Accidental Love

by Gary Soto

It all starts when Marisa picks up the wrong cell phone. When she goes to return it, she feels something she's never felt before, something a bit like . . . love.

But Marisa and Rene aren't exactly a match made in heaven. For one thing, Marisa is a chola , and she isn't petite; she's a lot of girl, and she's not ashamed of it. Skinny Rene, however, gangles like a sackful of elbows and wears a calculator on his belt. In other words, he's a geek. So why can't Marisa stay away from him?

Award-winning author Gary Soto deftly captures all the angst, expectation, and humor that comes with first love in this swift, lighthearted romance.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Love, Friendship

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Gary Soto is the author of eleven poetry collections for adults, most notably New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the National Book Award. His poems have appeared in many literary magazines, including Ploughshares, Michigan Quarterly, Poetry International, and Poetry, which has honored him with the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Award and by featuring him in the interview series Poets in Person. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. For ITVS, he produced the film “The Pool Party,” which received the 1993 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Film Excellence. In 1997, because of his advocacy for reading, he was featured as NBC’s Person-of-the-Week. In 1999, he received the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Author-Illustrator Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the PEN Center West Book Award for Petty Crimes. He divides his time between Berkeley, California and his hometown of Fresno.

Reviews

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Marisa beats up her girlfriend Alicia’s no good two-timing boyfriend, Roberto, she drops her cell phone - and so does the other guy Roberto is with. Marisa picks up the wrong phone and later gets a call from Rene, the owner, and they set up a time to exchange them. What happens next is a little hard to believe, but Marisa and Rene immediately hit it off. Rene’s not like any of the guys that Marisa knows – he’s a nerd, and he’s really smart, and for some reason she really likes him. She likes him so much that she transfers to his school (her aunt happens to live in the district), and she starts caring more about her education and less about being a tough girl. Rene seems to bring out her softer side, while she’s helping him be more of a man. They both become better people and want to be better people because of their relationship.

Eventually they have a fight, but Marisa realizes that she still likes Rene and wants to make up with him. Unfortunately, his mom has discovered that he’s dating her and she’s not happy. Things escalate and Rene’s mom tells the school principle that Marisa doesn’t really live in the district – just like that she’s transferred back to her old school. It’s incredibly depressing and Marisa’s afraid that all of the promises she’s made to herself about making something of her life are going to fall by the wayside. She decides that she’s not going to let it get her down, though. And then Rene surprises her – by transferring to her school. Things with his mom have really deteriorated and she’s hit him a few times, so he goes to live with his dad (who, coincidentally lives in Marisa’s school district).

This story relies on a lot of happy coincidences. Life is like that sometimes, but maybe not to this extent. Savvy kids might not be willing to suspend their disbelief.

Not sure how I feel about all of the gender role reinforcement. There’s a lot of playing with the idea that girls are one way and guys are another and jokes about how guys get to wear the pants, but girls get to tell them which pants. There’s some Spanish thrown in and some light discussion about the differences between the schools of people in different neighborhoods/economic brackets. That might be something to get kids talking about or interested in.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

"She found herself thinking about the boy with the sweet voice, whose face she could have remembered if she hadn't been so busy pummeling Roberto."

Marisa Rodriguez's best friend, Alicia, is in the hospital with a broken leg after getting into a car crash with Alicia's boyfriend Roberto. However, Alicia does not just suffer from a broken leg, but a broken heart. After the crash, Alicia discovers that Roberto is being unfaithful. Being Alicia's best friend and protector, Marisa picks a fight with Roberto at the hospital for doing her best friend wrong. During the scuffle, Marisa drops her cell phone and unknowingly grabs the phone of the boy who broke up the fight. When Marisa meets Rene, the boy who broke up the fight and accidentally grabbed her phone, she labels him a nerd. Her perspective quickly changes when Marisa realizes that she really likes him! She ends up leaving her school to be with Rene at his school only to find out that their relationship may not be as simple as it seems.

