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Single Chicas Kindle Edition
Single Chicas is a collection of stories about modern Latinas being in, out, and around the zany hurdles of relationships. One woman receives strange calls from a lonely soul, another seeks advice on how to love herself, and another wakes up in a parallel universe to a man she's never met. These chicas will make painstaking effort to survive the complexities with humor and grace. Once again, López dazzles audiences with her brilliantly candid craft. Smart, witty, and funny, these stories will explore the true endurance of singlehood.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateAugust 14, 2016
- File size688 KB
Product details
- ASIN : B01KG85F1Y
- Publication date : August 14, 2016
- Language : English
- File size : 688 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 183 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,582,608 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,011 in Hispanic American Literature
- #5,027 in Hispanic American Literature & Fiction
- #37,400 in Single Authors Short Stories
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Sandra Lopez is considered one of today's influential Latina writers in young adult literature.Her first novel, "Esperanza," a teen fiction novel, was published in March 2008 WHILE she was still in college! "Beyond the Gardens," is the sequel to her engaging and inspirational heroine, Esperanza.
She travels as much as she can and is currently at work on her next book.
To find out more about her books, please visit her website at www.sandra-lopez.com
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the stories interesting and relatable. They appreciate the well-crafted writing style and compelling voice. The book features diverse tales about single women from different cultures. Readers feel the emotional content is realistic, with some being funny, sad, or disturbing. The writing style is described as neat and tidy. Overall, customers describe the book as smart, clever, and entertaining, offering a glimpse into the Hispanic culture.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the stories. They find the stories interesting, provocative, and relatable. The writing is engaging and well-crafted. Readers appreciate the smart, funny, and surprising stories in the collection.
"...nice thing about short stories is that they are short, which makes for a quick read when you're in the mood for a distraction...." Read more
"...all—are trying to cast aside the memes of telenovelas and aspire to a more modern life...." Read more
"...characters readers can immediately care makes these short stories readable and enjoyable...." Read more
"...This is a one-day read that presents us with characters who anyone can identify with." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find the situations well-crafted and the characters witty and compelling. The author has a unique and fresh voice in Latina fiction, delivering a collection of contemporary short stories. Readers appreciate the sense of humor and depth of the characters. The individual scenes are well-written and evoke the atmosphere of early 21st century life. The stories contain enough attitude to make them fun to read.
"...They are well-written, and even though some of them end abruptly, they are very entertaining. Kudos to the author on a job well done." Read more
"...Individual scenes are well-written and evoke the atmosphere of early twenty-first-century Los Angeles...." Read more
"...The settings and situations are as well-wrought as the characters, which actually ends up making the collection, for me, disappointing overall...." Read more
"...This is a one-day read that presents us with characters who anyone can identify with." Read more
Customers find the book offers a variety of stories about single women from different cultures. The stories are relatable to women around the world, with some being fun and tender while others are more serious. They are told from different points of view, although most share an anti-romance perspective.
"...about this collection of stories is that they are about single women from a different culture—in this case, Latinas—yet their situations are very..." Read more
"Sandra Lopez's Single Chicas is a surprising story collection about single women who actually opt to stay that way...." Read more
"...with a minimal sprinkling of Spanish, they are relatable to a broader spectrum than the Latinos readers...." Read more
"...At the end of it all, however, this was a really engaging book about modern women dealing with the problems of...well...being a modern woman...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's emotional content. They find the stories funny, sad, and snarky, with real emotions for each one. The book has a surreal and disturbing feel, with some stories being funny and others being scary.
"...Read Lopez's funny, sad stories. They're like chicken soup for the lovelorn...." Read more
"...And I felt real emotion for each, positive or negative...." Read more
"...It has a cool surreal, slightly disturbing feeling about it and I really get a good sense of what this woman is going through...." Read more
"True and funny stories mix with scary and surprising ones. Great quick reading to brighten a single gal’s days. You get a feel for these women...." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the characters well-drawn and expressive. The book is described as well-written and varied. Readers appreciate the neat, tidy endings.
"...Her main characters are mostly younger Hispanic women, well-drawn and appropriately expressive...." Read more
"...I wanted more from every story. The neat, tidy, almost punchline-like endings to so many of them feel as though there's much more to the story itself..." Read more
"...I decided on four because it was so well written. This book is a set of short stories that provide a cross section of life...." Read more
"...Nicely done! For the rest, though, I think there is still room for improvement. Each plot is somewhat raw, which might be what the author intended...." Read more
Customers find the book clever and entertaining, though some stories are dark. They appreciate the good ideas and offer.
