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Love in English
Sixteen-year-old Ana has just moved to New Jersey from Argentina for her Junior year of high school. She’s a poet and a lover of language—except that now, she can barely understand what’s going on around her, let alone find the words to express how she feels in the language she’s expected to speak.
All Ana wants to do is go home—until she meets Harrison, the very cute, very American boy in her math class. And then there’s her new friend Neo, the Greek boy she’s partnered up with in ESL class, who she bonds with over the 80s teen movies they are assigned to watch for class (but later keep watching together for fun), and Altagracia, her artistic and Instagram-fabulous friend, who thankfully is fluent in Spanish and able to help her settle into American high school.
But is it possible that she’s becoming too American—as her father accuses—and what does it mean when her feelings for Harrison and Neo start to change? Ana will spend her year learning that the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love.
With playful and poetic breakouts exploring the idiosyncrasies of the English language, Love in English tells a story that is simultaneously charming and romantic, while articulating a deeper story about what it means to become “American.”
All Ana wants to do is go home—until she meets Harrison, the very cute, very American boy in her math class. And then there’s her new friend Neo, the Greek boy she’s partnered up with in ESL class, who she bonds with over the 80s teen movies they are assigned to watch for class (but later keep watching together for fun), and Altagracia, her artistic and Instagram-fabulous friend, who thankfully is fluent in Spanish and able to help her settle into American high school.
But is it possible that she’s becoming too American—as her father accuses—and what does it mean when her feelings for Harrison and Neo start to change? Ana will spend her year learning that the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love.
With playful and poetic breakouts exploring the idiosyncrasies of the English language, Love in English tells a story that is simultaneously charming and romantic, while articulating a deeper story about what it means to become “American.”
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2021
About the author
Maria E. Andreu
6 books177 followersMaria E. Andreu is the author of JULIETA AND THE ROMEOS, LOVE IN ENGLISH
(Balzer + Bray) and THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY. Her work has appeared in Literary Hub, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and the Newark Star Ledger.
LOVE IN ENGLISH is an Indie Next Pick, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults book, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Her debut novel, THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY, was a National Indie Excellence Book Award winner. Both titles were Junior Library Guild Selections.
She is a Red Dead aficionado, a cat herder,
and a believer in (and a skeptic of) happy endings.
Visit her at https://mariaeandreu.com.
(Balzer + Bray) and THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY. Her work has appeared in Literary Hub, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and the Newark Star Ledger.
LOVE IN ENGLISH is an Indie Next Pick, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults book, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Her debut novel, THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY, was a National Indie Excellence Book Award winner. Both titles were Junior Library Guild Selections.
She is a Red Dead aficionado, a cat herder,
and a believer in (and a skeptic of) happy endings.
Visit her at https://mariaeandreu.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews
March 6, 2024
This novel tells us the story of Ana, who is a Sixteen-year-old who recently moved to New Jersey from Argentina. She is also a poet and loves the Spanish language. She, unfortunately, struggles a lot in dealing with English in America. To make matters worse, she falls into a love triangle with an American boy named Harrison and a Greek boy named Neo. Will Ana be able to tackle all the obstacles in her new life in the USA? This book will give you the answer to it.
The story of expatriates has always been an important topic that authors loved to write about. Jhumpa Lahiri, Kiran Desai, Colm Tóibín, and many other authors have written some outstanding books on this topic. We might think that it will be easy to write such a novel where the protagonist struggles to cope with the new place where she/he has to relocate. It is comparatively easy to connect with the reader from that particular diaspora. In my opinion, it is still a risky way to write a novel with this theme as there is a high probability that it won't connect with the people outside the particular diaspora. It is in this area where I can say that Maria E. Andreu did a splendid job. If you are someone outside the Latinx diaspora in the USA, you might think that she is simply exaggerating the problems (like Ana's intense struggle for studying English), and you might feel esoteric in acknowledging the mindset of the protagonist. The author brilliantly plays with such reader's psyches by exemplifying them with empirical evidence by bombarding them with Spanish lines that many readers are not familiar with to teach them what precisely a language barrier means to make it veristic.
What I learned from this book
1) Culture shock
This is a crucial topic that the author is trying to portray through this novel. She has done it brilliantly. All the subtle problems that emigrant faces and their futile attempts to overcome them are dealt with finesse by the author. The language, climate, and economic shocks Ana faces will make us empathize with her. We can also see the fear of parents that their children will forget their mother tongue and their native culture.
“She could be saying anything. Hearing English here so fast it is impolssible to understand.”
2) How learning a new language can alter the overrall dynamics of the family?
It is said that the best way to learn a new language is by practicing it with your friends and your family. When Ana's family decided to talk only in English in their house, the gregarious and garrulous family all of a sudden changed into a hermetic silent one. Everyone thought it was better to remain silent than to struggle to express their opinions in a new language.
“The family dinners have gotten pretty quiet under the English only blanket. If you can't think of the word in English and most of the time I can't and neither can my mum, silence is a safe alternative"
3) How the decision to get a bigger life in a foreign country are psychologically affecting the children?
This is a very important topic that needs in-depth analysis. We can see how deeply children are affected when one or both parents relocate to a foreign country without taking their children. Ana's father moved to the USA three years before Ana came to the USA. She was watching him like a strange person when she saw him after three long years. Children who are not mentally strong will have to face many psychological problems when they are pitched into a similar tumultuous situation.
“I knew this man, my father and also I did not. He knew me and also he did not. ”
My favourite three lines from this book
“They come here for a ‘better life.' But better life is not quite right. It makes me feel that my family and friends back home are something that needed bettering. I don't know whether it is better here. There is a different word I would choose, a 'bigger life.'"
