Jamison is called a "towel head" at a party. Deeply offended, she desires to combine two things: spreading ethnic awareness and saving money for a trip to England. A t-shirt business can make these goals possible. Asha and her friends create a Latte Rebellion website and sell t-shirts promoting brown people. An innocent business at first, things get out of control when they're accused of terrorism. Asha has to face poor grades, losing her best friend, and the possibility of expu...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jan11, ya, 2011-ya-debut, read-in-2011

When Asha, a soon-to-be senior, gets called a towel head at the local community pool because she is: A) part Indian and B) has a beach towel on her head, she realizes the inequities that continue to abound in her world. On a whim and a joke, Asha and her best friend Carey conspire to create t-shirts to sell with The Latte Rebellion printed on them. The girls love lattes and joke that they themselves are lattes – the more ingredients, the better! Their money-making venture spins out of control an...more When Asha, a soon-to-be senior, gets called a towel head at the local community pool because she is: A) part Indian and B) has a beach towel on her head, she realizes the inequities that continue to abound in her world. On a whim and a joke, Asha and her best friend Carey conspire to create t-shirts to sell with The Latte Rebellion printed on them. The girls love lattes and joke that they themselves are lattes – the more ingredients, the better! Their money-making venture spins out of control and becomes an actual movement; a movement that Asha cares about, but not everyone has the same opinion.

The Latte Rebellion starts off slow, much like any grassroots group would. I enjoyed getting to know Asha and her family, and seeing how the Rebellion grew from being just a way to make some cash for a post-graduation vacation, into a movement that not only ignited the minds of others, but transformed Asha as well. The issues of race and inequality are tackled seriously, but never in a way that makes The Latte Rebellion an ‘issues’ book. Asha becomes the de facto leader of something that is so much bigger than her. And even though it gets out of control and it becomes too much for her to handle, living through that, growing through that, allows her to figure out who she is and who she can be.

Sarah Jamila Stevenson’s writing is realistic and fun. Each character brings something to the story, good or bad. I couldn’t help but be drawn to Asha’s sudden passion for the Rebellion and the realization that a single idea can wield so much power. Miranda’s go get-em’ attitude and overall awesomeness made me love her. Even the characters who I disliked contributed to the story and Asha’s growth.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is how it tells the story about how the Rebellion gets built up, but opens each chapter with snippets of its aftermath and the disciplinary hearing that results from some momentous occurrence. Throughout the book, the Rebellion becomes this tangible movement. Sarah’s propaganda drawings help to pull the Rebellion together and really make it feel like a real movement and I loved the code names Asha and her friends use.

The Latte Rebellion is a different kind of contemporary story that explores what it means to be proud of who you are and how to be that person in the midst of something so huge, with such polarizing sides. The book made me want to join in the movement, go to the rallies, and fight for what I believe in. It also left me smiling, and if a book can do that, it can’t be a bad thing.

Opening line: The jeering male voice came from somewhere behind me, waking me up from a heatstroke-induced doze. ~ pg. 1

Favorite lines: What mattered was that people believed in the Rebellion, and if enough people believed, then we, like Thad and Greg with their clinic, might actually be able to change the world. ~ pg. 230(less)

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Jan 03, 2011 Kwinks rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011debtuauthorchallenge

After hanging with the vampires, angels, and what-have-you I decided I was excited to read a DARING contemporary read. This was not it. The back promised a shake up of the world of people who did not recognize people of color. The title promised a "rebellion". The word terrorist was thrown around in the first few pages-whoo, I thought, "This one will be a thought provoking, discussion starting blaze of a novel!" Nope.

