Piece of My Heart
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Still in high school, Marisol Reyes gets the chance of a lifetime to be a real singer, and she leaps at it. After all, this is the dream she held on to, all the days and nights she spent growing up on means streets of East Harlem. Marisol never gave in--no matter what her boyfriend or her best friend had to say. Who cares if only one in a hundred pretty, talented girls make it? She will be the one. In her rush to fame, Marisol tramples on the heart of her loyal best friend, and Julian, the boy she loves. But will it be worth it?
One night at a private gig in the Hamptons, the little Latino girl with the big voice from East Harlem gets a severe reality check. A famous rapper who claims to be interested in her talents turns out to be interested in something else, threatening not only Marisol's dreams but her body and soul. Will the realities of the gritty New York music scene put out the stars in Marisol's eyes forever?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Just about everything about Marisol Reyes's life changes when, at 17, she is discovered by a record producer and offered an audition with her favorite pop singer, Diego Salazar. All summer, Marisol has been hanging out in El Barrio in East Harlem with her Latina friends, who are all anxious to tackle their futures. Her best friend Vanessa will attend college, and her sister, Tati, works for a designer in SoHo, but with Marisol's four-octave range and creativity, she is throwing everything she has into her dream to be a singer. The many glamorous opportunities that accompany her big break are complicated by a fickle boyfriend, jealous friends, and dodgy musicians. Marisol's new life also allows her to see New York City in a new light particularly its dramatic cultural and economic polarization. While relatively light and predictable, Menna's first novel is an optimistic story about preserving one's identity and morals amid the engulfing world of celebrity. Fashionistas and pop-culture junkies should enjoy the lavish descriptions of New York City's rich and famous. Ages 14 up.