Graffiti Girl

by Kelly Parra

Graffiti art. It's bold. It's thrilling. And it can get a girl into serious trouble....

Raised by her single mom (who's always dating the wrong kind of man) in a struggling California neighborhood, Angel Rodriguez is a headstrong, independent young woman who channels her hopes and dreams for the future into her painting. But when her entry for a community mural doesn't rate, she's heartbroken. Even with winning artist Nathan Ramos—a senior track star and Angel's secret crush—taking a sudden interest in Angel and her art, she's angry and hurt. She's determined to find her own place in the art world, her own way.

That's when Miguel Badalin—from the notorious graffiti crew Reyes Del Norte— opens her eyes to an underground world of graf tags and turf wars. She's blown away by this bad boy's fantastic work and finds herself drawn to his dangerous charm. Soon she's running with Miguel's crew, pushing her skills to the limit and beginning to emerge as the artist she always dreamed she could be. But Nathan and Miguel are bitter enemies with a shared past, and choosing between them and their wildly different approaches to life and art means that Angel must decide what matters most before the artist inside of her can truly break free.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Art, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Novels, School

247 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2007

About the author

Multipublished author, Kelly Parra, is a novelist, short fiction writer, and (sometimes) graphic artist. She has written stories in young adult fiction, romance, diverse fiction, urban fantasy with horror, and short stories. Not to mention, ghostwritten picture books that shall be left unnamed.

Her young adult multicultural novels, Graffiti Girl and Invisible Touch, were published with MTV Books (Simon & Schuster). Her novel Graffiti Girl was included in the National Book Foundation’s “BookupNYC” program, encouraging middle grade students to read, and included in high school and college reading curriculums. Carina Press (Harlequin) debuted Kelly’s adult fiction novel, Criminal Instinct, as one of the publisher’s launch titles. Her latest works are co-authored stories with game creator, Scott Cawthon, for his NYT’s Bestselling Children series Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights, in the novels Fazbear Frights #4: Step Closer and Fazbear Frights #6: Blackbird (Scholastic).

Kelly’s stories are known for their diverse characterization and invoking positive and inspiring messages for readers. Her works have been nominated for honors such as Best Young Adult Novel and Best First Book for Romance Writers of America®, Latino Young Adult Novel Top Pick by Latinidad®, and the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award. Authors and reviewers have called Kelly’s works page-turning, compelling, and exciting stories filled with drama and suspense. When Kelly isn’t writing, she’s CREATING—story ideas, graphic arts, fiber art, or finding inspiration in small tourist towns in California.

With over fourteen years of storytelling experience, Kelly continues to bring character-driven writing and heartfelt, entertaining stories to readers from her home in Central Coast, California, with her husband, and their two young adult children. Discover more of her writing at www.KellyParra.com.

Reviews

[L V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Sandra Lopez, author of Esperanza: A Latina storyand Beyond The Gardens
Member of Livin' la vida Latina

Review: What can I say? I loved Angel! She absolutely rocked with her non-glamour, doesn't-give-a-crap attitude. But, like any other teen, she's shy and insecure, especially about her skills as an artist. She never liked to show off her work because she felt it would never compare to the other students, who were far more talented than she could ever come close to. I'm an artist myself, so I know how that feels.

Angel is a character that many Latino youths can relate to. The other characters in this story are so genuine agaisnt the back drop of a barrio neighborhood. I was intrigued by the concept of "graffiti" art as far as the application, the process, and how expressive it can be.

And, like taffy, you will be pulled in opposite directions as Nathan and Miguel battle over Angel's affections. The question was: who was right for her?

Towards the end, Angel must learn there are sacrifices in achieving your dreams and the choices she makes could impact her life forever. A fun YA read full of surprises.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: What can I say? I loved Angel! She absolutely rocked with her non-glamour, doesn't-give-a-crap attitude. But, like any other teen, she's shy and insecure, especially about her skills as an artist. She never liked to show off her work because she felt it would never compare to the other students, who were far more talented than she could ever come close to. I'm an artist myself, so I know how that feels.

Angel is a character that many Latino youths can relate to. The other characters in this story are so genuine agaisnt the back drop of a barrio neighborhood. I was intrigued by the concept of "graffiti" art as far as the application, the process, and how expressive it can be.

