HONEY BLONDE CHICA

Serros offers a glimpse into the lives of the Hispanic elite in this story featuring privileged Mexican teenagers behaving badly in coastal California. Evie is a fairly inexperienced young woman, despite the prevalence of drinking parties and hookups, and the generally disrespectful attitude toward adults among her peers. She finds herself torn between two friends: Raquel, her best friend, and Dee Dee, a childhood pal who moves back to the neighborhood after living in Mexico for a few years. In a search for her own identity, Evie questions whether she should remain loyal to her laid-back surfer friends, the Flojos, or join up with a group of Sangro girls who know how to have fun. Although Evie eventually manages a balance between the two, it’s unfortunate that a third option—being her own person—wasn’t seriously considered. The thin plot and shallow, label-conscious characters won’t appeal to those looking for a story with more depth; but, nevertheless, this work will find an audience among Latina girls and fans of Gossip Girl–like romps. (Fiction. YA)