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The Latte Rebellion
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-race students.
Seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide fad. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its own-and it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, and her friendship with Carey is hanging by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement turns militant, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing. Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in.
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-race students.
Seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide fad. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its own-and it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, and her friendship with Carey is hanging by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement turns militant, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing. Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in.
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2011
22 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Jamila Stevenson
5 books80 followersSarah 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, she has acquired numerous skills of questionable usefulness, like intaglio printmaking and Welsh language. She lives in Northern California with her husband, who is also an artist, and two cats with astounding sleep-inducing powers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
January 24, 2018
This is my review for MCBD2018.
The Latte Rebellion
Sarah Jamila Stevenson
“What are you?” Seventeen-year-old Asha Jamison is tired of answering this question. Being a mixed-race person, she constantly feels that both she and others like her have to pick sides in order to fit in. Asha describes mixed-race people as “human lattes”, coming in all shades. From these experiences, Asha and her best friend, Casey, create the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students as well as help her make money for a trip to London.
The book The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson tells the story of how a small idea brought to life by two high school girls turns into a social movement far beyond what Asha and Casey could have ever imagined. The movement, which started out as just a marketing plan for them to take a trip to London, turns into something Asha truly believes in. And when the movement gets out of their hands, Asha realizes there are too many things she must sacrifice to keep this “rebellion” alive.
This book sheds a lot of insight on the whole concept of race, and defining yourself based on it. I am not a mixed-race person, and this novel helped me understand what the true struggle of what being multiracial is. I had never really considered how being multiracial could isolate people in such a glaring way, and The Latte Rebellion opened many new windows of thought for me. Others who are not multiracial can benefit greatly from reading this book. They can develop empathy and understand the struggles of their peers, which may help those who are multiracial feel more accepted in their schools and friend groups.
For readers who are of mixed race, this book is an especially significant read. It shows readers that their experiences are important, and that they are not alone in their emotions and struggles. It is crucial to be able to see yourself reflected in the books you read, validating your sense of self and identity. This is such an important book for those who are underrepresented in literature.
Not only does The Latte Rebellion show many diverse characters, it also portrays high school students and their parents in a believable manner. Many of the problems they face are very real to high school students, such as struggling to keep their grades up, participating in extracurriculars, university applications, and trying to fulfill their parents’ expectations. Asha herself is also a very relatable character - she is terrified of failure and disappointing her parents, and her changing friendship reflects many experiences that I have gone through as well. This book will appeal to most young adults as they can relate to the experiences of Asha and her peers.
The real impact The Latte Rebellion left on me was how Stevenson crafted and used her characters in a way that illustrated diverse racial backgrounds without becoming preachy and self-righteous. She not only created a book with a powerful social message, but also a coming-of-age story bridging the time between childhood and adulthood. I hope that any person, whether they come from a single ethnicity or many, will be able to pick this book up and enjoy it.
The Latte Rebellion
Sarah Jamila Stevenson
“What are you?” Seventeen-year-old Asha Jamison is tired of answering this question. Being a mixed-race person, she constantly feels that both she and others like her have to pick sides in order to fit in. Asha describes mixed-race people as “human lattes”, coming in all shades. From these experiences, Asha and her best friend, Casey, create the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students as well as help her make money for a trip to London.
The book The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson tells the story of how a small idea brought to life by two high school girls turns into a social movement far beyond what Asha and Casey could have ever imagined. The movement, which started out as just a marketing plan for them to take a trip to London, turns into something Asha truly believes in. And when the movement gets out of their hands, Asha realizes there are too many things she must sacrifice to keep this “rebellion” alive.
This book sheds a lot of insight on the whole concept of race, and defining yourself based on it. I am not a mixed-race person, and this novel helped me understand what the true struggle of what being multiracial is. I had never really considered how being multiracial could isolate people in such a glaring way, and The Latte Rebellion opened many new windows of thought for me. Others who are not multiracial can benefit greatly from reading this book. They can develop empathy and understand the struggles of their peers, which may help those who are multiracial feel more accepted in their schools and friend groups.
For readers who are of mixed race, this book is an especially significant read. It shows readers that their experiences are important, and that they are not alone in their emotions and struggles. It is crucial to be able to see yourself reflected in the books you read, validating your sense of self and identity. This is such an important book for those who are underrepresented in literature.
Not only does The Latte Rebellion show many diverse characters, it also portrays high school students and their parents in a believable manner. Many of the problems they face are very real to high school students, such as struggling to keep their grades up, participating in extracurriculars, university applications, and trying to fulfill their parents’ expectations. Asha herself is also a very relatable character - she is terrified of failure and disappointing her parents, and her changing friendship reflects many experiences that I have gone through as well. This book will appeal to most young adults as they can relate to the experiences of Asha and her peers.
The real impact The Latte Rebellion left on me was how Stevenson crafted and used her characters in a way that illustrated diverse racial backgrounds without becoming preachy and self-righteous. She not only created a book with a powerful social message, but also a coming-of-age story bridging the time between childhood and adulthood. I hope that any person, whether they come from a single ethnicity or many, will be able to pick this book up and enjoy it.
January 3, 2011
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 not like her is that she is miserable. She has something negative to say about everybody-for someone who is going to start the fight against labeling people perhaps Asha should learn that not every cheerleader is part of the Bimbocracy and not every skater is a stoner. Asha also hates herself, and that is so obvious.
The other problem I had, and could not get over, is that the entire "rebellion" is a marketing ploy devised by greed. The point is to sell t shirts. The Latte Rebellion never really goes anywhere or does anything. Yeah, there is a rally and a poetry slam. For what? To sell t shirts!!
I didn't understand the Carey character at all. The entire time I was reading this I kept thinking...these characters are very book smart but they are clueless socially and ethically. Asha can not even bother to pay attention at a meeting in which a group is trying to build a clinic-here is a real effort to exact change, and she can't be bothered.
What a shame. I had such high hopes, too high. I think I thought I was holding the multi-ethnic Fight Club in my hand. Instead, it was just a cup of decaf.
December 30, 2010
The Latte Rebellion follows Asha Jamison, your ordinary teenage girl with extraordinary dreams that finds herself at the bad end of a racial slur during a pool party. When one of her fellow classmates calls her a “towel-head,” Asha and her friend Carey dream up something they call “The Latte Rebellion.” A group formed for all those who don’t quite fit into a single ethnic background, Asha decides to capitalize on the idea to make a little money on the side…but she had no idea that The Latte Rebellion would be so popular. Seemingly overnight, the rebellion takes on a life of its own, and students start becoming more forceful. In fact, the helpful and supportive organization Asha created might just be the end of her Ivy League dreams.