“That was not quite what I wanted to say.”
“Then anger was about worry. This anger doesn’t look like that it is about worry. It is about fury. ”
What could have been better?
I felt that the love triangle involving Ana, Harrison, and Neo was not well written like the rest of the book and had a lot of hackneyed phrases seen in romantic fiction. Some areas that described their relationship seemed extraneous and farcical and should have been edited out. If the author had written this part better, her fastidious attempt in writing this novel would have been better rewarded.
Rating
3/5 This is a must-read book if you are a Hispanic or Latinx planning to settle in the USA.
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January 29, 2021
Huh. I never thought English could be so complicated in the eyes of others.
Maybe I shouldn't make fun of my mom for her English😂who am i kidding? it's hilarious
This book really did a good job in showing how much people struggle moving to a new country and being forced to learn a new language in order to try blending in.
Ana is a 16 year old high schooler whose just moved from Argentina to New Jersey, U.S. which is the result of her father who she hasn't seen in 3 years. Considering she's been speaking Spanish her whole life and has only started learning English for a few years, she of course isn't used to it, so Ana is put into ESL.
From there she's able to connect/relate more to the others because they also are in the same situation she's in and so she meets Neo, a boy from Greece. Of course they bond well together. But then she also meets Harrison, ~le americane boy~, and instantly has a crush on him...can you see where I'm going?
aye, it's the horrid love triangle.
But the good thing is that it didn't really play a huge part in the story, or maybe it didn't feel like that to me, since this was short anyways. It was mostly just Ana trying to understand whether she was in love or not and what really is love.
I could tell that the author was putting in her own experiences into this book and I liked how she did it. I would say I can't imagine how humiliating it is to not understand what others are saying while they laugh at you, but ahahahaha it's happened a few times *war flashbacks*cant say i didn't deserve it tho lol
In the end I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either, hence the rating of 3 stars. I couldn't really care much for the characters but that's probably just me. I think for those who can really relate Ana, they'd love her and her growth throughout the novel.
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Thank you Harper Collins Canada for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Maybe I shouldn't make fun of my mom for her English😂
This book really did a good job in showing how much people struggle moving to a new country and being forced to learn a new language in order to try blending in.
Ana is a 16 year old high schooler whose just moved from Argentina to New Jersey, U.S. which is the result of her father who she hasn't seen in 3 years. Considering she's been speaking Spanish her whole life and has only started learning English for a few years, she of course isn't used to it, so Ana is put into ESL.
From there she's able to connect/relate more to the others because they also are in the same situation she's in and so she meets Neo, a boy from Greece. Of course they bond well together. But then she also meets Harrison, ~le americane boy~, and instantly has a crush on him...can you see where I'm going?
aye, it's the horrid love triangle.
But the good thing is that it didn't really play a huge part in the story, or maybe it didn't feel like that to me, since this was short anyways. It was mostly just Ana trying to understand whether she was in love or not and what really is love.
I could tell that the author was putting in her own experiences into this book and I liked how she did it. I would say I can't imagine how humiliating it is to not understand what others are saying while they laugh at you, but ahahahaha it's happened a few times *war flashbacks*
In the end I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either, hence the rating of 3 stars. I couldn't really care much for the characters but that's probably just me. I think for those who can really relate Ana, they'd love her and her growth throughout the novel.
-----
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
February 16, 2021
3.5 Stars
Well that was some lovely writing!
I loved Ana's journey and thought she was a relatable character. In my opinion, the author did a very good job of portraying the experience of being in a country where the language predominantly spoken around you, is not your own.
I lived in Japan for a year and it really is like you are moving in a 'bubble of silence'. My husband won't be impressed I am going to write this, but all these years later it still amuses me, so sorry mate, I'm telling it. Before we went to live in Japan I dutifully learnt some useful phrases e.g. "Do you speak English?" and "Where is the ___?" among many others. My husband was less studious. He was trying to buy something or get directions one day and had a huge amount of trouble getting his message across. He came home and was telling me about the experience. He told me he had been asking if they spoke English. When he told me what he had been saying in Japanese, I cracked up and informed him he had been repeatedly asking 'Where is the English? Where is the English? W h e r e i s t h e E n g l i s h?' He said the lovely people he had approached were so patient and sincere in their attempts to help my floundering husband as he tried to make himself understood with careful pronunciation of a completely bizarre question. We experienced nothing but kindness and generosity, and our experience of living in Japan will remain one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. The point is, I could relate to Ana as she struggled to make sense of new and tricky language.
Maria has some lovely ways of expressing feelings and I found myself literally saying, "how lovely", at various points throughout the novel.
I really wish there hadn't been a love triangle but it wasn't hideously offensive. A nice heartwarming story about finding your place.
I am aware that there might be some ownvoice issues but I do not know the particulars so it might pay to read some other reviews to get some clarity around this.
Well that was some lovely writing!
I loved Ana's journey and thought she was a relatable character. In my opinion, the author did a very good job of portraying the experience of being in a country where the language predominantly spoken around you, is not your own.
I lived in Japan for a year and it really is like you are moving in a 'bubble of silence'. My husband won't be impressed I am going to write this, but all these years later it still amuses me, so sorry mate, I'm telling it. Before we went to live in Japan I dutifully learnt some useful phrases e.g. "Do you speak English?" and "Where is the ___?" among many others. My husband was less studious. He was trying to buy something or get directions one day and had a huge amount of trouble getting his message across. He came home and was telling me about the experience. He told me he had been asking if they spoke English. When he told me what he had been saying in Japanese, I cracked up and informed him he had been repeatedly asking 'Where is the English? Where is the English? W h e r e i s t h e E n g l i s h?' He said the lovely people he had approached were so patient and sincere in their attempts to help my floundering husband as he tried to make himself understood with careful pronunciation of a completely bizarre question. We experienced nothing but kindness and generosity, and our experience of living in Japan will remain one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. The point is, I could relate to Ana as she struggled to make sense of new and tricky language.
