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November 16, 2005

Review: Friday Night Chicas

In honor of my chicas who salsa-danced me into the ground last Friday, I picked up Friday Night Chicas, an anthology of Latina chick-lit stories. These four stories of Latina amigas out on the town were as fun and fast as a good salsa song - though considerably easier on the feet.

The first story, My Favorite Mistake by Mary Castillo is about an aspiring film producer named Isela who crashes a Hollywood party in search of a hot young director and instead winds up in the arms of the director's brother.

As an Angelena, you'd think I'd be happy to see my home city in print. But here's the thing. I hate fame-chasers. I have never had a soft spot in my heart for bright young things who come to L.A. in search of fame, fortune, and the next party. In my experience, those are exactly the sort of crass, grasping, superficial people who give this city a bad name.

So, while the writing was smooth, and Isela was a relatable character, my personal pet peeves once again prevented me from fully enjoying an otherwise light and breezy story.

The second story, Hearts are Wild describes hardworking lawyer Tori's night out in Miami with her four friends. Her friends treat her to a gambling cruise, and make her promise to leave her practical, boring side behind. Like My Favorite Mistake, Hearts are Wild is lite, frothy, stereotypical chick-lit complete with
If none of these things bother you, you'll probably find Heart are Wild to be a fun, if forgettable, read. Overall, I liked it.

Revenge of the Fashion Goddess contained the most dreaded plotline of all - the high school reunion plot. After suffering through four years as the only Latina in her Chicago high school, Cali Montalvo shows up at her high school reunion intending to impress her former classmates with her status as a budding NY fashion designer, and to confront the popular girls who bullied her younger self. And, maybe she wants to see her high school crush, Rick Capaldi, again, too.

Revenge was my least favorite of the four stories because I have never been fond of high school reunion stories, and because [spoiler] Rick is still technically married when he and Cali hook up. I have no problems with author Berta Platas' writing style - just her plotting. In addition to the tried and tired high school reunion theme, and the dealbreaker spoilered above, the plot also includes a supposedly comedic case of mistaken identity. Revenge is too short a story to fit all those cliches.

The last story The More Things Change, by Sofia Quintero was the weightiest of the four contenders. Instead of centering on shopping and romance, The More Things Change tells the story of the reunion of four college friends who drifted apart. When they reunite to take one of their number out for a bachelorette party at a New York strip club, their actions in the present, and remembrances of the past interweave to show that, the more things change...well, you know.

Although I wouldn't describe The More Things Change as "my style" of story, I found its focus on the complexities female friendship to be a welcome relief after the whirlwind romances presented in the other three stories. The More Things Change was an interesting read, if not always a fun one. I liked Quintero's choice of subject, and I'll probably look around for more of her work in the future.

Overall, Friday Night Chicas is a good book to check out of the library. The short story format goes fast, and the four stories are all amusing, if a little light for my tastes. Those who expect to find more depth or spice in Latina chick lit than is commonly found in the gringa variety will be sorely disappointed. If anything, Friday Night Chicas proves that no matter how you season it, most chick lit is pretty much the same.



Posted by sk :: 11/16/2005 :: 0 comments

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