I remember hearing the premise of The Latte Rebellion a while back, and I was instantly hooked by the premise. Plus, who can deny a cover with a steaming mug of coffee, eh? While contemporary fiction isn’t usually my thing, I was attracted to The Latte Rebellion because of the undercurrent of morals that seemed to seep into every pore of the story, giving it a real, tangible approach to a serious issue in this day and age. While a lot of contemps seem to be surface-level only, Sarah Jamila Stevenson has seamlessly blended a coming-of-age story with a strong theme of tolerance, community, and friendship.
What I loved most about The Latte Rebellion was the accessibility of the characters. Asha is extremely approachable. She’s a teen with all her angst and rebellion, but she has a goal and a viewpoint. Carey is well-rounded, too, and a bit of a joker – adding just a hint of comic relief through the otherwise tense situations. While I enjoyed the overall pacing of The Latte Rebellion, it’s important to note that the story jumps between flashbacks of what happened to the current predicament that Asha has found herself in. I felt that, at times, it was a little abrupt, and I had to remind myself we’d changed from past to present.
Overall though, The Latte Rebellion was a poignant, powerful, and inspiring read. In an age where too many people turn a blind eye, or shut up when they should speak, this book encourages the reader to stand up for their beliefs and values. I give it a very strong 4 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to fans of YA, as well as adult audiences, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
I remember hearing the premise of The Latte Rebellion a while back, and I was instantly hooked by the premise. Plus, who can deny a cover with a steaming mug of coffee, eh? While contemporary fiction isn’t usually my thing, I was attracted to The Latte Rebellion because of the undercurrent of morals that seemed to seep into every pore of the story, giving it a real, tangible approach to a serious issue in this day and age. While a lot of contemps seem to be surface-level only, Sarah Jamila Stevenson has seamlessly blended a coming-of-age story with a strong theme of tolerance, community, and friendship.
What I loved most about The Latte Rebellion was the accessibility of the characters. Asha is extremely approachable. She’s a teen with all her angst and rebellion, but she has a goal and a viewpoint. Carey is well-rounded, too, and a bit of a joker – adding just a hint of comic relief through the otherwise tense situations. While I enjoyed the overall pacing of The Latte Rebellion, it’s important to note that the story jumps between flashbacks of what happened to the current predicament that Asha has found herself in. I felt that, at times, it was a little abrupt, and I had to remind myself we’d changed from past to present.
Overall though, The Latte Rebellion was a poignant, powerful, and inspiring read. In an age where too many people turn a blind eye, or shut up when they should speak, this book encourages the reader to stand up for their beliefs and values. I give it a very strong 4 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to fans of YA, as well as adult audiences, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
February 19, 2014
I tried to like this one, but after 100 pages I just didn't care about Asha, Carey 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 morphed into a meaningful cause or if she was expelled from school. I didn't care, but perhaps you will.
April 24, 2021
Read this in seventh grade, and the only thing I remember is the phrase "deviate from the norm"...
January 15, 2019
*2.75
The kindle edition of The Latte Rebellion was gifted to me by the author, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, so that I could review it for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019. I read the book in early December of 2018 and I rated it 2.75 stars. I found some parts of it enjoyable, but also had some issues with it.
What I liked:
1.The premise of the novel. In The Latte Rebellion, mixed race characters create a group where other mixed race individuals can feel like they belong. I think we could use more mixed race characters in YA, teenagers who aren’t necessarily just categorized under one ethnicity. There were plenty of these characters in this book, which was wonderful because it made the characters more realistic.
2. Character Development. Whether the reader found the main character Asha likeable or not, it is undeniable that she grows up quite a bit throughout the novel. Stevenson wrote this growth in a realistic way.
3. Realistic teenage situations. Throughout the novel Asha feels pressured by her parents, abandoned by her best friend, and overwhelmed with school work and dropping grades. The situations she was presented with were relatable, and this made Asha more likeable in the moments where maybe she wouldn’t be otherwise.
What I didn’t like:
1.Asha’s behavior. Asha is offended when she is called a name at a pool party, and this is what leads her to form The Latte Rebellion. However, in the book, Asha calls other students names consistently. This makes it seem like calling names is okay, as long as the names are not racist.
2.Asha’s lack of interest. Despite being the one who came up with The Latte Rebellion, Asha does not seem to truly care about the message behind it. She wants to use the group as a way to make money that she can then spend selfishly. There was a missed opportunity for educating readers further on the mixed race teenage experience because of Asha’s selfishness, and I found that disappointing.
3.The writing. This book did not really read like a young adult novel to me. The writing was simple and more reminiscent of middle grade in my opinion. I found it hard to really get into the book because of this.
Despite my somewhat negative review, I do recommend trying the book if the plot seems intriguing to you. There have been many mixed reviews on the book, and despite it falling flat for me, others have found it very enjoyable. As previously stated, this review was for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019. #ReadYourWorld
The kindle edition of The Latte Rebellion was gifted to me by the author, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, so that I could review it for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019. I read the book in early December of 2018 and I rated it 2.75 stars. I found some parts of it enjoyable, but also had some issues with it.
What I liked:
1.The premise of the novel. In The Latte Rebellion, mixed race characters create a group where other mixed race individuals can feel like they belong. I think we could use more mixed race characters in YA, teenagers who aren’t necessarily just categorized under one ethnicity. There were plenty of these characters in this book, which was wonderful because it made the characters more realistic.
2. Character Development. Whether the reader found the main character Asha likeable or not, it is undeniable that she grows up quite a bit throughout the novel. Stevenson wrote this growth in a realistic way.
3. Realistic teenage situations. Throughout the novel Asha feels pressured by her parents, abandoned by her best friend, and overwhelmed with school work and dropping grades. The situations she was presented with were relatable, and this made Asha more likeable in the moments where maybe she wouldn’t be otherwise.
What I didn’t like:
1.Asha’s behavior. Asha is offended when she is called a name at a pool party, and this is what leads her to form The Latte Rebellion. However, in the book, Asha calls other students names consistently. This makes it seem like calling names is okay, as long as the names are not racist.