Maria has some lovely ways of expressing feelings and I found myself literally saying, "how lovely", at various points throughout the novel.
I really wish there hadn't been a love triangle but it wasn't hideously offensive. A nice heartwarming story about finding your place.
I am aware that there might be some ownvoice issues but I do not know the particulars so it might pay to read some other reviews to get some clarity around this.
Shelved as 'not-touching-with-a-ten-foot-pole'
June 23, 2020To claim to be Argentinian-American when your bio actually says "She was born in Spain, lived in Argentina for two years, and crossed the Mexican border into the U.S. at the age of eight", you gotta have a lot of nerve.
This book is not ownvoices, but if you want to support one, you can add Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira to your list.
This book is not ownvoices, but if you want to support one, you can add Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira to your list.
March 1, 2021
Love in English is about the words we use and misuse - understand and misunderstand; and the words we use to shield ourselves from the truth.
When Ana's father won the immigration lottery and they moved to New Jersey, Ana had to leave her old way of life and all of her friends and extended family behind. In Argentina, she was a model student and had a full and happy life. Ana had watched American movies in Argentina, but the reality of America left her bewildered, lonely and homesick.
Ana is a poet. Words are important to her, but in America, she is an outsider, no longer able to communicate. The author vividly conveys the frustration and isolation that new immigrants feel because of the language barrier. All those hashtags in place of the words Ana could not understand were very effective. Ana's father put a lot of pressure on Ana to assimilate and she is irritated by her father's insistence on "English only" at the dinner table. The result? Conversation all but ceases. She feels guilty for thinking:
We don't have to do it this way.
We don't have to make it so hard.
We don't have to erase everything about us. At least not all at once.
I thought deeply about Ana's plight as I drove to the bank or the grocery store, realizing how much I took for granted. I thought back to how difficult it was to learn to physically SPEAK French, although I had studied it all of my life, and I already knew how to speak another Latin-based language (Portuguese) somewhat fluently. Memorizing reams of words and sentences are not enough. You literally have to spend hours and hours, putting your hesitant, rotten pronunciation out there for the world to ridicule, in order to fully master and fluently speak a new language.
Poor Ana and the rest of her classmates had to attend regular classes at the same time that they were trying to learn the English language. I agree with their off-the-wall ESL teacher, Mr. T., that these students exhibited great courage and stamina. I watched with interest the relationship between Ana, Harrison and Neo. What in those relationships was stardust, movies, and teen drama, versus real life?
The Author's Note beautifully sums up this very well-written, thought provoking novel:
"This is a story of wanting to find yourself, of feeling excluded, or worrying whether you're enough. It is also about how the people we meet and love and need on the journey mean everything. There is no language and every language for that.
...... We find many ways to say the things we feel. But what's important is not what separates us, or the particulars of how you say a thing or how I do. What's important is that in our similarly beating hearts, love sounds like love without any words."
I really enjoyed this novel, and took my time reading it, savoring each well-chosen word. This is not a light, frothy YA novel - far from it! I highly, highly, highly recommend this novel. As the Bard said: All's well that ends well.....!"
When Ana's father won the immigration lottery and they moved to New Jersey, Ana had to leave her old way of life and all of her friends and extended family behind. In Argentina, she was a model student and had a full and happy life. Ana had watched American movies in Argentina, but the reality of America left her bewildered, lonely and homesick.
Ana is a poet. Words are important to her, but in America, she is an outsider, no longer able to communicate. The author vividly conveys the frustration and isolation that new immigrants feel because of the language barrier. All those hashtags in place of the words Ana could not understand were very effective. Ana's father put a lot of pressure on Ana to assimilate and she is irritated by her father's insistence on "English only" at the dinner table. The result? Conversation all but ceases. She feels guilty for thinking:
We don't have to do it this way.
We don't have to make it so hard.
We don't have to erase everything about us. At least not all at once.
I thought deeply about Ana's plight as I drove to the bank or the grocery store, realizing how much I took for granted. I thought back to how difficult it was to learn to physically SPEAK French, although I had studied it all of my life, and I already knew how to speak another Latin-based language (Portuguese) somewhat fluently. Memorizing reams of words and sentences are not enough. You literally have to spend hours and hours, putting your hesitant, rotten pronunciation out there for the world to ridicule, in order to fully master and fluently speak a new language.
Poor Ana and the rest of her classmates had to attend regular classes at the same time that they were trying to learn the English language. I agree with their off-the-wall ESL teacher, Mr. T., that these students exhibited great courage and stamina. I watched with interest the relationship between Ana, Harrison and Neo. What in those relationships was stardust, movies, and teen drama, versus real life?
The Author's Note beautifully sums up this very well-written, thought provoking novel:
"This is a story of wanting to find yourself, of feeling excluded, or worrying whether you're enough. It is also about how the people we meet and love and need on the journey mean everything. There is no language and every language for that.
...... We find many ways to say the things we feel. But what's important is not what separates us, or the particulars of how you say a thing or how I do. What's important is that in our similarly beating hearts, love sounds like love without any words."
I really enjoyed this novel, and took my time reading it, savoring each well-chosen word. This is not a light, frothy YA novel - far from it! I highly, highly, highly recommend this novel. As the Bard said: All's well that ends well.....!"
May 19, 2021
It’s a sweet young adult story revolves around a Spanish teenager Ana who just migrated from Argentina to New Jersey along with her family. Living in a house that’s fully speaking in Spanish, she’s been facing a series of setbacks that inhibit her from expressing herself clearly in English.
