Review Detail

It is the last day of junior year; the day Sister Asuncion reads Marlenas unsigned love letter to Laura out loud in class; the first day of the rest of Lauras life. Friends she has since childhood call her names and say she is disgusting. Her mother is called into the principals office. In exchange for naming her girlfriend, Laura will not be expelled. But Laura will never rat out Marlena. So, Laura is expelled both from school and home. Mami will not tolerate a degenerate living under her roof. Even though Laura is in love with Marlena, she does not consider herself a lesbian. Mami tells her that when she falls in love with a boy, she will be allowed home.

With no place to go, Laura unconsciously wanders to the local gay beach and meets Tazer, a boy trapped in a womans body. Although he wants to be friends, Laura realizes that being seen in public with him will be misconstrued by the Miami Cuban population and Laura would be labeled as gay.

Laura moves in with her lifelong friend Soli and her mother Viva who love her unconditionally, gay or straight. She gets a landscaping job with Marlenas uncle Paco and life falls into a routine. But soon she gets another jolt&Marlena is being forced to move back to Puerto Rico because her brother found her diary with entries about Laura and told their bible preaching parents who live there. Marlena and Laura call each other constantly for several months when the final jolt comes: Marlena is engaged to be married to Ricardo.

Lauras world is shattered. Soli tries to convince Laura to find another girl to love but Laura isnt convinced shes gay. Down to the Bone recounts Lauras journey to self discovery in a generally insulated, homophobic Cuban community. The book is populated with colorful, fun and empathetic characters as well as bigoted, unlikable, dogmatic characters, which is true of the world in general. The characters are totally believable and the action is fast paced. Readers will empathize with Laura, admire Soli and Viva and root for a happy ending. This book will be a truly satisfying read for everyone.