VBT# Ben and Beatriz - Katalina Gamarra

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Ben and Beatriz

VBT# Ben and Beatriz - Katalina Gamarra - August 2022

I have always had a thing for renditions and Shakespeare's plays are ones I have enjoyed reading or watching set in today's world. Ever since I first watched The Best Men - a 1994 movie based on Hamlet or 12-year-old me watching the movie 10 Things I Hate About You on the big screen and it becoming one of my all-time favorite movies. So, whenever I see a new book based on a classic etc. I always try and give it a go. Ben and Beatriz surprised me with how easy the story flowed and how much I enjoyed it as I wasn't expecting a lot as hadn't heard much about this story. I think why this book stood out more is that it is set in the year 2016/2017, a world where Trump has just made President over Hillary Clinton and declared his distaste against people of colour. A world before Covid, but a world where racism was becoming very clear-cut. Our male character Ben is white and belongs to the "rich upper-class" and tends to have everything handed to him on a platter. On the outside he looks just like every other white rich boy, but underneath his upbringing bravado, lies a nerd who loves Jane Austen and playing Magic the Gathering. Beatriz is Puerto Rican and has a real hang-up about being treated differently due to the colour of her skin. She has been judged by everyone since she was a baby. Beatriz and Ben have this love/hate relationship and a lot of angst and grief between them which we read as they overcome their back and forth playing with each other's feelings. Ben and Beatriz have something for everyone as we have John - Ben's older brother who is very privileged and acts it - he is also a druggie and possibly a closet gay, Peter - Meg's brother - who always hangs around John and his Asian and gay,  Meg - an Asian who has a drinking problem and is bisexual, Claudio - Ben's best friend who is Italian, Hero - Beatriz's cousin who is Puerto Rican but tends to get passed as White as she has blonde hair and blue eyes - she is dating Claudio and is in a moment of discovering she may be asexual, Ben - who is a straight white male with a nerdy love of literature and then Beatriz who is Puerto Rican and pansexual.  Each of the above characters plays an important part in this story as a whole. Ben and Beatriz are also based on the Shakespeare play "Much Ado About Nothing".


Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vGpmsz







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