She thought her English is quite good because she can understand all kinds of American movies as long as they’re subtitled. Contradictorily, on her first day of school, English suddenly becomes complicated for her as everyone here apparently be speaking so fast that it’s impossible for her to catch up. Attending ESL classroom in the pursuit to improve her English, she discovers something profound beyond the language itself – poetry!
Written in the first point of view, we can experience the struggles encountered by Ana as a non-native English speaker. I like how the dialogues presented when she couldn’t understand certain English words spoken by those native speakers. These words are omitted by hashtags # and it makes readers feel intrigued by what’s the other speaker talking about. It’s done very realistically when those hashtags slowly diminish halfway throughout the book indicating the improvement in her English. All thanks to Mr. T’s entertaining ESL activities. I think ESL educators can utilise these activities into their lesson plans too.
There’s a love triangle fest here. Though I didn’t hate it because the stereotypical American boy and the Greek-speaking boy do contribute to a healthy dose of comedy and angst. This book is both hilarious and educational. With the simple use of language to create an amusing set of diverse characters and a fast-paced plot, this book deserves 4/5 stars.
Thank you to Times Reads for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
She thought her English is quite good because she can understand all kinds of American movies as long as they’re subtitled. Contradictorily, on her first day of school, English suddenly becomes complicated for her as everyone here apparently be speaking so fast that it’s impossible for her to catch up. Attending ESL classroom in the pursuit to improve her English, she discovers something profound beyond the language itself – poetry!
Written in the first point of view, we can experience the struggles encountered by Ana as a non-native English speaker. I like how the dialogues presented when she couldn’t understand certain English words spoken by those native speakers. These words are omitted by hashtags # and it makes readers feel intrigued by what’s the other speaker talking about. It’s done very realistically when those hashtags slowly diminish halfway throughout the book indicating the improvement in her English. All thanks to Mr. T’s entertaining ESL activities. I think ESL educators can utilise these activities into their lesson plans too.
There’s a love triangle fest here. Though I didn’t hate it because the stereotypical American boy and the Greek-speaking boy do contribute to a healthy dose of comedy and angst. This book is both hilarious and educational. With the simple use of language to create an amusing set of diverse characters and a fast-paced plot, this book deserves 4/5 stars.
Thank you to Times Reads for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2021
Disclaimer: This is my sister's book, so I'm biased, but being biased doesn't make me wrong. "Love in English" is an inspiring story. There are so many immigrant stories rife with tragedy and heartache. While those stories are true and necessary, it's also important to tell the immigrant stories full of joy and hope. That's what "Love in English" does.
"Love in English" is a love story, a love letter to the English language, and a story about fitting in. It explores the quirks of the English language with humor and humanity, and reflects on the constantly shifting immigrant experience with reverence and wistfulness.
"Love in English" shows that there is always something lost when people move to a new country, but that there is also something new to be gained. It is sometimes sad and hard, but it is beautiful.
"Love in English" is a love story, a love letter to the English language, and a story about fitting in. It explores the quirks of the English language with humor and humanity, and reflects on the constantly shifting immigrant experience with reverence and wistfulness.
"Love in English" shows that there is always something lost when people move to a new country, but that there is also something new to be gained. It is sometimes sad and hard, but it is beautiful.
Want to read
April 18, 2021
June 21, 2021
Love in English gives an authentic story to a 16-year-old girl named Ana, who has just moved from Argentina, finding herself in a foreign land of the US where everything is different from where she’s coming from. This book is a very simple story that comes with short chapters, straightforward and uncomplicated plot. But nevertheless, its core messages are so powerful. It works for any age group, a mix of educational reading and has a little bit of everything from the hilarious parts to the heartwarming one.
I like this book because it exudes a good and positive tone throughout the whole story. The main focus here is an eye-opener topic that I think is rarely discussed involving the major challenge that is often faced by immigrants - the language barrier. Even though I'm not an immigrant nor a foreigner, I’ve been through that (and still going through that phase most of the time), that’s why I could totally relate to Ana’s struggles.
Through Ana’s voice, she shares all the frustration that has held her back from conversations because of the lack of right words to explain it, sometimes making her the target of jokes, oftentimes being misunderstood which led her to feel isolated and find it difficult to make friends. Maybe for some people, English is a very simple language because they have been exposed to it from a young age, but try to see it through the eyes of people who come from places where English is not their first language and with what today’s culture that sees people who are fluent in English as a sign of intelligence as compared to who are not very fluent, it’s not surprising at all to why English can be very much intimidating especially for someone who doesn’t speak it.
I love all the characters in this book and their stories, especially the central character. Her character is so brave and I’m totally amazed seeing the sheer determination she put into improving her English and even feeling lost, she never gives up trying to give her very best in adapting to her new life. There’s a minor love triangle involved here but I am more invested in their friendship and together with other characters, they hold a very beautiful camaraderie.
All in all, a well-written story of an immigrant girl navigating a new journey in the US, trying to find herself in a sea of ‘foreign’ and start to create new memories in a place that now she calls ‘home’. I enjoy this book and happily recommend it to you!
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a review copy of this book in return for an honest review. This book is available in all good bookstores Malaysia and Singapore.
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I like this book because it exudes a good and positive tone throughout the whole story. The main focus here is an eye-opener topic that I think is rarely discussed involving the major challenge that is often faced by immigrants - the language barrier. Even though I'm not an immigrant nor a foreigner, I’ve been through that (and still going through that phase most of the time), that’s why I could totally relate to Ana’s struggles.