2.Asha’s lack of interest. Despite being the one who came up with The Latte Rebellion, Asha does not seem to truly care about the message behind it. She wants to use the group as a way to make money that she can then spend selfishly. There was a missed opportunity for educating readers further on the mixed race teenage experience because of Asha’s selfishness, and I found that disappointing.
3.The writing. This book did not really read like a young adult novel to me. The writing was simple and more reminiscent of middle grade in my opinion. I found it hard to really get into the book because of this.
Despite my somewhat negative review, I do recommend trying the book if the plot seems intriguing to you. There have been many mixed reviews on the book, and despite it falling flat for me, others have found it very enjoyable. As previously stated, this review was for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019. #ReadYourWorld
January 9, 2014
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson has been on my TBR for years. It's one of those books that I just kept pushing down the list for newer ones as they came out. Then I saw it on display while at the library a couple weeks ago and decided now was the time to read it. I'm glad I did.
Asha is a character easy for me to relate to. She is driven and good at organizing things. She also has a deep seeded fear of failure and disappointing her family. The idea to form the Latte Rebellion was not strictly a social awareness campaign. It started as simply a way to raise money for a post senior year trip and as a way to quietly express annoyance at some of the racial slurs that had been so easily thrown at them by some members of the school. Asha herself is surprised by how much the Rebellion comes to mean to her. I liked how her character developed as the story unfolded and how she came to see that there was more to this issue than just herself and opened up to all of it. I also liked the realistic portrayal of the changing dynamic in the friendship between Asha and Carey. The story here definitely belongs to Asha though it takes a while to get to the point where you feel she actually understands the importance of what she has started.
The story unfolds over Asha's senior year. At the end of each chapter, there is a scene from the disciplinary hearing to determine whether or not Asha will be expelled for incidents resulting from the Rebellion. The contrast between the building movement and Asha's fear over what will happen to her builds suspense. This is countered somewhat by how many details of meetings and meetings and more meetings there are. I did find myself skimming a bit here and there. Overall though, I really enjoyed the story and the themes Stevenson explored through it. The complicated relationships, both in Asha's friendships and family, made this worth it for me.
The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson has been on my TBR for years. It's one of those books that I just kept pushing down the list for newer ones as they came out. Then I saw it on display while at the library a couple weeks ago and decided now was the time to read it. I'm glad I did.
Asha is a character easy for me to relate to. She is driven and good at organizing things. She also has a deep seeded fear of failure and disappointing her family. The idea to form the Latte Rebellion was not strictly a social awareness campaign. It started as simply a way to raise money for a post senior year trip and as a way to quietly express annoyance at some of the racial slurs that had been so easily thrown at them by some members of the school. Asha herself is surprised by how much the Rebellion comes to mean to her. I liked how her character developed as the story unfolded and how she came to see that there was more to this issue than just herself and opened up to all of it. I also liked the realistic portrayal of the changing dynamic in the friendship between Asha and Carey. The story here definitely belongs to Asha though it takes a while to get to the point where you feel she actually understands the importance of what she has started.
The story unfolds over Asha's senior year. At the end of each chapter, there is a scene from the disciplinary hearing to determine whether or not Asha will be expelled for incidents resulting from the Rebellion. The contrast between the building movement and Asha's fear over what will happen to her builds suspense. This is countered somewhat by how many details of meetings and meetings and more meetings there are. I did find myself skimming a bit here and there. Overall though, I really enjoyed the story and the themes Stevenson explored through it. The complicated relationships, both in Asha's friendships and family, made this worth it for me.
January 6, 2013
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 main characters. These characters were also more believable high school students to me than a lot of other high school students portrayed in other young adult books. Same with their parents actually. It also made me feel sad because the things they were dealing with - struggling to get the best possible grades, be in the most clubs, and have the most extracurricular activities or bring on the wrath of their parents/not get into any colleges is a very real thing and the dilemma that Asha faces (do all that school stuff or do something that actually means something to her) is a good thing to think about. Who wants to have no life at all but good grades? A lot of people apparently... apparently also, we in academia are told that these are the only people who are successful. It's sad to me that having a life (and good grades) is sometimes viewed as "not as smart." Just things to think about.
I also really liked that this book was a NaNoWriMo project. I know a lot of people who do NaNoWriMo every year so it's nice to see something good that came out of it. :)
This book gave me a lot of food for thought: being mixed race myself I totally agreed with the feelings of the main characters. These characters were also more believable high school students to me than a lot of other high school students portrayed in other young adult books. Same with their parents actually. It also made me feel sad because the things they were dealing with - struggling to get the best possible grades, be in the most clubs, and have the most extracurricular activities or bring on the wrath of their parents/not get into any colleges is a very real thing and the dilemma that Asha faces (do all that school stuff or do something that actually means something to her) is a good thing to think about. Who wants to have no life at all but good grades? A lot of people apparently... apparently also, we in academia are told that these are the only people who are successful. It's sad to me that having a life (and good grades) is sometimes viewed as "not as smart." Just things to think about.
I also really liked that this book was a NaNoWriMo project. I know a lot of people who do NaNoWriMo every year so it's nice to see something good that came out of it. :)
November 26, 2020
This is one of those books that feels like it never REALLY came together. I did like the friendship stuff a lot.
January 29, 2011
don't usually mind slow starts in contemporary novels and this one was no exception. I liked getting the backstory and feeling completely immersed in Asha's world, I was satisfied with the little everyday details. I would warn you though that it takes awhile for the actual rebellion to start but stick with the book. I was a bit peeved at how some characters emerged for a chapter and then faded away, only to be called again a few chapters later. Thad and Bridget were both brought into the story but then they just disappear, Asha doesn't give them another thought. The biggest problem to me were the awkward transitions. Just when a chapter was starting to get really good, the story would stick to the present where Asha was in the middle of a school board hearing on her possible expulsion (her school viewed the Latte Rebellion as a terrorist group). Then just when the hearing started to get interesting, the story would change to the past events leading up to the hearing. Sometimes it seemed like the hearing was rushed, for example, I almost missed the decision the school board made because it was rushed over.
