Adios to My Old Life

by Caridad Ferrer

Seventeen-year-old Ali Montero's life has been a whirlwind lately. But it wasn't always like this. As a talented Latina singer and guitar player, she was always asked to perform, but the steady stream of family parties and holiday get togethers had become tiresome. She wanted to be famous. She longed to make it big. Oh, this was bigger, all right. After all, Oye Mi Canto was billed as the Search for the Next Latin Superstar and here she was, poised to win everything. But she'd never expected to actually make it this far. Auditioning had been just a trial, and a way of getting her overprotective father to see just how much performing meant to her. But she'd wowed the crowds and judges and now she was caught up in the frenzied and unfamiliar world of wardrobe fittings, media interviews, and online fan blogs - just who are these lovestruck teens? And to make matters worse, she's forced to deal with professional jealousy, pettiness, and sabotage and finds herself wondering if performing - and all that goes with it - is really all worth it.

• ISBN10: 1416524738
• ISBN13: 9781416524731
• Publish Date: 4 July 2006
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 1 November 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: MTV Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

If you like "behind the scenes" type of books, then you need to read Adiós to My Old Life! Ali has just auditioned for Oye Mi Canto, which is being described as the Latin American Idol. She knows that she's good, but she's still surprised when she makes it. Ali is even more surprised by how quickly her life changes once the competition starts. Not only is she living her dream of performing, but she met a cute boy, picked up an enemy who will do anything to win, and discovered more about herself than she ever knew.

Adiós to My Old Life is such a fun read. It had me hooked from the first chapter because Ali has such an authentic voice. I liked her and her best friend, Sosi, immediately and loved their friendship. Ali is confident without being cocky, and doesn't let her newfound fame change her or distract her from her goals. There's also a lot of focus on her relationship with her father, which tends to be really rare. He's not a mysterious disappearing parent, even if he isn't there every single step of the way. He and Ali fight, bump heads, but ultimately talk things out and make up. His best friend, Elaine, is also there to be a buffer between the two and I really enjoyed her interactions with Ali as well.

There is a romance in Adiós to My Old Life. Ali meets Jaime at the audition and obviously notices that he's cute. Then when she comes back to film the show, the two hit it off. There aren't too many scenes of them together, but I liked what was included. They're cute together. I also liked how Ali didn't let her feelings for Jaime override what she felt was right or wrong. She keeps her head about her, even if it does lead to a temporary parting of our lovers.

I definitely recommend Adiós to My Old Life. It was so refreshing to read about such a down to earth character, but have her in a chaotic situation without things feeling forced or over-the-top. I love reality TV books, so I'm super glad that I discovered this one!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.