And, like taffy, you will be pulled in opposite directions as Nathan and Miguel battle over Angel's affections. The question was: who was right for her?

Towards the end, Angel must learn there are sacrifices in achieving your dreams and the choices she makes could impact her life forever. A fun YA read full of surprises.

[This review was originally posted on Livin' la vida Latina]

[Sofia The Great · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Platypires for Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra

I read this book all in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of Latino literature because I find them so relatable. I can see myself and my friends in these type of stories and that was the case for Graffiti Girl. I knew those characters and where they came from. I also liked the dialogue with the mix of Spanish.
The book is about Angel a girl trying to learn more about herself through graffiti art. She 's also someone caught up in a sorta love triangle between the bad boy Miguel and the good guy Nathan. I'm not against love triangles but wish the male characters were more developed. They were pretty one dimensional and I kept hoping for more especially from bad boy Miguel. Sorry I got a soft spot for those who are rough around the edges. lol.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and would recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. At one point she gets caught and is in trouble, but the authority figure was like "art's good though."

...and not to be THAT kid, but that actually happened to me while I was drawing comics and passing them around like notes math class in 6th grade (and got caught by a substitute teacher that later became my art teacher in high school).

I mostly remember this book despite having read it nearly 10 years ago though, so that's a point to its credit.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I LOVE the main character Angel--she is strong and tough yet has a soft place in her heart--she has really stuck with me. She crosses the line but finds her own way back and stands accountable for her actions. It's about Art, love, and being true to yourself--I think any girl can find something to relate to in this book.

[Paola · Rating 4 out of 5]

It Was A Really Great Book. It Showed Culture, And Friendship. Really Good Book. I Liked How I Connected Because I Am Hispanic and It Was Great.

[Julie Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friends from Salinas, Kelly Parra confirmed that GG was loosely based on Salinas!

[RL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt inspired after reading this.

[Liyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing and I wish there was another book for it or just one exactly like it. It had a good plot and the characters were amazing and I like the drama and love the graffiti parts.

[Roger Serious · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish authors like this would leave the subculture alone and write about something they have knowledge about. Graffiti died in the 80s, just leave it alone ya bastard vultures.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

The world is rarely fair, if ever. Angel is only coming to truly realize this now. She loves art and has been vying to be part of her community mural project. Through this project their neighbourhoods are supposed to be cleaned up while the best art students in town get to do up murals. But not every neighbourhood will benefit and it takes Angel a while to find out. This where the allure of graffiti grows strong because nobody is in charge of where she puts her art.

Clearly I've been after books on graffiti and also some art lately. What caught my interest when I found Graffiti Girl and ordered it was the title. Graffiti is largely male-dominated, so throwing a female protagonist into the setting had to bring another dimension. True to my expectations, it did. For those who enjoy love triangles, Angela, Miguel and Nathan really bring it on. But that's not what I particularly cared about. I mean, yeah, both Miguel and Nathan had their draws and I could see Angela pick either one. The backstory between Miguel and Nathan was a little too straightforward but the reasons were good enough to hold the story together.

Anyway, back to why I picked up this book in the first place: graffiti. Angela is drawn by the style and the edge it can lend to her art. She wishes she could replicate the realistic style of Nathan's art but all she can muster on paper are cartoon-like or two-dimensional pieces. This is where Miguel comes in. He has been into graffiti for a long time already and sees potential in Angela. Maybe seeing how her style is useful in another form of art can boost her confidence. Plus, she can infuse as much of her Mexican heritage as she wants to without anyone giving her flak for it.

Even though the premise also involves the danger of illegal graffiti and the conflict between battling crews, Graffiti Girl ended up being somewhat of a quick and feel-good read. The grit of the streets, the machismo of Miguel and some of the other guys, and the fear that Angela has of getting caught if she involves herself in illegally tagging do not come across as seriously as I think they should. These aspects should not be taken too lightly, yet Angela's romantic worries over Nathan and Miguel do drown out some of the crucial moments that involve these.

This review is also available on dudettereads.com.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

Angel is a teenage girl whose life, or much of it, at least, is about her art. She loves art, but when she enters a contest for a mural, and doesn't win, she's more than a little disappointed. In her disappointment, Angel turns to another form of art, one that's more often than not practiced illegally: graffiti.