The most fascinating point to me was that Asha (half-Indian, a quarter Mexican and a quarter Irish) and Carey (half Chinese, half European) resent being forced to pick a side or idenitfy with what they are the most. I admit I'm guilty of thinking that way. I'm bicultural but I've definitely thought at times that if you if have more than three different cultural backgrounds, you can list them all but if you join a club, join them all or pick the one you identify most with. I get ticked when people do the whole '10% Irish, 10% Scottish, 15% Swedish, 2 % Cherokee' etc. Just pick your top two! However this book showed me that it's not that simple. I shared Asha, Carey and Thad's frustration at the lack of understanding/options for multicultural people. Just today I was registering for the SAT and I could only pick one race or chose to be 'other.' I ended up selecting Black but I was peeved that there wasn't a way for me to pick Black AND Latina. Real-life moment right there. I love that Asha starts The Latte Rebellion for purely selfish reasons. She wants to travel and needs the money so why not open a business that would appeal to certain people? That's what entrepreneurs do all the time and I thought it made the book even more fun. Asha starts off self-absorbed and a bit clueless but that makes the end result even better. I also really liked that the book showed why the term 'latte' is so appropriate for multicultural/multiracial people and that the school thought of the group as a terrorist movement. As if. Gotta love school bureaucracy.
*Please be warned the next paragraph will contain some lame coffee puns/jokes*
The Latte Rebellion is filled to the brim with coffee for thought ranging from how multicultural people are viewed in the world (should we have to choose what culture we identify the most with, how do we do that?), prejudice (Asha is called a 'towel head'. Wow), race and the college process (and it was nice to read a book about a senior who is stressing out about college because the process sounds SCARY people) and friendships drifting apart. We aren't meant to be best friends with the same people all our lives. It's nice if that happens but it's a rarity. I loved Miranda (fight the power!) and even though I didn't see much of him, I was a big fan of Thad. But then again, I'm a complete sucker for a guy who has a sense of humor and yet still wants to save the world (and manage to make enough to get by). The rough transitions and disappearing characters made this book a bit hard to swallow but there is a great balance between hilarity and seriousness that brings out the sweet flavor. The parents have a role and they aren't a complete caricature of overbearing-must-get-good-grades kind of parents. I sipped a vanilla latte while reading this book. It was my first latte and while I'm not a fan, I've been told to try chai lattes and a gingerbread latte. So we shall see if I become a latte fan. I applaud the author for keeping up the latte metaphor throughout the whole book, it could be a bit silly at times but who doesn't like a little silliness? A stirring novel.
PS Longer review/extras at the blog on Feb. 1 and read my interview with the author http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2...
The most fascinating point to me was that Asha (half-Indian, a quarter Mexican and a quarter Irish) and Carey (half Chinese, half European) resent being forced to pick a side or idenitfy with what they are the most. I admit I'm guilty of thinking that way. I'm bicultural but I've definitely thought at times that if you if have more than three different cultural backgrounds, you can list them all but if you join a club, join them all or pick the one you identify most with. I get ticked when people do the whole '10% Irish, 10% Scottish, 15% Swedish, 2 % Cherokee' etc. Just pick your top two! However this book showed me that it's not that simple. I shared Asha, Carey and Thad's frustration at the lack of understanding/options for multicultural people. Just today I was registering for the SAT and I could only pick one race or chose to be 'other.' I ended up selecting Black but I was peeved that there wasn't a way for me to pick Black AND Latina. Real-life moment right there. I love that Asha starts The Latte Rebellion for purely selfish reasons. She wants to travel and needs the money so why not open a business that would appeal to certain people? That's what entrepreneurs do all the time and I thought it made the book even more fun. Asha starts off self-absorbed and a bit clueless but that makes the end result even better. I also really liked that the book showed why the term 'latte' is so appropriate for multicultural/multiracial people and that the school thought of the group as a terrorist movement. As if. Gotta love school bureaucracy.
*Please be warned the next paragraph will contain some lame coffee puns/jokes*
The Latte Rebellion is filled to the brim with coffee for thought ranging from how multicultural people are viewed in the world (should we have to choose what culture we identify the most with, how do we do that?), prejudice (Asha is called a 'towel head'. Wow), race and the college process (and it was nice to read a book about a senior who is stressing out about college because the process sounds SCARY people) and friendships drifting apart. We aren't meant to be best friends with the same people all our lives. It's nice if that happens but it's a rarity. I loved Miranda (fight the power!) and even though I didn't see much of him, I was a big fan of Thad. But then again, I'm a complete sucker for a guy who has a sense of humor and yet still wants to save the world (and manage to make enough to get by). The rough transitions and disappearing characters made this book a bit hard to swallow but there is a great balance between hilarity and seriousness that brings out the sweet flavor. The parents have a role and they aren't a complete caricature of overbearing-must-get-good-grades kind of parents. I sipped a vanilla latte while reading this book. It was my first latte and while I'm not a fan, I've been told to try chai lattes and a gingerbread latte. So we shall see if I become a latte fan. I applaud the author for keeping up the latte metaphor throughout the whole book, it could be a bit silly at times but who doesn't like a little silliness? A stirring novel.
PS Longer review/extras at the blog on Feb. 1 and read my interview with the author http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2...
January 30, 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 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
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
January 25, 2011
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.
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.
September 18, 2017
The latte rebellion centers around a girl name Asha, the mixed race straight A student. She and her friends create the latte rebellion hoping to gain money on a trip after college. Soon her priorities change for the latte rebellion and she sees that the latte rebellion is more then just a money making enterprise. But how far will Asha go for the the Latte Rebellion.
I thought the book was okay book. I liked how they did show kids to stand up for what they believe but i got some mix messages in the book. In the end it seemed like she had given up and realized that it was a stupid idea. As much as i enjoyed it,the ending kind of disappointed me.
I thought the book was okay book. I liked how they did show kids to stand up for what they believe but i got some mix messages in the book. In the end it seemed like she had given up and realized that it was a stupid idea. As much as i enjoyed it,the ending kind of disappointed me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2011
In The Latte Rebellion Asha is mixed up. Ethnically speaking that is. So on a whim her and a friend begin the Latte Rebellion. It begins as a way to make some vacation money, but it explodes into a movement.
I liked parts of this book, but after a while, it began to grate on my nerves. Asha was so caught up in what started off as a joke that when it became important, she didn't know how to properly handle it. I guess that is realistic, but it still drove me crazy. By the end I was glad to see her mature.
I liked parts of this book, but after a while, it began to grate on my nerves. Asha was so caught up in what started off as a joke that when it became important, she didn't know how to properly handle it. I guess that is realistic, but it still drove me crazy. By the end I was glad to see her mature.
September 25, 2016
I thought this book had a lot of meaning and strong opions about racism. The characters were relatable and I made conncetions about them and my own life. I also could see the characters changing through out the book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes realitic fiction.
