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OLDER FICTION
Andreu, Maria E.

Love in English

336 pp. | HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray | February, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-299651-0 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-06-299653-4 $10.99
(2) YA A first page almost entirely in Spanish gives any readers who aren't fluent in the language a taste of what sixteen-year-old Ana, who has recently immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina, experiences regularly. This story of her transition to a New Jersey high school focuses largely on language. Any portion of the English dialogue that Ana doesn't understand is spelled out in hash marks ("I'll hand ######## paper with ########"), forcing readers to piece together information just as she must. Her confusion slowly gives way to a love for English, shown through her interspersed poetry. Along with the humor in Ana's observations about language ("who are the Benjamins, anyway, and why is it all about them?"), the story provides plenty of rom-com moments, as she finds herself in a love triangle. Though the book touches on the prejudice experienced by many immigrants, Ana herself is rarely on the receiving end (her skin is light, which the book acknowledges will "work in [her] favor here"). The majority of the novel is an entertaining, even joyful, read, presented in Ana's expressive voice; an author's note encourages readers to decide for themselves whether the narration is translated into English or told in retrospect by an older, more fluent Ana.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

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