when the stars go blue by caridad ferrer


An authentic and intense portrayal of first love in this modern interpretation of Carmen set in Miami. Cuban-American Soledad lives to dance and has her eye on auditioning for dance companies in New York City after graduation. Then she meets trumpet-toting Jonathan, and agrees to play Carmen, becoming the only female member of his competitive drum and bugle corps for the summer. The story stalls a bit as Jonathan and Soledad fall in love and slowly reveal themselves, but the pace quickens when sultry Spanish soccer player Taz arrives on the scene and siphons some of Soledad's attention away from Jonathan, who hovers on the edge of scarily suffocating as the fear of losing her pushes him to unexpected action. A cast of well-developed, interesting supporting characters rounds out this unique coming-of-age romance. Recommended for fans of If I Stay, The Juliet Club, and teen romance. Grade 8+

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