January 25, 2019
The Latte Rebellion is a coming of age story, tackling: social justice, friendship, prejudice, social movements, and identity diaspora packaged in a highly accessible and tightly written novel for teens. Asha’s teen struggles are particularly relatable to readers acutely aware of their multiple cultural heritages and who wish to remain true to them all, whilst engaging in a global society and wanting to make a difference. But like many other teens she is: wanting to retain her best friend; interested in romance and travel; and longing to find her true purpose in life.
Asha’s journey to find her true self, is at the heart of this book, but the story is not a pedestrian one, instead we learn that Asha and a couple of her friends started a tshirt Latte Rebellion project, to create more understanding of multiracial students, which spirals into an out of control social movement, which will ultimately challenge friendships, and everything Asha thinks she is as well as alter her life’s future path. This situation elevates this novel above typical light teen novels and takes it into the realm of a deeper book, tackling several issues relevant to youth today.
Published in 2011, this novel is still highly relevant, in relating the power of feelings of social justice, combined with social media and word of mouth to circulate ideas that can potentially change the world, but the troubles that these concepts might run into as others take them up and frame them for their own purposes. Furthermore, it is a window to the world of the biracial, or multicultural background child and family, where so many cultures are coming together in the one family unit and what this means in the everyday life of the children of those families.
Without giving away the ending, Asha ultimately learns how she individually might make a difference that she is in control of and has the power to shape. This book is satisfying and empowering for anyone who identifies with Asha’s background or who comes to care about her in reading the novel.
I particularly enjoyed Stevenson’s portrayal of Asha’s relationship with her grandmother and found the depiction of the internal pressure Asha feels to succeed at school from her parents, which begins to compete with the need to know and understand herself and make decisions about her own life, not just to please others, authentic. Asha’s horizons broaden with the diversity of people she meets. Asha’s struggles with her friend Carey are realistic and allow Stevenson to explore and compare safe and risky paths to growth, as well as to look at the power and pitfalls of movements.
A special feature of this book are the exhibits when Asha and her friends are on trial for their creation of the Latte Rebellion movement. These are newspaper reports, website excerpts and more. The intertexts often give an alternative viewpoint to her to Asha’s or fill out her descriptions so readers can gauge the need for and the impact of the Latte Rebellion club.
I highly recommend this book to any library and school wishing to encourage students to understand the complexity of diversity and the many choices we face when wanting to change the world. Young people of diverse and multiple cultural backgrounds would enjoy the character portrayals and find Asha a worthy heroine.
(Reviewed for Multicultural Childrens Book Day - #ReadYourWorld)
Asha’s journey to find her true self, is at the heart of this book, but the story is not a pedestrian one, instead we learn that Asha and a couple of her friends started a tshirt Latte Rebellion project, to create more understanding of multiracial students, which spirals into an out of control social movement, which will ultimately challenge friendships, and everything Asha thinks she is as well as alter her life’s future path. This situation elevates this novel above typical light teen novels and takes it into the realm of a deeper book, tackling several issues relevant to youth today.
Published in 2011, this novel is still highly relevant, in relating the power of feelings of social justice, combined with social media and word of mouth to circulate ideas that can potentially change the world, but the troubles that these concepts might run into as others take them up and frame them for their own purposes. Furthermore, it is a window to the world of the biracial, or multicultural background child and family, where so many cultures are coming together in the one family unit and what this means in the everyday life of the children of those families.
Without giving away the ending, Asha ultimately learns how she individually might make a difference that she is in control of and has the power to shape. This book is satisfying and empowering for anyone who identifies with Asha’s background or who comes to care about her in reading the novel.
I particularly enjoyed Stevenson’s portrayal of Asha’s relationship with her grandmother and found the depiction of the internal pressure Asha feels to succeed at school from her parents, which begins to compete with the need to know and understand herself and make decisions about her own life, not just to please others, authentic. Asha’s horizons broaden with the diversity of people she meets. Asha’s struggles with her friend Carey are realistic and allow Stevenson to explore and compare safe and risky paths to growth, as well as to look at the power and pitfalls of movements.
A special feature of this book are the exhibits when Asha and her friends are on trial for their creation of the Latte Rebellion movement. These are newspaper reports, website excerpts and more. The intertexts often give an alternative viewpoint to her to Asha’s or fill out her descriptions so readers can gauge the need for and the impact of the Latte Rebellion club.
I highly recommend this book to any library and school wishing to encourage students to understand the complexity of diversity and the many choices we face when wanting to change the world. Young people of diverse and multiple cultural backgrounds would enjoy the character portrayals and find Asha a worthy heroine.
(Reviewed for Multicultural Childrens Book Day - #ReadYourWorld)
January 18, 2018
I don't know if this would be a 2.5 or a 3 for me. I didn't hate this book. I didn't actively dislike it but I also didn't love it. I think the premise was interesting and some lines and thoughts were very deep and got me thinking. I think my problem is that for almost half of the book Asia's attachment to the Rebellion is based solely on the money she will get from it. She also exhibits parts of high school students as made up characters (see also stereotypes) I find utterly annoying (constantly whinning about parents, repeatedly being self deprecating, and spewing stuff about those she dislikes at every turn). These things made it hard to like Asha and hard to sympathize. I wanted to and by the end I felt more comfortable with her and her growth but by that point the story felt rushed and wrapped in a knot. I wish the extra padding to the story described more of what happened after or her interactions with those who didn't sympathize with her. It just fell a little flat for me. That doesn't mean that I didn't take away some important thoughts or new-to-me ideas. This was my pick for Birracial Awareness Month and I feel like I may have a better understanding of why that's needed. Overall, I think it just wasn't my style, but it was not a bad book and it certainly gives you a little food for thought. To catergorize this book is hard because its part coming of age, part race in America commentary, part social justice awarness, part teen drama and it didn't seem to fully extend into any of those areas enough to really pin it down BUT again, it could just be that it's not my style and again, there are definitely take a ways. I'd recommend it to a friend, but won't read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2017
The book "the Latte Rebellion" is about a group of students trying to raise money for a post-graduation trip to London. To raise the money for the trip Asha Jamison and her friend Carey decide to sell some T-Shirts promoting the club that they had started to raise awareness for mixed-race students. Overnight the cause goes viral and the T-Shirts that they had made had become a nationwide movement. As it continues to spread, Asha soon realizes that the rebellion is starting to ruin her life. Asha's grades had started to drop which threatens her Ivy League dreams and her friendship with Carey starts to disappear. She must decide how she is willing to risk for something that may influence the rest of her life.
In the book, there was a part that really stood out to me. It was that their "cause" that they had made goes viral overnight. It had spread worldwide and everyone knew about it, this made the group of friends meet their goal. So what do you think that Asha will do, continue on working on her grades and her friendship with Carey? Or will she continue with the now worldwide cause for mixed races?
In the book, there was a part that really stood out to me. It was that their "cause" that they had made goes viral overnight. It had spread worldwide and everyone knew about it, this made the group of friends meet their goal. So what do you think that Asha will do, continue on working on her grades and her friendship with Carey? Or will she continue with the now worldwide cause for mixed races?
January 22, 2022
This book is a brilliant concept, but the writing falls flat, according to me, a middle-aged woman who pulled it from the shelves of a Little Free Library in Fruita, Colorado. The book is about a senior in high school. I have decided that the perfect audience for it is a middle school student whose family and teachers want to instill in them both the desire to go to college and the understanding that not everyone has to follow the same path. I read in the notes that this book started as a NaNoWriMo project, and that helps me understand why I found some of the writing repetitive and/or cliché. It's a worthwhile story but could have benefitted from another round or two of developmental edits. The plot involves creating something, sending it into the world, and not being able to control people's reaction to it. I really wanted to react more positively, but in this case, is wasn't meant to be for me.
May 29, 2017
this was the first book I ever read where the mc vaguely resembled me, in that we're both indian. asha's mixed, which I couldn't relate to, and I admittedly don't like coffee, but this BOOK, you guys. it's really well-written and takes me back to a time where I was learning not to hate myself because of the way my skin was colored, or when little boys called me a "t.wel-head," the same situation as asha in the beginning of the book.
idk I am very fond of this book and I at least love what it represents to me, but the book itself is fantastic
idk I am very fond of this book and I at least love what it represents to me, but the book itself is fantastic
November 24, 2017
This was not as satisfying as I hoped it would be. Granted, the author let you know from the start that the scheme was a whole capitalist ploy by bored teenagers. It was inauthentic from the start and it didn’t really get any better.
Yes, the one girl got into it but even so, her involvement was superficial, the group ended up doing nothing. The characters themselves weren’t anything amazing.
It was readable but the story lacked so much oomph.
Yes, the one girl got into it but even so, her involvement was superficial, the group ended up doing nothing. The characters themselves weren’t anything amazing.
It was readable but the story lacked so much oomph.
December 9, 2014
2.5 stars.
I was all ready to dnf this book sixteen pages in. I absolutely hated the narrator's voice, and to be honest, I felt like I was reading an Englsh composition by a thirteen-year-old.
At that point, I could essentially describe her in two words: melodramatic and pathetic.
In the first chapter, we get to see more of her eye-rollably whiny self:
How on earth the idea caught on with people never ceases to amaze me. Comparing people of mixed race to lattes was like on of those Really Bad Analogies Written by High School Students things circulating on social media.
(by the way, have a laugh in the mean time)
Basically, she gets some of her friends interested in her cause and they put up a website and everything, and suddenly the whole thing is spiralling out of her control. The shirt sales skyrocket far beyond either of their imaginations, and people all over the country are starting chapters in their own schools. They hold meetings and organise rallies, and a terrorist act allegedly done in the name of this rebellion even takes place and gets coverage on national television. From expecting to be salutatorian (I know right? How??), Asha's grades begin to slip (she later pulls it back together), costing her scholarship places in the top colleges of her choice. When a final nationwide sit-in is held, things get violent when other students commit hate crimes, and she faces expulsion. The story's told in two interwoven parts: the main story, and bits of the hearing slotted in between.
I was so prepared to make this my first ever one-star book, but because I pushed through and finished it, I can't bring myself to do it any longer. I really felt Asha's character growth from the annoying, shallow person she used to be to someone who understands balance, and I liked how her discovery of staying true to her identity was gradually put through.
Also, the book wasn't that cliched, although the portrayal of Asha's school mates was pretty flat and drab with no real development. Even Carey, the best friend, turned suddenly and inexplicably distant, and their friendship issues were never really properly resolved. Asha's relationship with Thad was, if I might say, a bit sudden (is that how things are in America?), or maybe we just weren't given enough in-between details, but I liked how it wasn't overdone (cough Isla and the Happily Ever After cough). Her relationship with her family was... well, I don't quite know how to describe it, but I'm happy about the way it turned out.
As it is, I'm quite glad I didn't give up on this book quite so soon. Although the whole latte thing still irks me, I'm willing to raise the bar for character growth bc c:
I was all ready to dnf this book sixteen pages in. I absolutely hated the narrator's voice, and to be honest, I felt like I was reading an Englsh composition by a thirteen-year-old.
"I'm a WHAT? My neck got even warmer, and not just because it was sweltering at Ashmont Community Park.The prologue closes with a cut to a short scene in which the main character, Asha, is now at a disciplinary hearing to consider her expulsion.
Whoever it was, was he kidding me? Nobody used that phrase anymore unless they were hopelessly ignorant about headwear, or still carrying around a post-9/11 grudge. I knew I should be really offended.
Mostly, though, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Even if I did have a towel on my head."
"Roger had probably just been trying to make a stupid joke, but I didn't like his tone. It rubbed me the wrong way. And, knowing him, he'd probably said something obscene to Carey while I was snoozing away obliviously."
"I sat up with a martyred sigh. I didn't want to be part of this conversation, but I was involved whether I liked it or not."
"Roger Yee had been our nemesis ever since he'd perpetrated the Backpack-Snatching-and-Dumping Incident of '06, which we followed rather unwisely with the Toilet Paper Revenge Caper of '07."
At that point, I could essentially describe her in two words: melodramatic and pathetic.
In the first chapter, we get to see more of her eye-rollably whiny self:
"I stared at her one hand going reflexively to my hip, where I'd just tied a gauzy scarf that I thought was not only sassy but also accentuated my waist. Evidently all it did was draw attention to my butt.Anyway, she and her best friend Carey then go on to come up with this thing called the Latte Rebellion. Basically, all they want to do is sell T-shirts to raise awareness about the need to recognise and respect people of mixed race ("human lattes") like themselves, so that they can raise enough money to fund a post-high-school getaway to London for themselves.
The heat rose behind my cheeks, my head filling with any number if things I could tell her. Carey is NOT Japanese. And J.Lo is not from Mexico—she's a Puerto Rican American. That 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. Or worse, she could have been deliberately trying to provoke us. We weren't exactly the best of friends, after all."