I picked the book up because it had a cute cover and an interesting blurb on the back. It wasn't what I imagine it to be. I am still in the thinking stage about this book because it was not instantly awful nor amazing. It was just a run through romance story with no juicy details. There wasn't a key feature that distinguished it from any other story, but there was not anything to make it awful either.

Since the book was so bland, there was not any content or language issues with the book. It was a pretty straightforward story directed towards a middle school audience. However, as I was reading the novel, I was thinking of pairing it with the high school Shakespeare novel Romeo and Juliet. They are both star-crossed lovers with something keeping them from having a blissful relationship.

[Jessica Leatham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Marisa Rodriguez, a fourteen-year-old chubby tough girl, meets Rene, a smart, skinny geek from another school. They begin dating and learn the ups and downs of being in a relationship. Despite their differences in looks, intellect, and personality, they fill in each other a need—the need to feel wanted by somebody. I can see how it would appeal to a middle school audience. It is during this time that children and teenagers are trying desperately to try to fit. Their bodies are changing, and they often feel that they are the only ones going through such an awkward phase. In addition, it is during this time that they start developing crushes and having first boyfriends and girlfriends. In this light, this novel offers a sweet story about two awkward individuals who, according to their peers’ standards are outcasts, find love and acceptance in each other. Because of the many Spanish phrases that Soto interweaves into the text, this book comes complete with a glossary of Spanish words. I really didn’t enjoy this story because of the unbelievable dialog and somewhat silly plot events, but I can recognize the value it would hold for a younger audience.

[Elizabeth De Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was a very good romance book for teens and all the issues that could happen in the book.

[Raven 🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5. another middle school favorite 🤪. it makes me so happy revisiting old books. it's like visiting old family 🥰.

[Angel Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with a lot of humor and drama but overall it’s a story of love. Love isn’t always how you see it in the movies where prince charming gets the princess or the jock the cheerleader because in this story you get two opposites of people like Marisa and Rene. Marissa would be your everyday "chola" or “up to no good” girl that doesn’t think much of school and likes the guys that are hot, sexy, etc. Rene, on the other hand, is just a typical nerd who lives life to try to do good in school get things done for himself. Marisa isn’t just a mean person who is careless because inside she wants to do better and go somewhere in her life but her anger and attitude stops her. Marisa starts getting into problems with her friend, Alicia and there to stop anything from happening is Rene. While Rene stops the fight Marisa and Rene’s phone drop and from there the relationship starts. Marisa at first though she would never fall for a guy like Rene: nerdy, skinny, nothing to offer, etc. Love is blind and when you feel inside something you can’t ignore it. In the whole process of them being together and making things work the only thing that gets in the way is Rene's mother because she doesn’t like the influence she would have on her son. Through the journey of thick and thin times they face their love and commitment for each other makes it farther than anything. A guy that would want to prove he’s man enough for a girl is a keeper in my opinion! I enjoyed the book mainly because it shows the different aspect of how love works between people and that it doesn’t always have to be between pretty people but can be two different types of people. Gary Soto is not only good in providing humor in stories but also provides a life story that people can relate to and I would recommend stories by this author to anyone.