"...Ms. Lopez does have some good ideas and a lot to offer. I recommend her book." Read more
"This collection of short stories is easy to read. Clever and entertaining, though some are dark and far from uplifting...." Read more
"Single Chicas is a smart and funny collection of stories centering on the lives of modern Latinas...." Read more
"Sandra Lopez delivers clever and witty tales that totally capture today's single ladies livin' la vida loca!..." Read more
Customers enjoy the cultural background of the book. They say the stories are entertaining and give a glimpse into Hispanic culture. The themes are interesting, and the author has a unique and compelling voice.
"...are funny, some are sad some your can relate to and others are uniquely cultural ...." Read more
"...Sandra Lopez has a unique and compelling voice. I loved her characters and their voices...." Read more
"...The stories are entertaining and give a peek into the Hispanic culture." Read more
"interesting theme..." Read more
Customers find the stories too short and abrupt, with a lack of satisfying endings. They also mention that the plot is raw and the characters are impatient.
"...These women are from different walks of life, and even though the stories are short, the characters are well-rounded...." Read more
"...The ending was too abrupt to be satisfying. Granted, this is only my subjective opinion and as I said, only in a couple of the stories...." Read more
"...Each plot is somewhat raw, which might be what the author intended...." Read more
"...The novel ties together at the end and offers a satisfactory conclusion. It has humor and charm, and the author's voice is distinct. I recommend this!" Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2021The nice thing about short stories is that they are short, which makes for a quick read when you're in the mood for a distraction. What I love about this collection of stories is that they are about single women from a different culture—in this case, Latinas—yet their situations are very relatable to women around the world.
These women are from different walks of life, and even though the stories are short, the characters are well-rounded. My favourite ones are the titular story Single Chicas, My Big Fat Fake Marriage, Night Caller, The Lesbian Theory and Old Maid.
They are well-written, and even though some of them end abruptly, they are very entertaining. Kudos to the author on a job well done.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021Single Chicas is the first of a series of short story collections that attempts to present another path toward adulthood to Young Adult Latina readers. Sandra Lopez has created a book filled with heroines who break the mold cast by their mothers, aunties, and grandmothers. These characters—strong women all—are trying to cast aside the memes of telenovelas and aspire to a more modern life.
The stories focus on coming-of-age themes and others pertinent to growing up Latina in Southern California. Starting with the hilarious "My Brother's Funeral," a plea to not marry young and proceeding through "Lesbian Theory," and "Single Chicas," Ms. Lopez paints dramatic pictures of modern life plagued by relationship problems and provides some tongue-in-cheek suggestions for solving them.
She continues with some vividly described scenarios common to life in a close-knit culture—dealing with family expectations of marriage in “My Big Fat Fake Marriage” and of careers in “Virgin Mary.”
Her main characters are mostly younger Hispanic women, well-drawn and appropriately expressive. Supporting characters, because these are short stories (almost flash fiction) are necessarily briefly described and mostly appear as foils for the varied heroines of each tale.
Individual scenes are well-written and evoke the atmosphere of early twenty-first-century Los Angeles. She captures the disparate demands and forces bearing on young women very well.
I enjoyed Single Chicas and would urge readers to hang in there through some of the Spanish language phrases sprinkled throughout the book. Even though I spent years working with the Latino population in California, Spanish is a second language for me, and I had to use an online translator to understand some of the Spanish phrases. It turned out to be worth it, as a lot of them were adages or sayings better expressed in Spanish.
Single Chicas would benefit from a more thorough editing. What I’d like to see more of in Volume 2 would be a greater expansion of stories, as some of those in Volume 1 ended quite abruptly without a satisfying resolution, but rather more of a punchline. Ms. Lopez does have some good ideas and a lot to offer. I recommend her book.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2021Sandra Lopez's ability to create characters readers can immediately care makes these short stories readable and enjoyable. In this collection she explores the dynamics of young women facing disappointment, puzzling over relationships, and finding inspiration.
The settings and situations are as well-wrought as the characters, which actually ends up making the collection, for me, disappointing overall. I wanted more from every story. The neat, tidy, almost punchline-like endings to so many of them feel as though there's much more to the story itself, more to know about what happens, eventually, to the characters.
The most satisfying story in the collection is "Old Maid" which works nicely via a counterpoint between a young woman and an elderly lady she volunteers to visit. Though the older woman is won over more quickly than can quite be believed, the give-and-take that follows is warm yet real, triggering in the young woman a realization she didn't have before the encounter.
Even so, all of the stories here seem to be more bare bones than full bodied, aching to be fleshed out. Few of the characters seem to undergo any transformation because of what they experience, leaving me (and I might be the only reader who feels this way) yearning for more development.