How on earth the idea caught on with people never ceases to amaze me. Comparing people of mixed race to lattes was like on of those Really Bad Analogies Written by High School Students things circulating on social media.
(by the way, have a laugh in the mean time)
Basically, she gets some of her friends interested in her cause and they put up a website and everything, and suddenly the whole thing is spiralling out of her control. The shirt sales skyrocket far beyond either of their imaginations, and people all over the country are starting chapters in their own schools. They hold meetings and organise rallies, and a terrorist act allegedly done in the name of this rebellion even takes place and gets coverage on national television. From expecting to be salutatorian (I know right? How??), Asha's grades begin to slip (she later pulls it back together), costing her scholarship places in the top colleges of her choice. When a final nationwide sit-in is held, things get violent when other students commit hate crimes, and she faces expulsion. The story's told in two interwoven parts: the main story, and bits of the hearing slotted in between.
I was so prepared to make this my first ever one-star book, but because I pushed through and finished it, I can't bring myself to do it any longer. I really felt Asha's character growth from the annoying, shallow person she used to be to someone who understands balance, and I liked how her discovery of staying true to her identity was gradually put through.
Also, the book wasn't that cliched, although the portrayal of Asha's school mates was pretty flat and drab with no real development. Even Carey, the best friend, turned suddenly and inexplicably distant, and their friendship issues were never really properly resolved. Asha's relationship with Thad was, if I might say, a bit sudden (is that how things are in America?), or maybe we just weren't given enough in-between details, but I liked how it wasn't overdone (cough Isla and the Happily Ever After cough). Her relationship with her family was... well, I don't quite know how to describe it, but I'm happy about the way it turned out.
As it is, I'm quite glad I didn't give up on this book quite so soon. Although the whole latte thing still irks me, I'm willing to raise the bar for character growth bc c:
April 18, 2018
I loved this book, especially the views about racisim and sexisim. I completely agree that it is unfair that people should be classified as one race when we are all different, just like a 'latte' ( the very creative metaphor used in the book to describe our skin colour ). I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in reading about racisim rights.
September 21, 2018
I loved the energy and realistic dynamic of a high school student taking advocacy into their own hands. Stevenson also developed characters that had both virtues and flaws, and their relationships with each other had honest outcomes. I loved Asha and I would love to have the opportunity to see where she ended up 5 years after this book took place.
May 17, 2021
The beginning of the story was kinda irritating but I managed to finish it cause I wanna know what happens to asha raise money for her trip graduation to London. But this book is exactly a bunch of geek hehe :>>>
July 3, 2021
Interesting! Good YA novel. I didn’t think I was going to like it at first. I wasn’t sure how the author would handle the idea of social justice. But I really liked the main character Asha and her friends. It was interesting looking at social issues through their eyes.
January 26, 2015
Even though I hadn't heard much about this book, I had high hopes for The Latte Rebellion. YA books don't often address social justice issues in such an explicit way, so I thought I would appreciate that The Latte Rebellion does. And while I really liked the idea, it just doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. I had some issues with how the movement is handled, and the actual story develops didn't really hold my interest, so I was pretty disappointed by this one.
I was expecting a main character who is passionate about social justice issues, but Asha did not turn out to be a character I liked. To be honest, she doesn't even seem to care that much. She really just starts this whole thing as a way to make money, which didn't really sit right with me. (And also just doesn't seem like a practical choice.) Even once Asha gets more into the idea of this becoming a real movement, she doesn't seem all that passionate about it; for example, she goes to a couple of social justice activism meetings that sound really cool, but she doesn't seem to care all that much, other than about them selling more T-shirts and about the activism that he guys she likes is interested in. For a novel that I hoped would send a strong message, Asha just isn't a feisty enough main character, in my opinion. She's also really good at slut-shaming and making assumptions about cheerleaders and the members of what she calls the Bimbocracy.
It also bothered me how the issue of racism against mixed-race individuals is handled. For some reason, the novel focuses mainly on the racism Asha and her friends experience at the hands of other minorities. The main "bad guy," Roger, is an Asian American fellow student who doesn't understand why Asha doesn't just identify as Asian if that is part of her ethnicity. Of course this is a problem, but it bothered me how the novel basically completely ignores the racism all minorities experience from white people. This is especially evident in Asha's criticism of what is basically Affirmative Action - she talks about how minorities are given "special treatment" in college admissions when they can check the "Hispanic" or "black" box and how she doesn't benefit from this because she has to select "Other." I think it's a valid criticism that these categories don't have space for mixed-race individuals, but she completely dismisses the idea that a minority status should be considered in admissions. As someone who believes that Affirmative Action is definitely still necessary, that bothered me - and while Asha doesn't necessarily have to agree with me on this, I don't think this should have been dismissed quite as easily and been discussed in a more meaningful way. In general, it bothered me how the novel pits people of mixed race against minorities of one ethnicity when, really, they are both oppressed by the white power structure, which is basically ignored in The Latte Rebellion.
Asides from the way the issues are handled, I also had some problems with the actual story. I honestly don't know why, but I just couldn't get myself to care all that much about what happened. It might be because I didn't really connect with the characters, or because I thought parts of the story were just unnecessarily melodramatic - for example how snippets from the school board hearing are included in between chapters, when that hearing doesn't even end up being that important. Either way, The Latte Rebellion just wasn't a novel that really sucked me in the way I want books to.
In the end, I was really confused as to what we were supposed to take from this novel because there's no real message or explanation of what happens to the Rebellion. Without a real message at the end, the story didn't really seem to go anywhere. And since I had some issues with the message and the main plot didn't really capture my interest, The Latte Rebellion just didn't work for me.
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
I was expecting a main character who is passionate about social justice issues, but Asha did not turn out to be a character I liked. To be honest, she doesn't even seem to care that much. She really just starts this whole thing as a way to make money, which didn't really sit right with me. (And also just doesn't seem like a practical choice.) Even once Asha gets more into the idea of this becoming a real movement, she doesn't seem all that passionate about it; for example, she goes to a couple of social justice activism meetings that sound really cool, but she doesn't seem to care all that much, other than about them selling more T-shirts and about the activism that he guys she likes is interested in. For a novel that I hoped would send a strong message, Asha just isn't a feisty enough main character, in my opinion. She's also really good at slut-shaming and making assumptions about cheerleaders and the members of what she calls the Bimbocracy.
