Cuba 15
by Nancy Osa

    CUBA 15 by Nancy Osa
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  3/8/05
    Publisher:  Delacorte
    Reviewed by:  Mark Frye, author and reviewer
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Violet Paz gives little thought to her ethnicity. She's half-Cuban and half-Polish, but all American. She takes her
    father's roots for granted, even if her crazy relatives are always visiting for mega-Domino tournaments and zany
    cookouts. But when her grandmother and parents insist that she participate in her “quince,” she is forced into a
    reluctant and embarrassed embrace with an “old world” tradition.

    This debut novel masterfully and subtly details the modernization of the quinceanero, a coming-of-age party for a
    Latina's fifteenth birthday, through the eyes of a clever and humorous teen living near Chicago. The author, Nancy
    Osa, accurately captures the resentment of parental influence some teens experience in their quest for their own
    identity. As Violet struggles with being forced to participate in her own quince, she seeks advice from other adult
    figures who help her balance parental expectations with her own need for independence. Osa pulls off this high-wire
    act masterfully, not going “over the top” in teen rebellion fashion, nor making Violet an unbelievably acquiescent
    parent-pleaser.

    Osa weaves the subplot into the novel quite well, also. It makes Violet's self-discovery a double success story: not
    only does she make her quince relevant to her modern, American life, but she uses her zany family's exploits as
    fodder for her speech team event.

    CUBA 15 has received considerable attention and been nominated for numerous awards. This is a likeable story
    from a “new” author I hope we hear from again! Five stars.