Miguel shows her his artwork, his graffiti, and even lets her into his graffiti crew, Reyes del Norte. She finds her voice in graffiti, and also finds herself drawn more and more to Miguel.

However, Miguel's not the only guy in the picture. Nathan is a much more clean-cut, wholesome guy, whose art is a lot more conventional, too; he won the mural contest that Angel wanted to win.

To say Nathan and Miguel don't get along is an understatement. And with both of them taking a rather sudden interest in Angel, their rivalry is getting even more intense. What side in it all will Angel pick--and will she stay true to herself and her art?

I was very excited to pick up this book; the summary sounds pretty great, and also really original. For the most part, GRAFFITI GIRL lived up to my expectations and was pretty awesome!

I love the characters, especially Angel, and I was impressed with the way the difficult decisions Angel had to make were realistically fuzzy and grey rather than clearly black and white, the way these sorts of choices (picking between two guys, for example) so often are to the reader.

The writing in the story was excellent, and the subject matter was fresh and interesting, making this story well worth reading. Kelly Parra is an impressive new voice in YA literature--keep an eye out!

[Bhagirathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angel is a teenage girl whose life, or much of it, at least, is about her art. She loves art, but when she enters a
contest for a mural, and doesn't win, she's more than a little disappointed. In her disappointment, Angel turns to
another form of art, one that's more often than not practiced illegally: graffiti.

Miguel shows her his artwork, his graffiti, and even lets her into his graffiti crew, Reyes del Norte. She finds her
voice in graffiti, and also finds herself drawn more and more to Miguel.

However, Miguel's not the only guy in the picture. Nathan is a much more clean-cut, wholesome guy, whose art is
a lot more conventional, too; he won the mural contest that Angel wanted to win.

To say Nathan and Miguel don't get along is an understatement. And with both of them taking a rather sudden
interest in Angel, their rivalry is getting even more intense. What side in it all will Angel pick--and will she stay true
to herself and her art?

I was very excited to pick up this book; the summary sounds pretty great, and also really original. For the most
part, GRAFFITI GIRL lived up to my expectations and was pretty awesome!

I love the characters, especially Angel, and I was impressed with the way the difficult decisions Angel had to make
were realistically fuzzy and grey rather than clearly black and white, the way these sorts of choices (picking
between two guys, for example) so often are to the reader.

The writing in the story was excellent, and the subject matter was fresh and interesting, making this story well worth
reading. Kelly Parra is an impressive new voice in YA literature--keep an eye out!

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angel believes she is a talented artist but not everyone thinks so. Her entry to chair the school mural committee didn't even place. The winning artist, Nathan Ramos, a senior track star, thinks enough of her talent to ask her to work on the committee which will eventually make community murals for the city parks. Although she has a crush on Nathan, Angel thinks he would never date a girl from her side of town.

Miguel Badalin, a bad boy graffiti artist, is also in their art class. His entry comes in second, but his competition is more against Ramos than a desire to be on the mural committee. He and Nathan, both talented artists, are rivals with a shared past.

Miguel thinks Angel's art would lend itself to graffiti. She gives in to his charm and finds herself hanging out with his crew. Miguel's approach to life and art are very different from her own. Learning graffiti is fun, but Angel is adamant that she'll never join in when they tag the town.

In Graffiti Girl, Angel struggles to learn to accept her own style and have confidence in it. Whatever happens she must be true to her art and trust her own decisions.

[Alina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graffiti Girl is about a teenaged girl, named Angel. She is very independent and strong-minded, yet well-rounded since she also has a passion for art. Angel becomes introduced to the art of graffiti by one of her classmates who pretty much randomly becomes interested in her art. As the story progressed, it seemed to get a little more predictable but I feel that if more details were included that lead to this climax, it would have made this a much better story. Nonetheless, her classmate, Miguel is from a popular graffiti crew and becomes apart of it over time. Angel becomes intrigued by his personality and character itself because of how mysterious he is, and the great quality of the art that he illustrates. Although, she also has a history with another artist who does not do graffiti, named Nathan. She is torn between choosing which one to pursue, which presents itself to be your basic plot.
Overall, this book was decent but was missing quite a few aspects that would have made it a spectacular read.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this book all that much. I chose to read it for a project in my Multicultural Lit for Children course as a part of a multi-book analysis paper. As I was reading it and well after I'd finished it, I wasn't that impressed. Granted, I'm supposed to be reading it to analyze it's importance and relevance for and to young people in the Latino/a community but I couldn't get past the books boring style. I don't know if it's just something in the way that Kelly Parra uses her writing style or what but it was just... simplistic. I felt like I was reading something that was written for a high school English class or something. Ah, maybe I'm just an elite reader. I don't know. Overall, though, the storyline was good. I didn't really relate to the main character but I feel that I captured the analytical viewpoint that is required of me for my project. Let's hope so, anyway.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this is under three hours, but not because it was so good I couldn't put it down. No, it was because I just really liked the characters and wanted to see which guy she would choose.