The main problem here, for me, was Asha. I didn't like her. The reason I did no...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Brandi rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

It took me a while to get interested in The Latte Rebellion. I'm not sure I can pinpoint the reason, but it was slow going there for a while. When I read the synopsis on the back I was sure that this was a book I would love (I'm really interested in novels that address social issues) so I was surprised to find it took me so long to get through it. Eventually I got more invested in the story (about 3/4 of the way through) and by the end I felt overall it was an enjoyable read. I will als...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Asha and her friend Carey decide that they want a vacation after they graduate high school and the only way to do that is by making lots of money in the months leading up to it. How do they do that when Asha is busy in all AP classes and Carey has a bunch of younger siblings to watch? Well why not sell shirts? At $20 a pop people are bound to buy them!

Asha and Carey come up with the concept of their shirts over latte's at a pool party after Asha is called a towlhead by an Asian schoolmate. Asha...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Laura (booksnob) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, young-adult

"Is your complexion the color of a latte? A Cappuccino? Perhaps an Expresso? Have people called you Cinnamon, Caramel, Olive...or just plain Brown? Do you love to drink coffee? Help further the cause of Brown people in America!" Join The Latte Rebellion! (pg.28)

Asha and Carey love Latte's and want to go on a trip after high school. They have absolutely zero cash and they decide to sell T-Shirts and promote The Latte Rebellion at their high school to pay for their trip. They both happen to be stu...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Aimee rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like "The Latte Rebellion", but the book just didn't do it for me. I originally got into the book thinking it would be an interesting read about girls banding together to make a difference in the world, but there seemed to be very little of this. It didn't really bother me that Asha and Carey's plan stemmed from a marketing scheme to help them plan a summer trip, the fact that they did believe in what they were putting on the shirts made it okay for me. What I didn't like was...more I really wanted to like "The Latte Rebellion", but the book just didn't do it for me. I originally got into the book thinking it would be an interesting read about girls banding together to make a difference in the world, but there seemed to be very little of this. It didn't really bother me that Asha and Carey's plan stemmed from a marketing scheme to help them plan a summer trip, the fact that they did believe in what they were putting on the shirts made it okay for me. What I didn't like was how Asha and Carey fought the entire book. I get not wanting to lose an important friendship, but when your friend only has contact with you when it is beneficial for them, then that is a one sided relationship. I kind of felt like Carey was only Asha's friend to bum rides off of her to school, help her study for tests, and so she had somewhere to sit at lunch. Asha's character was also driving me nuts. She kept ignoring her schoolwork and then was shocked when she got back grades. It was also annoying because she kept whining about how unfair her parents were being, but she is the one who let her grades slip. There was a lot of time spent on Carey and Asha's friendship, on Asha's grades, and on love interesting- this just really detracted from the overall story to me.

Another thing I really didn't like was the portrayal of adults in the book. Almost every single adult thought the Latte Rebellion was a terrorist group or that teenagers were wasting time on something that wasn't important. I have to say that if my child were to start a group to raise awareness of important social issues, I would be so proud of them. I would not be ashamed and disappointed. I would of course warn them that sometimes acting on your beliefs could cause trouble, even if you have the best of intentions, but I would still stand up for them if the school tried to expel them. I can't believe no parent stepped in to talk to the school about how exclusive they were being to groups of students. I know this is a teen book and maybe teens wouldn't like adults taking charge, but that is usually what happens. Especially in a circumstance such as this where the school system is overreacting to a peaceful group trying to bring social awareness about mixed races. The schools reaction was actually pretty disgusting; I'm surprised more wasn't done in this area.

Overall, the book was okay, but honestly I could have skipped reading this one. Even though Asha did seem to want to bring awareness about mixed races to the world, I just thought "The Latte Rebellion" would have been a more successful book if more focus had been spent on the issues instead of Asha's personal life. I know that other people have really enjoyed this book, but I'm just not one of them.(less)

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About Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Sarah Jamila Stevenson is a writer, artist, graphic designer, introvert, closet geek, enthusiastic eater, struggling blogger, lapsed piano player, household-chore-ignorer and occasional world traveler. Her previous lives include spelling bee nerd, suburban Southern California teenager, Berkeley art student, underappreciated temp, and humor columnist for a video game website. Throughout said lives,...more

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