ARC Review: “Becoming Beatriz” by Tami Charles

“Becoming Beatriz” by Tami Charles

Publishing Date: September 17, 2019

Genre: YA, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

Up until her fifteenth birthday, the most important thing in the world to Beatriz Mendez had been her dream of becoming a professional dancer and getting herself and her family far from the gang life that defined their days–that and meeting her dance idol Debbie Allen on the set of her favorite TV show, Fame. But after the latest battle in a constant turf war leaves her gang leader brother, Junito, dead and her mother grieving, Beatriz has a new set of priorities. How is she supposed to feel the rhythm when her gang needs running, when her mami can’t brush her own teeth, and when the last thing she can remember of her old self is dancing with her brother, followed by running and gunshots? When the class brainiac reminds Beatriz of her love of the dance floor, her banished dreams sneak back in. Now the only question is: will the gang let her go?

Set in New Jersey in 1984, Beatriz’s story is a timeless one of a teenager’s navigation of romance, gang culture, and her own family’s hard past. A companion novel to the much-lauded Like Vanessa. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Becoming Beatriz is a YA historical fiction novel set in the 1980s. From the first pages we are introduced to the main character, Beatriz, who dreams of dancing along side her favorite actors in Fame (the TV show) and is hoping for an escape from her daily life. Her family has migrated to America for a better life and new opportunities .Beatriz looks up to her older brother, but when he dies her world falls apart. She steps up to lead the gang, the Diablos, but feels conflicted about which path she should choose: the street life or dance?

When Beatriz meets Nassar, she is charmed by his looks and his vibe. He proves to be good influence on her as they connect over music, dance, and life. Beatriz starts to realize her love for dance again and starts to feel alive. She wants a better life for her family and for herself. Dancing helps her to feel alive again and dance out the pain of the past and grieve over the death of her brother. She slowly transforms into a happier version of herself.

I was so excited to read this book as I enjoyed Charles’ previous novel Like Vanessa. Her lyrical writing pulls the reader into the story and her character are rich and full of depth:

Long ago, Mami once said, “El universo lo cura todo.” The universe heals all things. But that ain’t entirely true. It’s el ritmo that mends the broken, the timbales taking their time with you, shaking, stirring, shaping you into all that is good, and sometimes not so good too.

The characters felt real and relatable. The overall narrative is laced with strong commentary about real world issues. I liked that this story is focused on the legendary dancers of Fame. It’s iconic and I remember the strong emotions and talents that the cast did when they performed dance routines and songs. The movie is one of my favorites.

Overall, Charles has blown me away with another fantastic novel. This novel was deep, heartbreaking, filled with triumph, and was very real. Like her previous book I liked that Charles includes poetry to help her main characters express their feelings. She has a lyrical writing style which flows throughout the narrative and keeps her readers constantly engaged with the story. Beatriz struggles to find a way to fix the past and make a better life for her family. She pushes herself to want more in her life.

This story can be hard to read at times since it has a heavy subject matter but I felt like it was an important story to tell. Charles discusses intersecting identities (Beatriz is Afro-Latinx), being biracial, drugs, gang violence while also highlighting things from history that I wasn’t aware of. You could tell that the author pulls a lot from her own experiences to create this story. It was a book I didn’t want to put down. I want to read more books from Charles and highly recommend her books!

*Trigger Warnings: Violence, Death, Homophobia, Racism

Final Verdict: