Accidental Love

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Soto, Gary. 2006. ACCIDENTAL LOVE. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 9780152061135.

PLOT SUMMARY
Accidental Love is the story of an unlikely romance between Marisa, a large Hispanic girl, and Rene, a “muy wimpy” nerd. When their cell phones get switched during a fight, Marisa and Rene meet so they can get their phones back. Marisa finds herself drawn to Rene who is her complete opposite. As they get to know each other they find out that opposites do attract.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
This easy to follow plot mirrors the “Romeo and Juliet” play that Marisa and Rene are part of at school. Although Marisa and Rene are in love, his mother does not approve of their relationship and tries many ways to keep Rene and Marisa apart. Part of this book that is not specific to the Hispanic culture is the abuse Rene receives from his mother. There are hints to this abuse throughout the book, such as when Rene says, My mom pinched me right here… [he] unbuttons his long-sleeved shirt so Marisa can see the bruise.” It is not until the end of the book that the reader gets a sense of how bad the abuse had been, so bad that Rene moves in with his father. Although this is a very serious subject, it does not overpower the main plot of the story.

There are Spanish words found throughout the book that make it more authentic. Marisa uses more Spanish words when she is talking to her friends and family who speak Spanish, which makes the dialogue realistic. The intermingling of Spanish and English words when talking is an accurate portrayal of how Hispanic teenagers talk, especially to each other. When Marisa is talking to her friend Alicia she says, “You’re mala. Your mom and dad’s going to find out.” Also adding to the authenticity of the dialogue is when Rene doesn’t understand what Marisa means when she says, “Well, Mr. Confidence, I have never had a beso laid on me.” This happens quite often when people who have different primary languages are communicating.

Many relational terms are also used such as “mi’ja,” “tia,” and “novio.” Many of the first names used could come from different cultures, but the two last names that are in the book are common Hispanic last names, Rodriguez and Torres. There is not much mention of music in the book, but Marisa makes a reference to a CD that her mom is listening to while washing dishes. The CD is Linda Ronstadt’s Canciones de mi Padre.

A big emphasis is put on the food Marisa’s family eats for dinner. Some examples of their dinners are “albondigas,” “frijoles,” “enchiladas,” and “tamales.” Realistically, Marisa and her family eat other food besides Mexican food such as ice cream, chips, and donuts. Most of the Spanish words can easily be figured out in context, but there is a Spanish glossary at the back of the book if needed.

Overall, you can tell when reading this book that it is a piece of Hispanic literature, but that will not keep teenagers from different cultures from picking it up and reading it.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A cell-phone mix-up leads to first love in this warmhearted, humorous novel. Soto's portrayal of Marisa's family, friends, and neighborhood–in a novel peppered with Spanish words and teen slang–is set in a world where poverty, drugs, and early pregnancy are acknowledged but don't dominate the story.”

BOOKLIST: “After a scuffle with the "sorry rat" who broke her best friend's heart, 14-year-old Marisa grabs the wrong cell phone. It belongs to Rene, a "muy wimpy" chess player who attends a magnet school across town. Soto deepens this gentle romance between opposites with subtle, authentic glimpses of an uncertain world, where adults don't always provide protection and nurturing. With humor and insight, he creates memorable, likable characters in Marisa and Rene, who find support and love by valuing authenticity and sweetness over cool.”

CONNECTIONS
-Have students write another unlikely "Romeo and Juliet" story.
-Have students discuss/write about at time they learned something from someone who was their opposite.