Rating: 
Summary: Worth the Wait
Review: Cisneros is just as thought-provoking and humorous in this book as she is in all of her books. In this book, she has developed her simple, poetic Mango Street style into a longer and more in-depth work that reads quickly and enjoyably. Her characters are as believable as they are beautiful. With her vivid description and wit, she draws in her readers and holds them. She is a magnificent storyteller. I especially appreciated the history notes at the end of the book. They were not vital for the story, but I learned a lot that I didn't know about immigration laws and Mexican history from them. I first read Cisneros in a college class and have since become addicted to her work. Although I especially adore this book and Woman Hollering Creek, I love all of her work and have read her books many times. I looked forward to reading this book for several years, and it was well-worth the wait (although I hope she doesn't wait another ten years to publish the next one). I highly recommend Caramelo to all fans of Cisneros, Latina literature, poetry, and simply good stories. This one will be a classic.
Rating: 
Summary: A string of pearls
Review: Okay, I confess I have only browsed through CARAMELO and not read it all. But I just want to say that I love that Cisneros has retained the vibrant voice ala MANGO STREET, although more mature, and has structured her expansive tale in short, engaging chapters. Yet they seem to connect together like a string of pearls. I know on each page I randomly opened to -- I could hear the playful, wise, sad voice from MANGO STREET. So many writers of long novels seem to get bogged down. Sandra seems to fly.
Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: I have to admit when I first started reading this book I thought the dialogue and narrating was, as another reviewer described, syrupy and, personally, mediocre. The problem is Cisneros translates many Spanish sayings literally- making them sound sappy and just plain strange. For instance her 'Aunty Light Skin' would be 'Tia Guerja', which to someone who is familiar with Mexican Spanish, would sound just fine. The translations took a while to get used to.... Uncle Fat Face, 'my life', 'my heaven', etc.. All familiar in Spanish but just don't translate well literally into English. However, the story is wonderful and will have you coming back for more! A very rich story of the Northern Mexican & Southern Mexican(the other side) experience, culture, and sometimes culture-clash. A very vivid depiction of a family 'caught between here and there'. The story extending back generations, revealing personal struggles, and a families' quest for upward mobility in a post-colonial world of 'dirty indians' and rich Spainards, and later in the complicated society of the U.S. I was surprised how quickly I read this one actually. You'll be sad the story has come to an end.
Rating: 
Summary: Like the candy -- to be savored a chapter at a time
Review: I walked into CARAMELO simply because of the title. Indeed, the prose is sweet, chewy, and sticky all at once -- yet sometimes hard to swallow in large bites. If you are looking for a plot-driven, third-person, Mex-Am narrative (note the multiple hyphens), then please put the book down. This is a semi-fictional reminiscence of a family history, complete with memory lapses and revisionist remembrances, not to mention the stream of consciousness chapter structures. All this being said, many of the chapters are lovely bites of a family that is struggling to straddle their past and present, and overcome the barriers they themselves have put up. If you do not have a familiarity with the Spanish language, it may be difficult for you to savor the full flavor of the connection to each story. A casual reader should read one or two chapters at a time, in order to fully enjoy the stories, background details, and essence of this young woman's (and her family's) history. Otherwise, you may find yourself sorely disappointed when you reach the end. Enjoy it for what it is -- a series of short stories that are interconnected but do not culminate in a resolution or tidy ending.
Rating:
Summary: I loved Caramelo
Review: I am a black gay man and I loved this book. It's not just a beautiful trip through Mexican culture, but it's also a story that all humans can relate to. A story of family, perseverance through adversity and a story of finding the way to loving ones self.
Extraordinary. I am now officially a fan of Cisneros.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST!!!
Review: Sandra Cisneros has always been my favorite author and I admire her so much. Her book reminds me of my family. I relive my childhood through her stories. I also hope to one day be able to write as good as she has.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful story!
Review: CARAMELO by Sandra Cisneros
October 30, 2004
I found CARAMELO by Sandra Cisneros a fun rambling novel that spanned several generations of a Mexican American family. Celaya, or Lala as she is called, is the narrator for the most part, with other family members interjecting their opinions here and there throughout the novel.
The book starts with the family taking off from Chicago, their current home, in three cars to make the annual trek down to Mexico to visit with "The Grandmother". Once they arrive in Mexico, Lala begins the story of The Grandmother, and how their family came to be.
I had a wonderful time reading this one. It was not just the story that was so riveting, although the Grandmother's story kept my attention. It was the way the story was told, by Lala and her grandmother, as the two went back and forth, trying to get the story straight. Lala learns about her grandmother's early years and how she met the grandfather, Narcisco (Inocencio). It's a story that spans two countries and although on the surface it could appear this is all about Lala's family history, it is also about Lala, and how she is looking for self esteem and pride in her family and ethnic roots. I personally would recommend this to everyone, but not all are willing to read novels that ramble in the style of the Hispanic storyteller. I say take a chance, and read CARAMELO. It's worth the time spent.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult start but worth finishing
Review: I read this book for 2 different book clubs. Only 25% of the members of each club were able to get past part 1. The first part is very difficult and has very little contiunity. Part 2 is where the plot starts and gets interesting. I am glad that I finished the book and I think that the book club members who did not finish it before the meeting are inspired to finish it after the disussion.
Rating:
Summary: Like the candy -- to be savored a chapter at a time
Review: I walked into CARAMELO simply because of the title. Indeed, the prose is sweet, chewy, and sticky all at once -- yet sometimes hard to swallow in large bites. If you are looking for a plot-driven, third-person, Mex-Am narrative (note the multiple hyphens), then please put the book down. This is a semi-fictional reminiscence of a family history, complete with memory lapses and revisionist remembrances, not to mention the stream of consciousness chapter structures. All this being said, many of the chapters are lovely bites of a family that is struggling to straddle their past and present, and overcome the barriers they themselves have put up. If you do not have a familiarity with the Spanish language, it may be difficult for you to savor the full flavor of the connection to each story. A casual reader should read one or two chapters at a time, in order to fully enjoy the stories, background details, and essence of this young woman's (and her family's) history. Otherwise, you may find yourself sorely disappointed when you reach the end. Enjoy it for what it is -- a series of short stories that are interconnected but do not culminate in a resolution or tidy ending.
Rating:
Summary: Caramelo
Review: I absolutely love Sandra Cisnero's writing, and Caramelo is no exception. Caramelo was such a wonderful story because it portrayed truth about Mexican culture and the things that a Mexican family goes through and experiences throughout life. One of the main issues I found very prominent was the idea that the characters made choices out of need and not out of want, which had a definite impact on the rest of their life. I also felt that there was the feeling that men and women were not connecting to the point where they could completly love eachother, there was not one character who did have a successful relationship with their partner. I think that this concept stems directly from the idea that because of the limitations, these characters made decisions that were convenient, like marrying because of pregnancy and not out of love. However, overall I would have to say that I loved this book and the fluttery language that it's filled with. Cisnero's is such a descriptive writer and her use of words makes the story imaginative and delightful.
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