They could have named her anything : a novel

Select an Action

Title:

They could have named her anything : a novel

Author:

Jimenez, Stephanie, author.

ISBN:

9781542003742

9781542003759

Edition:

1st ed.

Physical Description:

283 pages ; 22 cm.

Subject Term:

Teenager girls -- Fiction.

Private schools -- New York (State) -- Fiction.

Female friendship -- Fiction.

Hispanic American students -- Fiction.

Social classes -- New York (State) -- Fiction.

Families -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Queens (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction.

Upper East Side (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction.

Genre:

Bildungsromans.

Summary:

Every morning, seventeen-year-old Maria Anís Rosario takes the subway an hour from her boisterous and close-knit family in Queens to her private high school on the Upper East Side, where she struggles to fit in as one of the only Latina students--until Rocky welcomes her into this new life. White, rebellious, and ignored by her wealthy parents, Rocky uses her money toward one goal: to get away with anything. To Maria, it's a dazzling privilege. As a bond develops between these unlikely friends, neither can see what they share most--jealousy and the desire for each other's lives. But crackling under the surface of their seemingly supportive alliance, the girls begin to commit little betrayals as they strive to get closer to their ideals regardless of the consequences.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	FICTION JIM	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	FICTION JIM	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Racism, class, and betrayal collide in this poignant debut novel about restoring the broken bonds of family and friendship.

As a bond develops between these unlikely friends, neither can see what they share most--jealousy and the desire for each other's lives. But crackling under the surface of their seemingly supportive alliance, the girls begin to commit little betrayals as they strive to get closer to their ideals regardless of the consequences.

Told from the perspectives of Maria, Rocky, and their fathers, They Could Have Named Her Anything explores the heartfelt expectation of what it means to live up to the name you've been given and the more rewarding discovery of what really matters.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Maria Anís Rosario, a young Latinx woman, is a scholarship student whose long subway ride from Queens to Manhattan's elite Bell Seminary reminds her daily of the distance between herself and her schoolmates. White and wealthy Rocky Albrecht's challenge to authority fascinates Maria because her own family expects her to stay focused. Maria's explicitly sexual relationship with Andres, however, is unsatisfying, and when Rocky tells a shocked Maria that personal pleasure is her right, Maria is grateful for her friend's openness about a taboo subject. Maria's experience of the monied world is eye-opening. At a diner Maria and her friend Karen can't afford, Rocky's pals nibble at the edges of their French fries before throwing the rest of their overpriced lunches in the trash. But Maria also sees that Rocky's home life is cold and that her parents are remote. Rocky has a harder road and knows it, pointing out to Maria that a loving family is one thing money can't buy. Though the plot-that of a working-class character entering a world of privilege-of this debut novel is predictable, it nonetheless offers sharp insights about teens from different worlds. VERDICT Highly recommended for mature audiences.-Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Trouble looms when two girls at a New York prep school form a friendship across lines of race and class.Maria Ans Rosario is a scholarship student and one of only two girls who travel from Queens to attend Bell Seminary on the Upper East Side. Her mother cleans houses, her father has just lost his job, and with the family struggling to make ends meet, there's little enthusiasm for her big college dreams. Among the other disappointments crowding into her life, her first experience of sex with her boyfriend, Andres, concludes with his telling her she moves "like a corpse." Then along comes a girl named Rocky, virtually sparkling with privilege and attitude. Though Rachelle "Rocky" Albrecht is one of the wealthy majority at Bell Seminary, she's not like the other girls in their ballet flats and Tiffany heart necklaces. She comes to class wearing dark sunglasses with a pack of cigarettes in her pocket and a Planned Parenthood sticker on her laptop; she "use[s] her wealth to circumvent rules." When Rocky casually announces she has a "friend crush" on Maria and invites her back to the palatial apartment overlooking Central Park where she has been virtually abandoned by her warring parents, Maria is in for many shocks, among them Rocky's generosity, her casual cruelty, and her ignorant racism. Both girls find reasons to resent each other but keep these hidden as they maneuver to fill their own needs. When Rocky's family takes Maria with them on a trip to Vegas, the stakes get higher. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas this time.Bristling with adolescent insecurities, sexual tension, and status consciousness, Jimenez's debut is a natural for both adult and teen readers. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

For 17-year-old Maria, the dream of going to college is right around the corner, but still lies just out of reach. While she attends an elite private school on the Upper East Side, she lives in a tiny apartment in Queens with parents who barely make enough to survive. In her last year of high school, Maria strikes up a friendship with Rocky, a rich white girl who is ignored by her parents and spends money frivolously. As Rocky and Maria begin their tumultuous friendship, they become jealous of each other's lives and begin to play a game of manipulation and betrayal beneath their seemingly strong bond. But as the consequences catch up to them, Maria realizes where she truly belongs and learns to appreciate what really matters. In this beautiful debut, Jimenez boldly examines the desperate desire to fit in as an American minority living in a rich, white-dominated society. She unveils the struggles of both the upper and working classes with incredible empathy and sophistication, for a thoroughly engaging read.--Emily Park Copyright 2019 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Debut author Jimenez doesn't pull any punches in this arresting coming-of-age novel. Wealth, racism, and privilege duke it out in this powerful young adult story between two unlikely friends. Maria comes from a close-knit family in Queens who are down on their luck financially, while Rocky comes from the Upper East Side and uses her money to shield her from family drama. They attend the same elite girls school and find themselves drawn to each other. Their budding friendship is riddled with questions and boundaries as they navigate unexpected jealousy that threatens to tear them apart. Family and friendships pale in comparison to their deepest unspoken desires, and the choices they make will affect far more than their friendship. Brilliantly narrated by Almarie Guerra, who gives the young girls authenticity and youthful naivete. VERDICT Sincere, at times uncomfortable, and always authentic, this teen novel will appeal to listeners of all ages.--Erin Cataldi, Johnson Cty. P.L., Franklin, IN

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Helpful Links

Research Links

Contact

Events and Rooms

Follow Us

Today's Hours