[Elaine Pelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Marisa Rodriguez accidentally switches cell phones with a stranger during a tussle with her best friends’ ex-boyfriend, the stage is set for an odd romance. When she meets Rene Torres to reclaim her phone, she inexplicably falls for his nerdy charm. Marisa decides to transfer from her dump of a high school to Rene’s more prestigious charter school in a better neighborhood. Though, she gets a lot of flack from her old friends at Washington High, who think she has suddenly decided she’s better than them, she begins to enjoy her new school and all it has to offer. When Rene’s mother objects to their relationship, they temporarily split, but apparently even the strictest of mothers can’t keep young lovers apart. This is a very cute book geared towards young Latinas. The book incorporates many Spanish phrases, and might be appealing to bilingual teens. I also liked the fact that Marisa was overweight (though she sheds quite a few pounds throughout the story) and that Rene is pretty geeky. This book is a good response to criticisms that there are few YA books about minorities that don’t involve characters dealing with deviant lifestyles or major social problems. Marisa and Rene are pretty typical teens, one from a middle-class background, one in a working-class neighborhood. Though Marisa likes to scrap occasionally, neither of them are hooked on drugs, pregnant, delinquents, or victims of rape or incest. They deal with pretty normal teenage problems like fitting in, and arguing with their parents. Also, the book smelled really good. I’m not sure if this was intentional or someone at my library just spilled perfume on it.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet and romantic little gem- a story of first love experienced by Marisa, the tough girl from Washington High, a challenging school; and Rene- the nerd who attends Hamilton Magnet School. They meet because Marisa's picked up the wrong cell phone after a fight with bullish Roberto- thinking it is her's, when it really belongs to Rene. Marisa decides to move to Hamilton Magnet to explore her newly found relationship with Rene- a nerd who loves chess, reads "Romeo and Juliet" and later finds a kitten and puts it in his backpack. It's a charming little story of opposites attracting and class distinction, which makes Gary Soto a great YA writer.

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT!!!!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

"Accidental Love" by Gary Soto

"Alicia had found out about the fight with Roberto in the hospital. Marissa couldn't believe Alicia was mad about that. Didn't she realize Marissa had been defending her?" Bullying, Cheating, Accidents, betrayal, and Drama with a capital D. All of these themes all flow through the book "Accidental love". The quote is about Marissa getting back at Roberto

[Nancy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marisa wouldn't expect to see herself with a nerd that couldn't even dress right or fix his socks. One day she ran into Rene at the hospital where she visits her best friend and accidentally picks up his phone. This book makes a love story turn into reality through the situations they have to go through to be together. They have to show their feelings and be brave enough to stand up to others by the decisions they make. Rene character is a sweet, innocent, brainiac, quiet person untill he meets Marisa who brings him out his comfort zone and opens up to knowing he wants to be with her. Marisa character is a tough, fighter, and smart who sticks up for Rene and is by his side through it all. Someone close to Rene doesn't want to see him getting side tracked so, they do anything to keep both of them apart for good, but will that stop them from being together? This book is good to read if you love high school stories about young teens who go through the most to make themselves happy. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a love story twist.

[Rose Uthoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

14 year old Marisa Rodriguez is much like me to be honest. A 14 year old girl who would do anything to prevent anyone from hurting the people she cares about. In the story while Marisa is trying to hurt her best friend's (Alicia) ex-boyfriend (Roberto) she finds her self dealing with feelings for Roberto's tutor Rene.

[Amaya Dookwah · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BOOK ACCIDENTAL LOVE IS ABOUT 2 GIRLS MARISA AND ALICIA. ALICIA GOT IN TO AN ACCIDENT WITH HER BOYFRIEND AND SHE IS A LITTLE BIT BAD,MARISA ALWAYS HAVE AN EXUSE WHY SHE SKIPPED SCHOOL.(ITS A GREAT BOOK ALOT OF DRAMA)