I love books about a Latino-backgrounded character. I love how this entire book was focused on characters of that nationality, one so close to my own. I love the little snaps of Spanish and enfuriating mother. I wish we could have gotten more of a look into the lifestyle of a Macian-American, but the author didn't do a half bad job describing everything I wish to one day experience first hand.

This one kept me guessing, mostly because both guys seemed so right for Angel. Miguel was a bit too off-the-scale, I figured, for Angel...but Nathan was just too good. I was waiting for some horrible quality of his to pop up the entire book. The ending was fitting, though, and I was pleased with the final scenes. It was a pleasure to dip into Angel's life, the life of a true artist.

[Lhyka Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally enjoyed the book-- except, I felt like the story revolved around the love triangle between Nathan and Miguel. I loved a good love triangle and this one was definitely near my standards (set by Infernal Devices) but... it was just too predictable at times.

Although, I did have to applaud the characters for being firm with their characteristics and personality -- by that, I meant Miguel. He was a jerk who didn't care from start to finish and I loved it. When she got caught by the police, he didn't try to help, and even if it was supposedly something he 'should've' done as a love interest, I like that he stuck to his principles. Then again, that made the choice obvious for Angel.

One more thing I loved was the spot on description of how hard it was in the setting, a Latin American setting that I personally enjoyed and envisioned way better than I had thought she would've written it.

[Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Gaffiti Girl is about a young latin girl who begins to take an interest in graffiti because all of her friends do it. She gets into a big crew' goes through a lot' and becomes a real graff artist.

My opinion of this book is that it is really good, especially since im really into art. If you are into graffiti art or the life of a teenager in L.A. durring the graffiti movement, you should read this.

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the outside Angel comes off as indifferent and sullen; inside, she yearns for affirmation and recognition of her art skills. Then she discovers a niche in graffiti art but an attraction to two handsome rivals complicates her life. I wasn't crazy about the author's writing style but learned a little about graffiti writing. Teen readers may enjoy reading about Angel's relationship drama and inner turmoil.

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars. It's a teen romp that has bold characters but falls a little flat during the plot (at least for me). So slow-paced that I had to force myself to finish the book. Good ending but it could have been better.

Read more of this review here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/03/listen-red-light-yellow-light-green.html

[Michele Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what it was about this book! Maybe it was that the main character reminded me so much of myself... I don't know. I loved it. Every minute of it. Every detail is so perfectly described and every emotion is felt beyond the pages. I stayed up until 4am just to finish it. What can I say? Great book!

[RENE^_^ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I took this book throughout the break and I only read 20 pages it was really boring but the part that i read maybe was.

This book is about a girl who she is suppost to make her mark she basically uses graffiti she gets in trouble a lot for doing that..........................................................Kay

[Todd Slutzky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last May I found this book on the ground while walking through Brooklyn. Not my typical read, but I figured it came into my life for a reason.

As a 39 year old Caucasian man, I did not really relate to Angel. But I appreciated her struggles and I was happy to get a better glimpse into a world quite different from mine.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The topic is unique, especially in chick-lit, and the worst language is a couple of "shit"s throughout the book. I'm still debating if the book is cliché or not, but it's genuine and has a great message.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edge of your seat excitement, wonderful characters, a real keeper!

[Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so true!!!! graffiti isnt vandilism its a form of art and I'm glad that there are people who believe that!!!! I love this book its an awesome book!!!!!!!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omf! this book...wow

[Mercedes Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angel is a great character. She learns about graffiti and boys and rules and stuff. I def recommend this book!

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Angel has too choose between bad-boy graffiti artist Miguel and golden boy artist Nathan, and balance her choice with her own art.