Really fantastic narration on a truly wonderful story. The mix of humor and grief in this story is truly something special in YA. I think this book is going to mean a lot to a lot of kids (and adults).

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. I know this is a YA book, but it feels like it’s on the much younger spectrum. I thought it looked like a cute read and while I liked what the author did with the more serious aspects, the fluffier parts ended up feeling like too much. Way too many Disney references and annoying character quirks. I would recommend this one to a young teen though, just not for an adult.

Cute ya with fun themes. Some of the quirks with the main character were too much for me but the rest was fun. Lighthearted romance will recommend.

I loooooved this book! The name and the cover caught my attention instantly. I try to find books that I could really identify with but sadly there aren’t many choices. I was so happy to find this one! My friends and me are always speaking Spanglish so I loved the representation.

This story had me giggling and kicking my feet with Javi and Cas. I loved to see her tap into her spicy Latina side when she thought Javi and Pau were together. The idea that Po paired lipstick colors with her mood is something I’ve never heard before but i liked it. I will be stealing the nickname “little cuchara” from now on. I am a huge kid at heart and love watching Disney so I really enjoyed all of the Disney references. The grief felt like it was well represented. I have thankfully never lost a parent, but while reading, it almost felt like I was able to understand with how well it was described. I related to Cas in how controlling we both are. I also, rely on my planner to get things done and I don’t like when I don’t get everything accomplished on it or I have to reschedule.

While reading this book, it gave me the same feeling I had when I was reading “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”, which is good because I also loved that story. I will be purchasing a copy for myself.

Thank you to the Jessica Parra, the publisher. And NetGalley for this audiobook.

Jessica Parra knows how to tug at my heart strings with her Latina FMCs. I love the Spanglish here and there and I love the way she captures the essence of a Hispanic household, especially the Hispanic father. This follow up to her debut was just as good as her first. This one felt personal, though. And the way it was read made it that much better. Her Spanish was flawless and occasionally I lost myself being a chismosa as well.

This was an easy, fast paced, nostalgic read, in my opinion. So many of my favorite things were in this book. Disneyland, family, party planning, social media, and STAR WARS. I think you’ll find someone in this book to connect with. Oh, and let’s not forget, a cute boy added to the mix. The way Jessica creates her characters feel very real, like you know one of every character in the book in real life. Castillo’s inner, and outer, conflicts didn’t feel unrealistic. As someone who was raised in a Hispanic home, her feelings were very relatable and valid. That’s why it felt personal.

Overall, a fantastic follow up to Rubi Ramos’ Recipe for success.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

This is a cute & heartfelt YA!

*Comical meet cute
*For Disney (especially Star Wars) fans
*Cas is trying to find her HEA in the hopes that she can heal her grieving family
*Loved the cameo by Rubi (from Jessica Parra's first book

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley Wednesday books and dreamscape media for the e-Arc and ALC. My opinion is being left voluntarily. I really enjoyed this book and reminded be of being in a friend's quincera it was such an honor. These characters were well developed and interesting.

3.5/5☆

4.5 stars rounded up

A YA take on The Wedding Planner featuring a Star Wars themed quinceañera?! Love it! The Quince Project was a lot of fun, but also tackles some heavier elements involving grief and mental health. Castillo Torres is a high-achieving perfectionist who MAY have some control issues...

At home she's trying to motivate her older sister to go to college, and since her mom died two years ago her dad has been drowning his grief in constant video games. But she funnels it all into creating perfect events. Her goal is to get an internship at a renowned party planning firm by building a portfolio of successful parties. When she gets the chance to plan a quince for a popular Disney vlogger, and also has a meet cute with a boy that leads to a developing romance, it seems like things couldn't be more perfect. But Castillo accidentally gets caught up in a web of lies that could ruin everything...

As a fan of Star Wars and Disneyland, I loved all the little easter eggs and references included in the book. And I think this is a really clever spin on The Wedding Planner too (which is great film!) It's funny, but also has a lot of heart. It is a little stressful watching Castillo weave this web that you know is going to come crashing down around her, and I imagine some readers won't like that element. But she's a teenager and learning some difficult lessons. If any of this sounds up your alley, definitely check it out! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.

Thank you DreamScape books for the review copy of The Quince Project. This is a sweet YA story filled with some great themes on family and young romance and growing up and it is also a lot about grief and coping, what happens when you lose your mother as a teen. The themes on grief are gently handled as a thoughtful undercurrent to the main character's story.
Standouts
1. I love the movement towards culturally inclusive stories about adolescent rites of passage. The focus on quinceañeras was important. My one note is that I felt it was a shame that part of the story was how someone was using this rite of passage through an influencer/college app lens though that also amplified a bigger theme on the pressures young people are under to figure it all out and to do it on social media/through large events

2. family love and grief. I really liked Cas and Po's (sisters) relationship and how they were so close. Clearly they needed each other to cope with the loss of their mother but the relationship was caring and filled with respect and love.

3. inclusion. More and more YA books embrace diverse identities as simply part of a story and as part of a daily teen experience and I value that.

4. social media and college pressures. I don't think I fully understand how social media is so woven into teen life and this book did a good job capturing all of the gossip stuff and worries and DMs and the constancy of this. If you have a teen, please tell them it's ok to slow down, to not have their college major and careers figured out at 15. I teach college kids, they should not be this overwhelmed... being burnt out at 20 is not good.

Other thoughts
I have read a few other reviews that say this is a very YA book and I agree. that's not a bad thing, it means that this was a very relevant story to perhaps tweens and young teens but as an adult well removed from teen stuff, a lot of it felt hard to connect to after the basic story was set. Not that I didn't embrace the story and the grief theme but the challenges being faced outside of grief, the influencer and disneyland stuff just aren't themes I connect with and my GenX self did not experience adolescence this way. So I make this note for readers, embrace this as a very good story that captures today's teens and their pressures and social media lives, their confusion and uncertainty amplified through the chaos and agony of social media and constant DMs and all the things...

4 stars

Jessica Parra has another solid YA contemporary with this most recent effort.

Cas, the m.c., loves to plan. Have a list? She'll check the boxes. Have an event to plan? She'll make it sing (sort of - she's kind of known for hilarious mishaps, but the intention is there). Basically, Cas is doing whatever she can to impose some kind of apparent control over her life, which, like all of ours, is not fully ever within her control. These feelings and needs grow much stronger after Cas's mother dies (which happens prior to the start of the book). As her family tries to manage their grief and find their way both through and forward, Cas questions her own actions and makes some moderately shady moves in the process. Like all good YA, there are many lessons to be learned and so much growth for the m.c. to accomplish.

Because Cas's mom was a major Disney fan and they live locally to Disneyland, this book has many references to various Disney characters and motifs. There are also some clear, broader fairy tale references. Folks who are into this world will find this a charming addition, but those who are not may have a different response at times. It's not overwhelming, but the Disney vibe cannot be ignored.

Folks looking for a book that deals somewhat gently with the aftermath of losing a parent will be especially drawn to this one. It's a solid and engaging work and, for me, another win from Jessica Parra.