Point of View

The novel is written in first-person from the limited perspective of Malu, a 12-year-old girl who is the daughter of a Mexican mother and an American father. The limited perspective means the reader knows only what Malu knows. Her view of things is sometimes skewed, mainly by her attitude. As the novel opens, Malu and her mother are moving from Florida to Chicago. Malu is angry about the move and hates being away from her father, though she knows they are planning to return to Florida in two years. Malu and her mother have a difficult relationship, and the move has strained it even more. That means that Malu sometimes evaluates situations and people incorrectly. For example, Malu and Magaly attend a dance class at the Ramirez Dance Studio, and Selena Ramirez and her younger brother perform for them before Malu and Magaly begin their...