It's Not about the Accent

by Barbara Caridad Ferrer

Book Overview

Sporting a new name and an exotic new Latina flair, she's ready for her college debut. But is the luscious Carolina really better than plain-Jane Caroline?Sick and tired of her life in small-town Ohio -- completely boring with a side of dull -- college-bound Caroline Darcy is determined to start fresh...as a new person. And that means following in the footsteps of her late Nana Ellie -- her witty and vibrant Cuban great-grandmother with a glamorous,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416524916
• ISBN13: 9781416524915
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: MTV Books
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

Another great one from Ferrer

Adapted from my review blog post: http://mrsvsreviews.blogspot.com/2009/02/its-not-about-accent.html I enjoyed It's Not About the Accent by Caridad Ferrer just as much as Adiós to My Old Life. Like Ali in Adiós to My Old Life, Caro had a distinctive voice, and I could really picture her emotions, thoughts, and feelings. The plot brought up a lot of different emotions as Caro has her highs and lows while discovering who she is during her first year at college. Bored with her old life, Caro shows up to the summer session before her freshman year. Against her best friend's advice, she decides to die her hair brown, wear tinted moisturizer and create a new persona Carolina (rather than Caroline) and introduce herself as being half-Cuban. This whole plan was inspired by the fond memories of her great-grandmother Nana Ellie, who Caro found out was Cuban after she was already dead. It was humorous to see how she studied to pull off the role. She had everyone fooled except for the one person who really knew and understood her. Since Caro initially wants to be a theater major, the book is creatively divided into Acts and an Entr'acte. I loved that creative twist on the book that framed the chapters and Caro's year.

Enchanting YA Review: It's Not About The Accent

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT CARIDAD FERRER Rating: 4 Enchantments Caroline Darcy always wanted a life as exotic as her beloved great-grandmother's. Tired of being her boring old self, Caroline's got the perfect plan, when she goes off to college for the summer session, she's going to adopt a whole new persona. As vivacious Carolina, a half-cuban aspiring actress, Caroline is ready for adventure. But sometimes you should be careful what you wish for. Things at school start off well. Carolina seems to be a hit with everyone, especially the guys. At her first party, she meets Erik, your typical frat boy. Their connection is almost instantaneous. Then there's Peter, the cute guy she meets at the same party who lives just down the hall. And the way he calls her Caro makes her smile. It seems like Carolina is a success, but maybe too much of one. As her and Peter become good friends, her relationship with Erik heats up. Between studying with Peter and partying with Erik, her days are full. But when things suddenly go bad and Caroline finds herself in a dire situation, its Peter who bursts in and rescues her from the brutal attack. This book is darker in tone then Ms. Ferrer's debut, but it's just as engrossing a read. Caroline's journey is filled with a number of twists and surprising turns, that take her from small town Ohio, to her summer on campus to Miami and back to Ohio as she discovers her own life might be just interesting as her beloved Nana's. Reviewed by Lisa YA Director Enchanting Reviews

real characters

Caroline Darcy wants more than her boring small-town Ohio life, so when she goes off to college, she reinvents herself, using her Cuban great-grandmother as a role model, speaking Spanish, and calling herself "Carolina." Her first day, she meets two guys: frat boy Erik, who finds her exotic; and quiet, serious Peter, who's half-Cuban himself. She starts dating Erik and becomes close friends with Peter, and her best friend back home keeps telling her to give up the charade, but it just never seems to be the right time. Then disaster strikes, Peter comes to her rescue, and with his encouragement, she starts researching Nana Ellie's life and discovers herself in the process. Although I'm more than a couple decades older than Caroline, she's very easy to relate to. I vividly remember reinventing myself when I went off to college, as I'm sure a lot of us did. It's the perfect time to do so, and a time in your life where you're trying on different identities. I wasn't quite as brave and bold as Caroline, but I could understand how she felt. What's best about Accent is how real it feels. More than once, I laughed aloud, and more than once I had tears running down my face--not just a lump in my throat, but actual tears. The characters are vivid and 3-dimensional. Even the ones who aren't heroes (trying to avoid spoilers) aren't all bad--they're human and understandable, and people you might meet. Barb's an outstanding writer, and I'm looking forward to whatever she writes next, regardless of the genre. She has a gift for bringing characters to life.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

How would you like to be able to reinvent yourself? That's exactly what Caroline Darcy does. The summer after graduation, she enrolls in a session at the University of Southern Ohio before her freshman fall semester. Once away from home, she decides to embrace her Cuban roots (all 1/8th of those roots) and become Carolina for the summer. She purchases a new upbeat wardrobe and dyes her blonder hair Havana brown. On her first evening at USO, she attends a getting-to-know-you dance, and immediately attracts the attention of Erik, a senior. She also meets Peter, another new student. Little does she know that the two guys would be so involved in her life that summer. Erik sweeps her off her feet and she enjoys being Carolina for a while. But being someone she isn't turns out to be more exhausting than she expects. After a serious encounter one night while waiting for Erik to show up, Caroline reevaluates her life, gives up the idea of following her Cuban roots and her friendship with Peter, and runs back home after the summer session is over. With a shove from her older brother, Caroline returns to USO for the fall, her friendship with Peter solidifies, and she takes on a new quest. With the help of Peter and two different university professors, Caroline researches her actual family history. The research takes her places she didn't imagine, both literally and figuratively. This is the story of one girl's journey to discover who she is. Caroline goes from one extreme to the other, until she finally gets the balance just right. With the help of wonderful friends and family, Caroline finally figures out just where she belongs, and who she belongs with. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT is another great addition from the MTV line of books by Simon & Schuster. As with all the other books I have read from this division, the story developed quickly and pulled me right into the pages. Ms. Ferrer writes a thought-provoking and oftentimes fun story as Caroline tries to discover who she really is. (FYI: Content is not appropriate for the younger reader.) Reviewed by: Jaglvr

A YA book that transcends age groups

Ferrer writes from the heart and makes her story a page turner about a "girl next door" who seeks adventure by going back to her Cuban roots and revamping herself to be more exotic. Her new novel will most likely appeal to many age groups: the mom who wants to know what her teenage daughter might be going through, and of course the young adults themselves. Latinas and mixed heritage young women will enjoy Caroline's journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance by getting to know her grandmother's true history. Ferrer's prose is fluid and chatty, entertaining and fun.