[Sarah Mclendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished an romantic yet interesting book called "Accidental Love" by Gary Soto, author of "THE AFTERLIFE",(Genre: Fiction /Publication date: January 1, 2008) and despite the title and cover let me assure you that this is not one of your typical long winded "oh lovey dovey girl boy meets girl" books. I would defiantly say this book puts an unusual twist onto your everyday boyfriend girlfriend couple. The author’s style was more of a first/second person story telling style which made you feel like you were literally talking to Marisa as she narrated the story here and there. I would also describe this book as sum sort of a metaphorical caterpillar transforming itself into a cocoon with its hard exterior shell and then finally blossoming a creature glowing with radiance and true understanding of life's meaning. Marisa Rodriguez, a 14 year old Amazonian built tough Latina girl who truly believed in kicking butt and asking questions later is who I would easily describe as the metaphorical caterpillar previously mentioned. In the beginning of the book you notice that Marisa, hot tempered is also the protective type and will just about square up with anything that tries to come against her strong willed nature. She is also very protective over her best friend Alicia especially when Alicia’s boyfriend aka la rata Roberto, wreaks his parents car breaking Alicia's leg and later on her heart as a picture from the glove compartment jumps out into Alicia's view displaying a photo of Roberto with his arms wrapped around another girl. Marisa vowing to mess him up does just that as she begins to leave her home girls hospital room. Coming down the elevator Marisa catches Roberto with his nerdy math tutor Rene and she definitely shows Roberto what happens when you mess with her friends. Rene tries to break up their little scuffle and amongst all the commotion, Rene and Marisa end up exchanging phones by accident. Upon their scheduled meet to re-exchange cell phones you notice the irrefutable chemistry brewing between the two. Total opposites, Rene, the weak ,geeky, high water pants wearing, chest team playing sweet heart ends up falling for Marisa, the strong, strong minded, hot tempered, fragile ego-ed bully. Rene and Marisa begin dating and their bond only strengthens and brings the two closer together as time goes on. Marisa helps Rene turn his dreams of becoming a cooler stronger man into a reality as he also helps her loose weight and become the quick to think and slow to react girl she’s so desperately longed to be. As their up and coming school hosted play “Romeo and Juliet“comes closer Rene and Marisa both agree to audition. Rene and Marisa’s relationship also represents the Romeo and Juliet love story, with Rene’s mother forbidding him to see Marisa in fear of her corrupting sweet little Rene and with their complicated school situations, since Marisa goes to Washington and Rene goes to Hamilton. But throughout they story Rene and Marisa’s love for each other never diminished and like the play, their love lasted through all the hate and enduring obstacles they both faced at home and school so in the end they could never be apart in life or death, like Romeo and Juliet, no matter how hard people tired to stop it. I believe this book had a positive affect on me because it only enforced the already imprinted feeling that I have about love, which is that life is forever changing and anyone could be Mr. Right, so you should never count people out because you could miss out on meeting someone great. With that said it’s evident that this book appeals to the younger generation because the things mentioned in this book are some of the same thing teenagers’ face or will face later on in life and throughout the book with each read page you only hope and wish that Rene and Marisa’s love will shine through all their problems. I rate this book as a 4.5 because it grasped my attention and made sure that it never let it go and I was also glad this book wasn’t predictable like most love stories. So anyone searching for a close to home role reversal twist on a modern day Romeo and Juliet story I recommend you check this book out.

[Anayeli♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very interesting so far she is in the hospital beacause she had a car accident with her boyfriend she foun out that her boyfriend was cheating on her so she said that he was a pendejo. She said that he took away part oif her heart with him because she said it was rolled up in paper like if it was a door.I choosed this book because it sounded interesting and because it has spanish words so i taught it would be interesting enough and because it would be a book with mexican characters. This book is a romantic book or a love book. The setting right now is in the hospital. The despcription of the main cherester is that she is in the hospital because of the car crash she had with her boyfrend.The main problem is that she is in the hospital and she finds out that her boyfrien is chearting on her with another girl.The problem might be reasolved by her talking to him and saying why she you do that cheat on me when i loved you aloght and you knew it.♥My opinion of this book right now is that it is very cool book and a very nice interesting book.♥☻ The next part is that Marisa went to a new school and she had no friends until she saw her friend Rene.Then she said in her mind that she fell in love with him she said that he was so cuite.So then her other friend comes to the same school and her friend surprised her and she tol;d her frined that she liked Rene her friend is like why he is like a totaly neard why would you like him. And she said that he is way cuiter now . Then her friend saw that these guys were playing chess and she told her friend we should make a chess game club and they both agreed to make one and they did and that is where the book ends up but they said my parents are both immigrants and they both work in a farm and they are very nice.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidental Love by Gary Soto gives away the main idea in its title. A girl named Marisa is a very rough girl -- more like a bully. In the beginning, she was at the hospital because of her friend, Alicia got into a car accident. Later on, she bumped into a total nerd name Rene. They got acquainted but Marisa kept thinking she couldn't say things right. However, most of the time that only happens to people that are nervous because they have a crush on that person. Could that be the reason Marisa was nervous? How could someone like Marisa fall in love with Rene? Little did she know, Marisa was falling in love with Rene. As the story continues, the relationship between Marisa and Rene grows into a more serious relationship. He meets her parents, tell her everything, and even kissed her. However, when Marisa meets Rene's parents, his mother gets a little nasty. However, just like their play they were practicing, Romeo and Juliet, nothing could stop them from being together. The two both grew from each other and continued their relationship happily. I think that's a great thing about love; it gives you experience, growth, life lessons, and a different side in life. I'd recommend this book to anyone because it's an enjoyable book. However, if you're into romance, it's a great concept of love.