I will be watching for another collection from Lopez, and reading her novels in the meantime.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2023For readers who are no longer young, these short stories remind us how that stage of our lives were really not all that terrific. The young women in these stories are clumsily trying to make their way through the world as though they know what they're doing. We hope they will succeed, but won't bet on it. Seeming to be in their way are young men who are even clumsier than they are. This is a one-day read that presents us with characters who anyone can identify with.
Top reviews from other countries
- KSReviewed in India on January 10, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Never a dull moment!
I enjoyed reading this book so much! The stories are sharp, funny, and sometimes chilling. I especially loved the twist in The Ball Drop. In every story, you feel as if you are really there, along with the protagonist, rooting for them or grumbling with them. The characters feel alive, and their problems feel real. Loved it!
- AlwaysReadingReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
I enjoyed this collection of stories about young, single women, the main focus seemingly to stay single, have a great education, career and be strongly independent. In a world ruled by men, that is good advice.
Some stories were darker than others yet all had an air of humour, some making me laugh.
The writing style had an easy flow and quick to read.
Yes, worth a look. A fun and thought-provoking set of stories.
- Mrs BooksReviewed in Germany on November 24, 2020
4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the universe of modern Latinas!
A collection of stories about modern Latinas, with accurate portrayals of single life and the difficulties of staying committed. Welcome to singlehood, where the freedom to choose matters more than anything in the world. Stories told in a delightful blend of humor and sarcasm make up for an interesting read.
I found the book to be easy to read, and I appreciated the twist of each story. To what point are the characters “relatable”, I cannot state with certainty. But I liked the central idea, meaning women should be free to decide whether they stay single or in a relationship.
The message the author is trying to send is authentic, inviting to reflection. Is an independent life the best way to live? That is for each and every woman to decide. The women included in these stories like being single, and they make it quite clear there is nothing wrong with choosing this path.
Within the pages of this book, you will find the lives of different single women, each character valuing independence above all else. I found the characters to be well-developed, and I liked the added touch of sarcasm. Young women who are willing to defy cultural and social expectations are often judged, and it is refreshing to see them reaching their purpose.
What are some of the things the author could have improved upon? While it is true that a short story reflects a specific fragment in a character’s life, I found myself wanting to know more. The stories regard Latina women, so this book might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
My favorite quote from the book:
“Apparently, being born a Mexican female meant that I was supposed to be traded for sheep by the time I turned fifteen. Additionally, I was supposed to have pumped out about a dozen kids, naming each one after some loyal ancestor, leaving the boys to be raised by their father and rearing the girls to be happy, little housewives before puberty.”
My favorite story: “The Ball Drop”
Why? The ending was quite a pleasant surprise, I never expected the story to go in that direction. Loved it!
Verdict:
If you are looking for a relaxing read, “Single Chicas” is the perfect choice. You can read the short stories in one sitting, allowing yourself to be swept by the mix of emotions these modern women experience in their everyday lives. A huge bonus comes in the form of cultural flavor, and, as readers, we are lucky to be let inside the universe of modern Latinas.
- Lina hansonReviewed in Germany on April 5, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, great dialogue
No wonder these chicas are single. They show a lot, and I mean a lot of attitude. I'm not a big fan of short stories (they're over all too quickly), and contemporary is not my thing either. But this floated past my screen, so I grabbed it. Glad I did. The dialogue is fun, the attitude is fun, and most importantly, the author understands voice. "Single Chicas" is like a box of popcorn. Yeah, one shouldn't have it, perhaps not good for your health, but you keep going, and suddenly the fumbling fingers hit only greasy air. Box is empty. Stories over. Such a shame. Muchas gracias! Oh, and if the author ever thinks of writing mysteries, they should let me know. I'd love to read them.
- Abhinav SinghReviewed in India on August 19, 2020
4.0 out of 5 stars A distinct and Interesting read
This book isn’t written for people like me ( married for eleven years at 37 and with two kids), but I must say that I enjoyed reading it. The perspective was interesting.
Being single in any culture is talked down upon, frowned upon and the family and friends team up to get the single guy/ gal married. It’s a more difficult world out there for women, and specially the ones who are head strong to find their identity and discover their inner self.
This collection of short stories has tried to showcase different facets of the life of a single women. The chapter - The Ball Drop; I had a bitter sweet relationship with this one. To what conniving extent your loved ones can go to get you in a relationship?
The book is beautifully written and a lot of issues clearly represented. I’d recommend the singles out there (men or women) to read it.
What I couldn’t appreciate fully was that each chapter that the author wrote, represents extensively about the problem. She should have written a chapter or two on the solution.
No matter how headstrong a person is, or how goal oriented, the pressure of being alone always haunts him/her. This pressure leads to bad choices of a partner. I’d love to see a chapter on solutions.