Coming of Age

Through the characters of Merci and Lolo, the novel argues that coming of age has its positive and negative aspects. Merci Suarez is in sixth grade as the novel opens and she notices the changes in her peers though she is reluctant to accept that she is moving into a new phase of life as well. Merci's grandfather, Lolo, is also facing dramatic changes in his life and both he and Merci are struggling to accept these changes, though Merci has to eventually accept that both kinds of aging are a normal part of life.

From the first day of sixth grade, Merci notices that some of the girls in her class seem to have matured dramatically over the summer. While they have all grown some, other changes point out the emerging maturity. Edna began plucking her eyebrows, for example, Merci's aunt, Tia Ines...