All of us have a little bit of romance in our hearts. Ophelia has a lot. Ophelia Rojas is sure of herself and knows what she likes. She loves roses, hence the cover of the novel. She also loves her boyfriend, Cuban food, and her best friends. Ophelia feels like she has the perfect life, however, just when everything seems to be going well, her life unravels. Ophelia is a relatable character. On the outside, she is a normal, confident, happy, teenage girl. Inside, she doesn’t really know who she is or what she wants. Teen life presents itself with so many uncertainties, and it can be hard to decide what one really wants. Ophelia and her perfect boyfriend break up right before her prom. Ophelia had been looking forward to prom for so long, and this ruins it. Although on the outside she is upset, in her heart she questions if maybe breaking up with him was just what she needed. She finds herself thinking about cute and quiet Talia Sanchez more than her breakup. Along with her challenging love life, Ophelia’s friend group is having issues just as the end of high school comes up. Just as life feels like it can’t get worse, Ophelia’s secrets begin to unravel. Ophelia has to decide if she will try to patch together her once perfect life, or move and be someone new. This novel does a great job of depicting teenage life and all of its challenges. It addresses many problems everyday teens face, like friends and sexuality struggles.
Review by Caroline, Teen Reviewer