Graffiti Girl

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

Angel is a teenage girl whose life, or much of it, at least, is about her art. She loves art, but when she enters a contest for a mural, and doesn't win, she's more than a little disappointed. In her disappointment, Angel turns to another form of art, one that's more often than not practiced illegally: graffiti.

Miguel shows her his artwork, his graffiti, and even lets her into his graffiti crew, Reyes del Norte. She finds her voice in graffiti, and also finds herself drawn more and more to Miguel.

However, Miguel's not the only guy in the picture. Nathan is a much more clean-cut, wholesome guy, whose art is a lot more conventional, too; he won the mural contest that Angel wanted to win.

To show more say Nathan and Miguel don't get along is an understatement. And with both of them taking a rather sudden interest in Angel, their rivalry is getting even more intense. What side in it all will Angel pick--and will she stay true to herself and her art?

I was very excited to pick up this book; the summary sounds pretty great, and also really original. For the most part, GRAFFITI GIRL lived up to my expectations and was pretty awesome!

I love the characters, especially Angel, and I was impressed with the way the difficult decisions Angel had to make were realistically fuzzy and grey rather than clearly black and white, the way these sorts of choices (picking between two guys, for example) so often are to the reader.

The writing in the story was excellent, and the subject matter was fresh and interesting, making this story well worth reading. Kelly Parra is an impressive new voice in YA literature--keep an eye out! show less

On the outside Angel comes off as indifferent and sullen; inside, she yearns for affirmation and recognition of her art skills. Then she discovers a niche in graffiti art but an attraction to two handsome rivals complicates her life. I wasn't crazy about the author's writing style but learned a little about graffiti writing. Teen readers may enjoy reading about Angel's relationship drama and inner turmoil.

Summary: Angel Rodriguez wants to take her art further and the school's competition for painting a mural seems to be the place. Angel isn't selected as one of the three finalists, but finds herself torn between the good boy who was and the bad boy who should have been.

The Take-Away: I loved how Angel was positioned between the good kids and the bad kids. When Nathan Ramos -- the good guy -- and Miguel Badalin -- the bad boy -- both try to lure her into their own worlds of art, Angel has to make tough decisions about who she is and what she stands for. Her feelings of alienation from her mother and best friend force her to decide without guidance from those she cares about. Angel, inspite of her name, is one tough kid. Reading about her show more decision will captive the teen in us all.

One unique aspect of the title was the introductory lines to each chapter. Angel's intimate thoughts about her growing graffiti career give the reader insight to the slang used by graf artist as well as providing the reader with a sneak peek of what's to come in the chapter. They were probably my favorite part of the book.

Recommendation: Get this one for the teenage girl in your life.

http://raspberry-latte.blogspot.com/2007/07/graffiti-girl-by-kelly-parra.html show less

For Angel, art is everything. When her entry into a community mural competition doesn't get picked, she is devastated. She hooks up with a boy who is well known as trouble - Miguel Badalin, in spite of Nathan's advice to stay away from him. Miguel introduces Angel to the art of graffiti, and the excitement of turf wars. She has to decide who she wants to be, and it's not an easy decision. Restricted for offensive language such as bitch, and skank, and content - pot smoking. I think rebel girls who are really into art would really like this book.

2.5 out of 5 stars. It's a teen romp that has bold characters but falls a little flat during the plot (at least for me). So slow-paced that I had to force myself to finish the book. Good ending but it could have been better.

Read more of this review here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/03/listen-red-light-yellow-light-...

Just okay . . .

Twitter review @book_kungfu (http://twitter.com/book_kungfu):
Bold colors, bold lines, bold lives, one can at a time. One girl's ready to make her mark -- Kung Fu moment: owning her signature piece