Through Ana’s voice, she shares all the frustration that has held her back from conversations because of the lack of right words to explain it, sometimes making her the target of jokes, oftentimes being misunderstood which led her to feel isolated and find it difficult to make friends. Maybe for some people, English is a very simple language because they have been exposed to it from a young age, but try to see it through the eyes of people who come from places where English is not their first language and with what today’s culture that sees people who are fluent in English as a sign of intelligence as compared to who are not very fluent, it’s not surprising at all to why English can be very much intimidating especially for someone who doesn’t speak it.
I love all the characters in this book and their stories, especially the central character. Her character is so brave and I’m totally amazed seeing the sheer determination she put into improving her English and even feeling lost, she never gives up trying to give her very best in adapting to her new life. There’s a minor love triangle involved here but I am more invested in their friendship and together with other characters, they hold a very beautiful camaraderie.
All in all, a well-written story of an immigrant girl navigating a new journey in the US, trying to find herself in a sea of ‘foreign’ and start to create new memories in a place that now she calls ‘home’. I enjoy this book and happily recommend it to you!
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a review copy of this book in return for an honest review. This book is available in all good bookstores Malaysia and Singapore.
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September 7, 2024
i personally thought this book was so boring two stars
June 30, 2020
I'm trying to read more stories about language and belonging, those are near and dear to me! Very excited for the book, I'll be back after the release.
January 30, 2022
"It will be a while, but I want to make up a new word, just for you and me, something that means: worth waiting for"
March 3, 2021
This was wonderful! Love In English follows Ana after moving to the US and realizing that her English classes back home really didn't prepare her for a world where everyone else speaks it natively. I loved the way language was used in storytelling and really loved watching the way Ana's understanding growing overtime was physically portrayed in the book. I speak about the same amount of Spanish as Ana probably spoke English at the beginning of this so I also really liked how Andreu uses a fully Spanish opener to disorient non-Spanish readers in the same way Ana is. A highlight for me was definitely the looks into Ana's poem (mostly relying on the messiness of human grammar for metaphor which was absolutely delightful to read).
I did find the ending of this a bit rushed. A lot comes to a head very quickly after a fairly slow building plot. Other than that, I loved this.
I did find the ending of this a bit rushed. A lot comes to a head very quickly after a fairly slow building plot. Other than that, I loved this.
May 24, 2022
Storia molto carina!
Che consiglio soprattutto a un pubblico giovane, dagli 11
Ana si trasferisce in America, e non parla bene l'inglese, per lei all'inizio sarà molto complicato adattarsi alla nuova scuola, i nuovi compagni e la sua nuova vita.
Ma un giorno un compagno le sorride, un altro le offre da mangiare, troverà un'amica.
E l'inglese non sarà più un nemico
Questa storia parla di trovare il proprio posto nel mondo, e unisce il tema dell'immigrazione e, in parte, del razzismo.
Che consiglio soprattutto a un pubblico giovane, dagli 11
Ana si trasferisce in America, e non parla bene l'inglese, per lei all'inizio sarà molto complicato adattarsi alla nuova scuola, i nuovi compagni e la sua nuova vita.
Ma un giorno un compagno le sorride, un altro le offre da mangiare, troverà un'amica.
E l'inglese non sarà più un nemico
Questa storia parla di trovare il proprio posto nel mondo, e unisce il tema dell'immigrazione e, in parte, del razzismo.
January 16, 2021
16 year old Ana just immigrated to New Jersey from Argentina. She has been studying English back home to prepare for the move, but is feeling overwhelmed and underprepared for being fully immersed in the language and new surroundings.
We are taken through her days at home and at school as she adjusts to her new home and a new language. In addition she must also re-adjust to living with her father who has been in the US for a few years, leaving her life as a girl and re-entering as she becomes a woman. She also must adjust to a new version of her mother in this new place. We feel her struggle in classes at school as the teachers start off speaking mostly like Charlie Brown's teacher (wha-wha-wha) to her ears.
She starts her first day of school in math class which is a strong subject for her so she is confident. However, trouble arises when she misunderstands what the teacher is asking of her and ends up being laughed at by her peers.
Her next class is ESL for which she is excited as it means others who will also speak her language, or so she thinks. When she gets there she finds several different languages represented and no one else, even the teacher, speaks Spanish.
Through it all she starts to form friendships and crushes as she begins to find common ground with those around her.
She finds herself crushing on the All-American nice boy in math class, Harrison.
She is befriended by Altagracia who is fluent in Spanish and has roots in the DR. Through her we see one common struggle for many students with "different" backgrounds as Altagracia has to go by Gracie to those at school as her name is "too hard for them to pronounce".
She also makes a friend in the kind Greek speaking boy, Neo, from Cyprus in ESL. Together Ana and Neo navigate the waters of learning a new and complex language while learning how to belong to more than one place.
As a high school teacher I appreciated this book for putting into words the experience that my ELL students may go through. While every student and story is different this book really made you empathize with some of the situations the students may face. This book helped me to reflect on my own experiences with students and think about what I have done well and where I can improve.
Thank you to Libro.fm for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This books narration is wonderfully done by Frankie Corzo and I definitely recommend the audio version of this book for those who enjoy audiobooks.
We are taken through her days at home and at school as she adjusts to her new home and a new language. In addition she must also re-adjust to living with her father who has been in the US for a few years, leaving her life as a girl and re-entering as she becomes a woman. She also must adjust to a new version of her mother in this new place. We feel her struggle in classes at school as the teachers start off speaking mostly like Charlie Brown's teacher (wha-wha-wha) to her ears.
She starts her first day of school in math class which is a strong subject for her so she is confident. However, trouble arises when she misunderstands what the teacher is asking of her and ends up being laughed at by her peers.
Her next class is ESL for which she is excited as it means others who will also speak her language, or so she thinks. When she gets there she finds several different languages represented and no one else, even the teacher, speaks Spanish.