[Ash... =] Barrera =D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marisa Rodriguez is a Latina with a hot temper. She goes to a rough school and is accustomed to solving problems with her fists. This is actually how she meets the boy who will end up changing her life. When Marisa gets into a fistfight with Roberto, the slimy boyfriend of her best friend Alicia, Roberto's nerdy math tutor Rene is there to break it up. During the scuffle, Marisa and Rene accidentally pick up each other's cell phones. Upon exchanging them, it is evident that there is an undeniable chemistry between the two.
They begin dating and become inseparable. Marisa ends up transferring to Rene's school and uses her aunt's address on her registration. They audition to be in Romeo and Juliet together, begin a fitness plan (Marisa wants to lose weight and Rene is determined to gain muscle), and each desire a personality makeover (Marisa would like to stop reacting so violently, while Rene wishes to be cooler).
Because their attitudes and personalities are so different, it's understandable that Marisa and Rene must deal with certain conflicts and pressures in their relationship. These are the kinds of problems that all teenagers will face at some point in their lives. As a result, readers will be able to relate to this young couple quite well; they will want them to succeed and be happy with each other.

[Taina Lugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was very interesting because it talks about how a girl named Marissa which is like a tough gangster girl falls in love with a nerd. So her best friend Alica got into a car crash with her boyfriend and when she got into the car crash the glove compartment opened she say a picture of a girl with him and his arm over her. One day Marissa got into a fight with Alica's boyfriend and a boy named Rene (the nerd). After a couple of days later Marissa and Rene mixed up there phones and had to meet up and when they did that's when Marissa fell in love with Rene. After they meet up Marissa disided to go to Rene's school and Marissa felt more happy when she was with him.

[Hannah Scary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was really cute. The two are complete opposites but yet, still find things in common. Marissa was going to a new school and rene had started talking to her. It all started when she picked up the wrong phone. When marissa went to return the phone to rene, sparks start to fly. She felt soemthing shes never felt before...maybe a little something like love? Thats why I think the title is so good for the book. It was "accidental love."

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written for middle-grade readers. It was a quick read (I read it during our Wednesday reading time in class, so about 2 hours). I enjoyed the storyline and Marisa's thoughts about being a teen, weight, and finding a boyfriend. The narrative was very quick, but that is to be expected from a book like this. Overall, though, it was a good quick read I would recommend to students who like love stories.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Gary Soto's poetry, so I bought this at Katy Budget Books out of curiosity. What an amazing bargain it was. Soto captures the voice and fears of young people in such a crystalline way--it's like music. Or like poetry. But not cloying, not predictable. Honest. Candid. Warts and all. A quick read I anticipate will appeal to my most reluctant readers.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. I like Gary Soto's poetry a lot but what he's got in images I don't think he has in dialogue. I just didn't buy it. It didn't sound like teenagers. And why should the nerdy kid start dressing better to make his ghetto girlfriend accept him more--isn't that the ending of Grease?

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accidental Love is almost exactly what it sounds like these two people meet each other and fall in love. These two people are a teen boy and a teen girl with a little twist. It's a good book overall and an alright read.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, puppy-love story between a tough girl and nerdy boy. Marisa is a refreshing character, self-assured, and bold. Rene is sweet and lovable. Recommended for teens. Not much here to offer adult readers though.

[Candice M (tinylibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, quick read!