It also bothered me how the issue of racism against mixed-race individuals is handled. For some reason, the novel focuses mainly on the racism Asha and her friends experience at the hands of other minorities. The main "bad guy," Roger, is an Asian American fellow student who doesn't understand why Asha doesn't just identify as Asian if that is part of her ethnicity. Of course this is a problem, but it bothered me how the novel basically completely ignores the racism all minorities experience from white people. This is especially evident in Asha's criticism of what is basically Affirmative Action - she talks about how minorities are given "special treatment" in college admissions when they can check the "Hispanic" or "black" box and how she doesn't benefit from this because she has to select "Other." I think it's a valid criticism that these categories don't have space for mixed-race individuals, but she completely dismisses the idea that a minority status should be considered in admissions. As someone who believes that Affirmative Action is definitely still necessary, that bothered me - and while Asha doesn't necessarily have to agree with me on this, I don't think this should have been dismissed quite as easily and been discussed in a more meaningful way. In general, it bothered me how the novel pits people of mixed race against minorities of one ethnicity when, really, they are both oppressed by the white power structure, which is basically ignored in The Latte Rebellion.
Asides from the way the issues are handled, I also had some problems with the actual story. I honestly don't know why, but I just couldn't get myself to care all that much about what happened. It might be because I didn't really connect with the characters, or because I thought parts of the story were just unnecessarily melodramatic - for example how snippets from the school board hearing are included in between chapters, when that hearing doesn't even end up being that important. Either way, The Latte Rebellion just wasn't a novel that really sucked me in the way I want books to.
In the end, I was really confused as to what we were supposed to take from this novel because there's no real message or explanation of what happens to the Rebellion. Without a real message at the end, the story didn't really seem to go anywhere. And since I had some issues with the message and the main plot didn't really capture my interest, The Latte Rebellion just didn't work for me.
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
February 9, 2011
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.
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.
July 30, 2017
Finally, a teen book that isn't about love issues, parent issues, or friend issues (well, it has a bit of each of those) but the main theme of this story is issues bigger than ourselves: raising cultural awareness for a people of mixed cultures. This book isn't about racism, it's about understanding.
Asha's father is half Irish, half Mexican. Her mother is Indian. Holidays are a bit tense in her family because they're trying to follow traditions from three different cultures. At high school, Asha doesn't fit into the Latino club because it makes her feel like she's "picking sides" and her friend Carey feels the same way about the Asian American club. So they propose a new club for "Lattes" - where the perfect blend of coffee and milk is the perfect analogy for their heritage.
Each chapter starts with a graphic of materials published for the Latte Rebellion - their logo, manifesto, rally posters, comics, etc - what a great touch to add to the book to make it the Rebellion feel real. But these materials also end up being used as "evidence" against Asha when she comes up against a school board inquiry as to whether she should be expelled. Why expelled?
When the school rejects Asha and Carey's club idea, they take it outside of the school - and the Latte Rebellion takes off among college students and even beyond. Very quickly their idea gets out of their control - even misinterpreted in dangerous ways. Asha is torn between the Latte Rebellion and her friends, family, and her other goals.
One of her goals is to get into a big name school like Stanford, Berkeley or Harvard. At first the Latte Rebellion looks like a great thing on her college applications - or, maybe not.
I applied for an Ivy college, too, so I could relate to Asha's waiting and fretting. But I loved how the Latte Rebellion forces Asha to consider things outside of herself, and pushes her (sometimes painfully) to confront things that most self-absorbed teens never consider. Her letter to Robbins College is AMAZING!!! Even if you never read the book, it's worth it to read that letter (pages 240-241 - spare a moment of your time next time you visit the library).
Then there is the friendship between Asha and Carey - well, I can't give too much away, here. But the ups and downs of their friendship as the Latte Rebellion develops are another really thoughtful part of this book. Again, I could totally relate (except I was Carey in high school and my friend was Asha).
Here's some of my favorite quotes from the book:
What I love about this next quote is how it both highlights the diversity of people while showing that in the end we aren't as different as we might think.
Asha's father is half Irish, half Mexican. Her mother is Indian. Holidays are a bit tense in her family because they're trying to follow traditions from three different cultures. At high school, Asha doesn't fit into the Latino club because it makes her feel like she's "picking sides" and her friend Carey feels the same way about the Asian American club. So they propose a new club for "Lattes" - where the perfect blend of coffee and milk is the perfect analogy for their heritage.
Each chapter starts with a graphic of materials published for the Latte Rebellion - their logo, manifesto, rally posters, comics, etc - what a great touch to add to the book to make it the Rebellion feel real. But these materials also end up being used as "evidence" against Asha when she comes up against a school board inquiry as to whether she should be expelled. Why expelled?
When the school rejects Asha and Carey's club idea, they take it outside of the school - and the Latte Rebellion takes off among college students and even beyond. Very quickly their idea gets out of their control - even misinterpreted in dangerous ways. Asha is torn between the Latte Rebellion and her friends, family, and her other goals.
One of her goals is to get into a big name school like Stanford, Berkeley or Harvard. At first the Latte Rebellion looks like a great thing on her college applications - or, maybe not.
I applied for an Ivy college, too, so I could relate to Asha's waiting and fretting. But I loved how the Latte Rebellion forces Asha to consider things outside of herself, and pushes her (sometimes painfully) to confront things that most self-absorbed teens never consider. Her letter to Robbins College is AMAZING!!! Even if you never read the book, it's worth it to read that letter (pages 240-241 - spare a moment of your time next time you visit the library).
Then there is the friendship between Asha and Carey - well, I can't give too much away, here. But the ups and downs of their friendship as the Latte Rebellion develops are another really thoughtful part of this book. Again, I could totally relate (except I was Carey in high school and my friend was Asha).
Here's some of my favorite quotes from the book:
Kaelyn's problem wasn't that she was scared of trouble. It wasn't that she was evil, or racist, or even that she was a mega-bitch (although she kind of was). It was just that she was completely and utterly self-centered. I was willing to bet it had been a long time since she'd done anything for another person, something purely out of the kindness of her heart, something that gave her that special feeling you get when you know you're doing the right thing. And I kind of felt bad for her. She didn't know what she was missing.
What I love about this next quote is how it both highlights the diversity of people while showing that in the end we aren't as different as we might think.
"You'd be surprised at how many people still think that mixed-race relationships are doomed to fail, that people are just 'too different.' Thad paused for a moment. "I mean, there used to be laws against it."
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