Through it all she starts to form friendships and crushes as she begins to find common ground with those around her.
She finds herself crushing on the All-American nice boy in math class, Harrison.
She is befriended by Altagracia who is fluent in Spanish and has roots in the DR. Through her we see one common struggle for many students with "different" backgrounds as Altagracia has to go by Gracie to those at school as her name is "too hard for them to pronounce".
She also makes a friend in the kind Greek speaking boy, Neo, from Cyprus in ESL. Together Ana and Neo navigate the waters of learning a new and complex language while learning how to belong to more than one place.
As a high school teacher I appreciated this book for putting into words the experience that my ELL students may go through. While every student and story is different this book really made you empathize with some of the situations the students may face. This book helped me to reflect on my own experiences with students and think about what I have done well and where I can improve.
Thank you to Libro.fm for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This books narration is wonderfully done by Frankie Corzo and I definitely recommend the audio version of this book for those who enjoy audiobooks.
June 30, 2020
I'm very excited for this! A book that lets immigrant kids fall in love the way that other character gets to feels like what I have always wanted for myself and to read to my children. My bilingual brain ADORES that there will be excerpts in Spanish. I feel like this book mirrrors so much about the author's life that i'll get to know a sliver of her life with every chapter. Cannot wait.
August 1, 2020
It's so unfair that a white spaniard gets a gigantic deal to write about latinx characters but actual latinx authors get shafted. will the spanish ever stop colonizing us
January 20, 2021
I rarely write a review, but this was JUST SO CUTE. Any of my students on here — you’ll love this one! Can’t wait to talk about this with you! ❤️❤️
May 27, 2021
love love love
February 12, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
4.5 Stars
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu is a book all about finding your voice when you might not have the words to express yourself. This is such a touching story, tinged with humour, and the main character is easy to connect with. The style of the book, allowing the reader to share Ana’s confusion, is also one of its strengths. Those looking for a sweet and thought-provoking contemporary will love this one.
This book follows Ana, a girl who has just moved to the United States from Argentina and doesn’t speak much English. The reader tags along as she adjusts to life in a new high school and tries to find ways to express herself while dealing with a language barrier. I loved the themes of belonging and finding your voice, and there are some interesting discussions about identity as Ana struggles to figure out who she is and wonders if she is becoming too “American,” as her father says. The only aspect I didn’t enjoy was the love triangle, but this was something I was willing to overlooking because it has been a long time since a book has genuinely made me smile.
❀ LIKEABLE MAIN CHARACTER
Ana is a likeable main character, and I loved her voice. She is a poet, and I enjoyed how she uses poetry to express herself in ways she might not be able to verbally. Ana is also a relatable character, and it is easy to connect with her as she navigates first love and finding her identity. The side characters are enjoyable, as well. Ana’s ESL teacher may be inexperienced, but his commitment to teaching his students English in an engaging way and making them feel comfortable is heartwarming. Neo is another wholesome character, and the movie watching parties he and Ana share were my favourite scenes.
❀ THE BOOK’S STYLE IS A BIG STRENGTH
The book’s style is one of its biggest strengths. The use of hashtags that block out words and phrases Ana doesn’t understand is particularly effective, and it provides a small glimpse into what it’s like not being able to understand everyone around you. Sharing Ana’s frustration and confusion makes it even easier to identify with her. I also loved the short poems between chapters where Ana plays with language. She draws attention to the idiosyncrasies of the English language, and this was a detail that I appreciated.
❀ AN UPLIFTING NOVEL
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu is an uplifting novel about finding your voice. The main character is relatable, and the side characters enhance the story. I especially enjoyed the way the author invites us to share Ana’s confusion at times through the book’s style. I would definitely recommend this one, especially to those looking for a cute and heartfelt contemporary.
4.5 Stars
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu is a book all about finding your voice when you might not have the words to express yourself. This is such a touching story, tinged with humour, and the main character is easy to connect with. The style of the book, allowing the reader to share Ana’s confusion, is also one of its strengths. Those looking for a sweet and thought-provoking contemporary will love this one.
This book follows Ana, a girl who has just moved to the United States from Argentina and doesn’t speak much English. The reader tags along as she adjusts to life in a new high school and tries to find ways to express herself while dealing with a language barrier. I loved the themes of belonging and finding your voice, and there are some interesting discussions about identity as Ana struggles to figure out who she is and wonders if she is becoming too “American,” as her father says. The only aspect I didn’t enjoy was the love triangle, but this was something I was willing to overlooking because it has been a long time since a book has genuinely made me smile.
❀ LIKEABLE MAIN CHARACTER
Ana is a likeable main character, and I loved her voice. She is a poet, and I enjoyed how she uses poetry to express herself in ways she might not be able to verbally. Ana is also a relatable character, and it is easy to connect with her as she navigates first love and finding her identity. The side characters are enjoyable, as well. Ana’s ESL teacher may be inexperienced, but his commitment to teaching his students English in an engaging way and making them feel comfortable is heartwarming. Neo is another wholesome character, and the movie watching parties he and Ana share were my favourite scenes.
❀ THE BOOK’S STYLE IS A BIG STRENGTH
The book’s style is one of its biggest strengths. The use of hashtags that block out words and phrases Ana doesn’t understand is particularly effective, and it provides a small glimpse into what it’s like not being able to understand everyone around you. Sharing Ana’s frustration and confusion makes it even easier to identify with her. I also loved the short poems between chapters where Ana plays with language. She draws attention to the idiosyncrasies of the English language, and this was a detail that I appreciated.
❀ AN UPLIFTING NOVEL
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu is an uplifting novel about finding your voice. The main character is relatable, and the side characters enhance the story. I especially enjoyed the way the author invites us to share Ana’s confusion at times through the book’s style. I would definitely recommend this one, especially to those looking for a cute and heartfelt contemporary.