[Shaelyn Gerads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good. I personally like romance books, such as this one. I would recommend this book to other kids because is really heart-warming.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. I had read this book for my English class. I had really liked it. SUPER GOOD!

[Yamna Iftikhar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well this book was surely interesting… and unique. To begin with, this book really wasn’t my cup of tea to put it nicely. It was corny, strange, and downright embarrassing. No significant message, theme, or even value that the reader could take away from this book was presented. The part where Marisa loses weight, not for herself, but for a boy, really irritated me. No one, in my opinion, should feel as though they need to change who they are in order for their partner to love them. As a result, I can never bring myself to appreciate a book that promotes this kind of mindset.
I admire the author's effort, but I was unable to read this book because of the exaggerated language. The author's attempt to craft a narrative that would be "different" from other books was so blatantly obvious. Like for example when the author writes “A boy is wearing white socks and I refuse to call him a nerd or anything mean. What’s going on with me?” After a few chapters, the overemphasized portrayal of Rene as a nerd grows really old. But when Rene said, "Everything is hunky-dory," I really lost it.
Don’t even get me started on the slang. Usually I understand the usage of slang, because I can tell the author gave the dialogue a lot of thought before writing it. But, if slang words were water, this book would be drenched with it. Marisa even talked to her mother like, “Nah mom” and said things like “Big boy, do i look like your mama.” It may be viewed as extremely offensive to the spanish, latino, and mexican communities to depict Marisa as having a Hispanic background and making her act in a stereotypical or cliched manner .
This book's writing did not make me feel anything other than annoyance, boredom, and relief when I finally finished it. The ideas of character growth and the characters getting to know one another are absent. Although the author included a tedious number of problems in their lives, they were all incredibly trivial and genuinely unoriginal.
Reading this book I could really tell that a middle aged man or woman had written it, due to the obviously painful rendition of what teenagers are like. The author's belief that teenagers can't even form complete sentences without the use of slang words or that dressing a certain way automatically labels you as a nerd offends me in some ways. Overall, this book accurately depicts the stereotypical teenage girl and nerd that appear in all high school movies. I’d thought that books were a work of art that were relatively superior to movies on many levels, but it's unfortunate to see myself being proven wrong by this book.

(ALSO he’s thirteen and she's about to turn 15 that gives me such an ick. )

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Description:
After unexpectedly falling in love with a "nerdy" boy, fourteen-year-old Marisa works to change her life by transferring to another school, altering some of her behavior, and losing weight.

Genre: Realistic fiction; YA Fiction;

Themes: Brand new you; Romance; First Love.

Storyline:
Own voices: Here the protagonist and the author share a marginalized identity.

Tone:
Angst-filled: Characters in these books experience problems associated with
adolescence, such as questions about sexuality, popularity, or social standing.

Romantic
These books feature strong romantic elements — either between characters or in the story itself. Happy endings not guaranteed!

Character:

Authentic: These characters behave in ways that accord with their age, nationality,
and

Culturally diverse: These books may feature characters from racial and ethnic minorities living
in the United States, Europe, Canada, or Australia, as well as characters
from non-white cultural groups living in other parts of the world.

Writing Style:

Dialect-filled: Regional lingo and colloquialisms bring the setting to life.

Slang-heavy: Characters in these books make frequent use of slang, which often aids in
character development.

Subject:
Behavior
Chess players
Dieting
First loves
Fourteen-year-old girls
High schools
Hispanic American teenage girls
Hispanic Americans
Interpersonal relations
Magnet schools
New experiences
New students
Overweight persons
Overweight teenagers
Personal conduct
Popularity
Schools
Teenage boy/girl relations
Teenage boys
Teenage girls
Teenage romance
Teenagers
Weight control
Weight loss

Related Subjects:(19)
Teenage girls -- Juvenile fiction.Romance fiction.
Individual differences -- Juvenile fiction.
High schools -- Juvenile fiction.
Overweight persons -- Juvenile fiction.
Hispanic Americans -- Juvenile fiction.
Young adult fiction -- 21st century.
Teenage girls -- Fiction.
Love -- Fiction.
Individual differences -- Fiction.
High schools -- Fiction.
Overweight persons -- Fiction.
Hispanic Americans -- Fiction.
High schools.
Hispanic Americans.
Individual differences.
Overweight persons.
Teenage girls.
Young adult fiction.

