Sammy And Juliana In Hollywood
Sammy And Juliana In Hollywood
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2004
Book Brief
240
Novel • Fiction
Hollywood, New Mexico • 1960s
2004
YA
14-18 years
390L
Super Short Summary
In Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, Sammy Santos navigates his senior year in a fictional town in Las Cruces, New Mexico, during the tumultuous 1960s, grappling with societal issues, love for Juliana, and personal losses, while facing racism, violence, and the impact of the Vietnam War. The book addresses parental death, substance use, domestic violence, and murder.
Melancholic
Nostalgic
Emotional
Contemplative
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
1,622 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Sáenz offers a poignant portrayal of adolescence and cultural identity in the 1960s. Readers praise its emotional depth and well-drawn characters. However, some find the story's pacing uneven. Sáenz’s depiction of struggle and growth resonates, making it a compelling, if occasionally slow, read.
Who Should Read Sammy And Juliana In Hollywood?
Readers who appreciated the poignant coming-of-age narrative in Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street and the emotional depth in John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars will likely enjoy Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood. Fans of stories exploring identity, loss, and resilience among Mexican-American teens will find this novel particularly compelling.
1,622 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
240
Novel • Fiction
Hollywood, New Mexico • 1960s
2004
YA
14-18 years
390L
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