March 30, 2024
Yet another 5 star review from this year’s Illinois Awards list for high schoolers (The Lincoln list) Well done. And as a person living in a country trying to learn a new language I related often to the “blah blah blah” inserted between the words she did know. I have more of those moments than Ana!
April 3, 2021
Esse livro pareceu como sugestão e fui sem qualquer expectativa, no final foi uma leitura muito interessante. Love yourself, peace.
August 6, 2023
Audiobook
February 27, 2022
// Content Warning: bullying / misogyny / racism / sexism / violence / xenophobia //
I'm in the middle of a reading slump, but I'm slowly working my way out of it because there's nothing that can stop me from reading (you're welcome for the inspirational quote to use in your yearbook).
I will always have a thing for typography covers because just look at that. It's stunning, and the little cartoon people makes it 10 times better.
Love in English follows Ana, a sixteen-year-old immigrant from Mexico, adjusting to her new life in America. Between stressing over ESL and her father's sudden change in personality, she finds that writing poems help whittle away the annoying thoughts boring into her mind and keep herself grounded.
In ESL, she meets Neo, an immigrant going through a similar midlife crisis, and the two of them become firm friends. However, as much as she is attracted to Neo, she finds herself drawn to the cute white boy in her maths class named Harrison (ugh isn't it always the white boys) like a moth to a flame.
Unable to choose between them (first world problems, I know), she ends up making a mess out of everything and tries to fix everything the only way she knows how to.
I love how the writer had intentionally censored words Ana does not understand as a person with a simple understanding of the language. However, as the novel progresses, there is less censoring to show how her progress and determination to get better at English. Loved that for her. I believe the main intention behind this was to visually represent language barriers because it is extremely hard to explain without using words. This part hit too close to home: I barely speak my country's language and 9 times out of 10, I feel like an imposter in my own home.
Ana writes stunning poetry, and I found this bit similar to The Poet X. Her character voice was different from what I am used to, and I'm in awe of her brilliance because let's be honest, I would never show my poetry to a native speaker (if I wrote poems) let alone read them out loud. You go, girl.
Do I hate love triangles? Absolutely. With my whole heart. I am fully convinced Neo and Chris are the same people because honestly, they were the same fucking person. I have no idea why she dropped Harrison for Neo (or Neo for Harrison) when neither was the best option, and she should have just gaslight gatekeep girlbossed by herself.
4/5
I'm in the middle of a reading slump, but I'm slowly working my way out of it because there's nothing that can stop me from reading (you're welcome for the inspirational quote to use in your yearbook).
I will always have a thing for typography covers because just look at that. It's stunning, and the little cartoon people makes it 10 times better.
Love in English follows Ana, a sixteen-year-old immigrant from Mexico, adjusting to her new life in America. Between stressing over ESL and her father's sudden change in personality, she finds that writing poems help whittle away the annoying thoughts boring into her mind and keep herself grounded.
In ESL, she meets Neo, an immigrant going through a similar midlife crisis, and the two of them become firm friends. However, as much as she is attracted to Neo, she finds herself drawn to the cute white boy in her maths class named Harrison (ugh isn't it always the white boys) like a moth to a flame.
Unable to choose between them (first world problems, I know), she ends up making a mess out of everything and tries to fix everything the only way she knows how to.
I love how the writer had intentionally censored words Ana does not understand as a person with a simple understanding of the language. However, as the novel progresses, there is less censoring to show how her progress and determination to get better at English. Loved that for her. I believe the main intention behind this was to visually represent language barriers because it is extremely hard to explain without using words. This part hit too close to home: I barely speak my country's language and 9 times out of 10, I feel like an imposter in my own home.
Ana writes stunning poetry, and I found this bit similar to The Poet X. Her character voice was different from what I am used to, and I'm in awe of her brilliance because let's be honest, I would never show my poetry to a native speaker (if I wrote poems) let alone read them out loud. You go, girl.
Do I hate love triangles? Absolutely. With my whole heart. I am fully convinced Neo and Chris are the same people because honestly, they were the same fucking person. I have no idea why she dropped Harrison for Neo (or Neo for Harrison) when neither was the best option, and she should have just gaslight gatekeep girlbossed by herself.
4/5
February 4, 2021
This book enters to my list of favorite reads of the year. I loved the characters and the story line. I could see myself ion Ana’s position because Im a Spanish speaker and i lived the same situations as her, with almost no understanding to understand English.
The way the book is written is really smooth and you don’t want to easily to read. I felt the same frustration as Ana when people were speaking to her, you need to speak Spanish to understand this book, but if you speak more than one language this is the representation you were looking for.
Love in English is a funny and retable story, perfect to read if you want to learn more about other cultures —Argentina— and kinda of to understand how people that come to America without speaking the language struggle with.
Also the love story is really interesting I love how the characters develop their relationship and I’m happy with who she ended up with.
I’ll be buying this book when it comes out and I’ll tell everyone about it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The way the book is written is really smooth and you don’t want to easily to read. I felt the same frustration as Ana when people were speaking to her, you need to speak Spanish to understand this book, but if you speak more than one language this is the representation you were looking for.
Love in English is a funny and retable story, perfect to read if you want to learn more about other cultures —Argentina— and kinda of to understand how people that come to America without speaking the language struggle with.
Also the love story is really interesting I love how the characters develop their relationship and I’m happy with who she ended up with.
