Review by Booklist Review
Twelve-year-old Miosotis loves helping her neighbors take care of their foster dogs, and this year she might finally get her own dog, so long as she gets the grades needed to please her father. After a visit from her older sister, Amarilis, and her sister's fiancé, Miosotis beings to notice that her sister is acting strangely, becoming more distant from her family and friends. After unexpectedly running into Amarilis, Miosotis discovers the secret she has been keeping. Miosotis must now juggle keeping her sister's secret with her own struggles in school. Miosotis Flores Never Forgets covers the tough subject of domestic abuse and understanding what to do when you witness someone in danger. Though the topic of abuse is prominent throughout the story, Burgos also delves into other subjects, such as the loss of a parent and the prejudices, particularly colorism, present in some cultures. Miosotis Flores Never Forgets is a profound and heart-wrenching book that can help kick-start conversations on these heavy and complicated issues.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The loving, Pennsylvania-based Dominican American family at the center of this engaging, clear-eyed novel has much to consider. Overachieving, light-skinned UPenn sophomore Amarilis is planning her wedding to Rich, a white Penn senior reliant on his father's connections to secure his med school future. Middle brother Jacinto just got his driver's license--only to be pulled over by a racist police officer. Dark-skinned, thick-haired sixth grader and narrator Miosotis just wants a dog. Her father, a professor at UPenn, agrees to adopt one if Miosotis can bring her C in science up to an A. As Miosotis realizes she needs to research a topic on her own, she recalls her mother, who died shortly after giving birth to her, and decides to report on discrepancies in maternal health among women of color. But when Miosotis learns an upsetting secret about Rich and Amarilis, her focus shifts, and wise neighbor Gina must help her see that supporting Amarilis means letting her make her own decisions, on her own timeline. Burgos builds a believable world in which strength of character is complex and contextual, deftly interweaving realities of racism and misogyny. Ages 9--12. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up--Miosotis faces many social issues in her young life, including racism, physical abuse, and animal cruelty. Although each issue does not specifically touch her, she comes into contact with them through her family or at school. As a 13-year-old, Miosotis tackles each issue fervently. Her Abuela, Papi, and brother Jacinto teach her about her culture and how they have faced racism due to their Dominican background. Because she is very close to her college-age sister, Amarilis, Miosotis is able to figure out that something is not quite right between her sister and her boyfriend. Her friendly neighbors, Miss Mabel and Gina, teach her about respect and responsibility as they foster neglected pets, one of which Miosotis hopes to call her own. Her two best friends, Olivia and Zoe, are faithful companions who offer support and advice as Miosotis confronts issues that seem beyond her control. With such a tight-knit circle of friends and family, Miosotis is bound to be successful. VERDICT Readers will find a connection with Miosotis and gain insight on how to proceed in difficult social situations. Recommended for realistic fiction collections.--Martha Rico, Yselta I.S.D., TX
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Review by Horn Book Review
Achievement runs in twelve-year-old Miosotis's Dominican family: her father is a physics professor, her brother Jacinto is a track star and straight-A student, and her sister Amarilis attends a prestigious university. School is not Miosotis's forte, but improving her grades is the only way to persuade Papi to let her adopt a dog. (Her well-intentioned siblings and best friends offer to help but bypass her genuine efforts and end up doing the work for her.) Her favorite diversion is helping her neighbor Gina, who fosters rescue dogs, walking and socializing them, allowing Miosotis to demonstrate her commitment to pet parenting. Her priorities shift when she discovers that her sister, who has become increasingly distant and unreliable, is being abused by her fiance. Burgos's explorations of social issues -- also including racial profiling and colorism -- are well incorporated, without overburdening the narrative. In Miosotis, she crafts a character who is thoughtful and true to herself, creating a satisfying story arc in which the protagonist determines her own potential. The book's message will reassure readers who find themselves overshadowed by siblings' achievements -- or overwhelmed by their troubles -- and who face pressure to live up to the expectations of others. Jessica Agudelo November/December 2021 p.96(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Miosotis Flores loves dogs so much she makes a deal with her father: She'll get A's in science and Spanish and nothing less than a B in her other classes in exchange for her own pup. An average student, sixth grader Miosotis feels less remarkable than the rest of her family: big sister Amarilis is a straight-A first-year at the University of Pennsylvania, where their Papi is a physics professor, and her older brother, Jacinto, is a track prodigy with a great SAT score. What dog lover Miosotis excels at is helping their neighbor Gina and her wife with all the dogs she fosters for a rescue organization. As she attempts to raise her grades (with help from her siblings and best friends, Zoe and Olivia), she starts to question the deal along with other things: her Abuela's anti-Black comments, her father's obsession with grades, and, most of all, her sister's increasingly alarming and unhealthy relationship with her wealthy, White fiance, Rich. The author explores colorism through Miosotis' multigenerational Dominican American family--Miosotis is darker-skinned with textured hair, like her Papi; Amarilis has light hair and eyes like their late mother--as Abuela's judgmental comments about brown skin are carefully unpacked and given context. The story admirably handles themes of recognizing abuse of humans and dogs in an accessible, thoughtful way. A poignant tale of learning how to help those you love. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