Reaction:
I heard and read many of reviews about Gary Soto being a good author, but I was disappointed with his writing style. I still will not give up on the author, I might attempted another of his books.

However, the story was decent and entertaining; it reminded me of my time in high school. A quick read. There was this kind of innocence of first love permeate through out the whole story, which I found charming and wholesome. Overall it was okay read.

[Victoria Bourget · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Yeah,” she said.
“This is Rene,” the voice said.
“I don’t know no Rene.” She grimaced. Dang, I sound stupid,she thought.Why can’t I say things right?
“We met-”Rene started to say.
“Oh yeah, at the hospital,” she completed.”and you have my cell phone and I have yours.”
Silence. A branch scratched the window on the side of the house. The furnace was kicking on in the basement. Ages of more silence.
“And you want yours back huh?”Marisa finally said.
“I guess that’s why i’m calling.”
“Where do you live?.”Marisa asked.
She could tell that he was a shy person.His voice was so small like a little boy’s.

The novel Accidental Love by Gary Soto, shows the romance and spark between two opposite teens that bring out the best in each other. Marisa is a fourteen year old that is very outgoing and has a bit of a spark to her. Rene on the other hand, is a very shy, nerdy, boy that keeps to himself. Gary Soto used both of their personalities to capture the spark of when opposites attract.
In the passage, Rene and Marisa are making plans to give each other their phones back.Just in that short phone call, the reader gets a feel of the characters and how they are. The more confident one is Marissa. This is shown in the passage when she says,”and you want yours back huh?” At this point in the phone call, she realizes how shy of a person he is. The author uses these different words to express who they are as characters.

Later on in the story, the reader gets familiar with the characters and the opposites start showing. When they get together, their points of views on different things are extremely different. the Author does a good job with giving each Character their own writing style to show how different they are. Their behaviors in the story complement each other.
Throughout the story Gary Soto uses situations to reveal How they feel about each other even though there are incredibly different. doing this really shows how they bring the best out in each other. Their different points of view just Bring them closer together and just make a really good match.
Using the different techniques in writing makes it more interesting to read and shows the differences in characters. Marissa and Rene complement each other and using them is story like this really just shows that opposites do indeed attract.

[Daniela]

Accidental love is an intense, amorous story written by Gary Soto. The story takes place in the western area of the US, a suburb in California.

Gary Soto’s creation is mainly about a latina, hot-tempered girl (Marisa) getting accidentally in love with a slimy, nerdy boy (Rene). Marisa attends to a rough school, contrary to Rene’s school. Marisa getting into a fistfight with Roberto (her bestfriend’s boyfriend) was how she accidentally meets Rene. Rene was Roberto’s tutor and he was the one breaking up the fight. After the fight, Marisa and Rene accidentally picked up each other’s cell phones. Marisa’s life changed from this moment on. They ended up dating, and became an inseparable couple. Marisa even changed to Rene’s school. They both changed completely, physically and emotionally. They did a fitness challenge (Marisa to lose weight and Rene to gain muscles), auditioned for the play “Romeo and Juliet”, and improved their personality (Marisa tried to say less rude words and Rene tried to be more “social”).

What made this story very inspiring is the way Gary Soto portrayed the couple. In this relationship, Rene was more like the girl and Marisa was more like the boy. Even Though Marisa and Rene are an odd couple, they are good for each other. Being different in their own way helped them to improve their relation. Since Rene was good in school, he helped Marisa to improved her grades. Marisa helped Rene to become more outgoing and social with other people since she was a care-free girl.

Gary Soto’s message for the reader is that love can be found anywhere, in places where it is the most unexpected. Marisa wouldn’t imagine that she would meet the love of her life in a fistfight with her best friend's boyfriend, Roberto.