I’ll be buying this book when it comes out and I’ll tell everyone about it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 14, 2021
This was a delightful YA romance, but it was also so much more than that. Ana has just moved to New Jersey from Argentina and we follow her as she navigates learning English and adapting to her life in America. I thought it was so creative and refreshing how even though this book was written in English, it included the Argentinean variation of Spanish throughout and I thought it did an amazing job of really conveying just how frustrating it is to live somewhere where you don't have all the right words, and especially how as a teenager others can treat you because of that. I loved Ana as a character and thought it was so clever of Maria E. Andreu to have this character be so interested in poetry and language in her native tongue because it added just that extra element of not only frustration for Ana when she knows she has a talent for wordsmithing and cannot demonstrate that as easily in English but also an element of elation when, as her English skills progress, she finds that talent is able to translate as well. I LOVED Altagracia and Ana's friendship with her. I also liked seeing the impact of immigrating at different times on her family and their personalities and dynamics; my heart especially broke for her mother when Ana notes that she was so loud and vibrant in Argentina but in the US she doesn't have the ability yet to be completely herself in English, and of course the relationship between Ana and her father was interesting, even if heartbreaking. I thought Neo was a great character as well but I almost wish he had just been the main interest; this book didn't need to have a love triangle in it and Harrison didn't necessarily need to be so hurt. There was still enough of a conflict during our climax with Ana and her father that adding another layer of crap to everything she was already going through just felt a little bit extra, and I truly felt terrible for Harrison. However, it was interesting to see how Ana came to the realization that she may have been idealizing him simply because he's so all-American.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was so thematically refreshing and really would love to read more immigrant stories that touch specifically on language barriers in such a poignant way. I wish that the side characters had been a little more developed and that we would have been given a bit more information on Ana's life before moving and why specifically her family chose to make such a life-changing move, but it wasn't entirely necessary, that's just a personal preference. Highly recommend to fans of YA and especially to any teenagers or really anyone that has experienced learning English as a second language. I thought it was just so insightful on that experience.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was so thematically refreshing and really would love to read more immigrant stories that touch specifically on language barriers in such a poignant way. I wish that the side characters had been a little more developed and that we would have been given a bit more information on Ana's life before moving and why specifically her family chose to make such a life-changing move, but it wasn't entirely necessary, that's just a personal preference. Highly recommend to fans of YA and especially to any teenagers or really anyone that has experienced learning English as a second language. I thought it was just so insightful on that experience.
January 24, 2022
I really enjoyed listening to this book. It has a cute story and a relatable main character who's trying to navigate life in America and learn English at the same time. The pacing is good and it was just a fun audio.
Ana has just moved to America with her parents. She knows some English, but when bombarded with it from all sides, she realizes she still has a lot to learn. Her first day she meets a cute boy in her math class and another one in her ESL study. As she figures out the language, expectations, and day to day of a new country, Ana falls for both boys and must decide what she really wants.
When Ana doesn't understand what someone is saying, the book kind of goes 'wha wha wha' like the adults in the Peanuts cartoon and I thought that was a great way of showing how much she was understanding. Watching Ana puzzle out strange sayings and idiosyncrasies in English was a good reminder that learning a new language is extremely challenging and I admire her and the other kids in her ESL class for what they went through.
There's a sweet romance in this and I was happy Ana ended up with the boy I liked. It was also great to see her make a new home and get closer to her parents. Overall a very enjoyable book!
Ana has just moved to America with her parents. She knows some English, but when bombarded with it from all sides, she realizes she still has a lot to learn. Her first day she meets a cute boy in her math class and another one in her ESL study. As she figures out the language, expectations, and day to day of a new country, Ana falls for both boys and must decide what she really wants.
When Ana doesn't understand what someone is saying, the book kind of goes 'wha wha wha' like the adults in the Peanuts cartoon and I thought that was a great way of showing how much she was understanding. Watching Ana puzzle out strange sayings and idiosyncrasies in English was a good reminder that learning a new language is extremely challenging and I admire her and the other kids in her ESL class for what they went through.
There's a sweet romance in this and I was happy Ana ended up with the boy I liked. It was also great to see her make a new home and get closer to her parents. Overall a very enjoyable book!
May 13, 2021
Where has this book been all my life????
As an ESL teacher, I have always wanted a book like this - a book where the protagonist is a new arrival in the United States, is taking ESL, and is also having a normal teen life at the same time. I wanted this book for me to understand and learn from. I wanted this book to hand to my students so they could see themselves reflected. And now I have it and it is so so wonderful and swoony!!!!
I do not have the words to say how beautiful all the words are in this book. Ana has all the words.
As an ESL teacher, I have always wanted a book like this - a book where the protagonist is a new arrival in the United States, is taking ESL, and is also having a normal teen life at the same time. I wanted this book for me to understand and learn from. I wanted this book to hand to my students so they could see themselves reflected. And now I have it and it is so so wonderful and swoony!!!!
I do not have the words to say how beautiful all the words are in this book. Ana has all the words.
June 14, 2021
4.5 Stars
Content Warnings at end of review.
Wow, I loved this book so much! It was written so beautifully; definitely like poetry, which is fitting since Ana is a poet! This book explores what it is like to feel like an outsider and not have the words to express yourself the way you want to. I absolutely loved the themes and messages of this book. I also found the romance really adorable and was happy with the way it ended!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny , and Racism
Content Warnings at end of review.
Wow, I loved this book so much! It was written so beautifully; definitely like poetry, which is fitting since Ana is a poet! This book explores what it is like to feel like an outsider and not have the words to express yourself the way you want to. I absolutely loved the themes and messages of this book. I also found the romance really adorable and was happy with the way it ended!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny , and Racism
March 9, 2021
Rarely do I love a fluffy romance, but this one is great. I love the sound effects elements to the dialogue, which really put you in Ana's shoes, and the book just made me think. The ending wasn't quite what I expected, and while it was a bit dramatic I think it helped make the book unique.
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