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Students Across the Seven Seas
Heart and Salsa
Cat Wilcox has left chilly Boston for sunny Mexico and a summer of girl bonding with her best friend, Sabrina. But Sabrina has a surprise. She is accompanied by her boyfriend—a boyfriend Cat didn’t even know existed. So rather than Sabrina and Cat spending their study-abroad semester working together at the orphan school building site, Cat expects she’ll be hammering nails all by her lonesome. Then she meets Aidan. He’s cute, he’s smart, and he’s paying her a lot of attention. Cat can’t tell if he’s flirting or friendly, but she’s not sure it matters. Isn’t it easier to be just friends? But this is enchanted Mexico and, between hiking in the rain forest, diving off waterfalls, and finishing the orphan center, it’s going to take a little bit of salsa spirit, and a lot of heart, for Cat to make it through the summer unchanged.
214 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2006
10 people are currently reading
680 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Nelson
21 books630 followersWhen she was in kindergarten, Suzanne Nelson jotted down in a school keepsake album that she wanted to be a “riter.” Though she clearly had issues with spelling, she persisted, composing cryptic poems about rainbows, fairies, mud, and even "Star Wars" in spiral notebooks all through elementary school. When she was seventeen, she filled four journals with her handwritten first novel, titled “The Dream Keeper.” To escape her chores, she often lied to her parents about what time her shift started at the local fast food joint so that she could spend an extra hour writing in the parking lot in her mom’s faded Buick. Her first published novel was The Sound of Munich, followed by Heart and Salsa, The Ghoul Next Door, Cake Pop Crush, and Dead in the Water. She is a shameless fan of “The Sound of Music,” Hershey’s kisses, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen, and can often be caught daydreaming of romping about gothic castles in lovely Victorian gowns. She was born in New Jersey, grew up in Southern California, attended college in Texas, and spent eight years as a children’s book editor in New York City. She now lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
This installment in the S.A.S.S. series features Caitlin Wilcox, a student who is spending her summer in Mexico with the Students Across the Seven Seas program. Cat can't wait to spend time in Mexico, with its sunshine and clear blue ocean, to reunite with her best friend Sabrina, after spending the past few months with her mom and new stepdad in Boston rather than her sunny former home of New Mexico, and to practice her Spanish, a language she loves. Nothing, however, turns out as planned.
Sabrina has brought along her boyfriend, Brian, whose existence Cat hadn't even known of, and it's more difficult than it should be for Cat to get some face time with her best friend. Luckily, Cat quickly begins to make new friends; Aidan, Rachel, and Pete are all friendly fellow students. Even Izzie, Cat's host sister with whom she gets off to a rather rocky start with, turns into a friend. Spending her days building a school for orphans in the hot, humid weather of Oaxaca will be tough, but it'll be a lot of fun, especially with great friends!
When they're not working on the school, the students are doing their learning by traveling to nearby rain forests and museums. Cat and her friends are having a lot of fun, but she can't help but wish she had more time with Sabrina. Cat's even starting to suspect that Brian isn't as great as he seems, but she couldn't raise that issue with Sabrina...right? Cat's got her own boy troubles as well. Are she and Aidan just friends, or is there more to it than Cat would like to admit?
HEART AND SALSA is a fun read that will have readers wishing to escape to sunny Mexico right along with Cat! It's full of adventure in a foreign country, likeable characters, and romance. Cat is a character to whom readers will be able to relate, especially anyone who has ever had to move away from friends and family. The only reason Cat's mother agreed to let her go to Mexico was because they had just moved to Boston from New Mexico a few months ago, and adjusting is tough for Cat. While Suzanne Nelson's book is an entertaining, quick read, it's not particularly remarkable; it won't earn a place on my favorites shelf, but it was certainly worth reading!
This installment in the S.A.S.S. series features Caitlin Wilcox, a student who is spending her summer in Mexico with the Students Across the Seven Seas program. Cat can't wait to spend time in Mexico, with its sunshine and clear blue ocean, to reunite with her best friend Sabrina, after spending the past few months with her mom and new stepdad in Boston rather than her sunny former home of New Mexico, and to practice her Spanish, a language she loves. Nothing, however, turns out as planned.
Sabrina has brought along her boyfriend, Brian, whose existence Cat hadn't even known of, and it's more difficult than it should be for Cat to get some face time with her best friend. Luckily, Cat quickly begins to make new friends; Aidan, Rachel, and Pete are all friendly fellow students. Even Izzie, Cat's host sister with whom she gets off to a rather rocky start with, turns into a friend. Spending her days building a school for orphans in the hot, humid weather of Oaxaca will be tough, but it'll be a lot of fun, especially with great friends!
When they're not working on the school, the students are doing their learning by traveling to nearby rain forests and museums. Cat and her friends are having a lot of fun, but she can't help but wish she had more time with Sabrina. Cat's even starting to suspect that Brian isn't as great as he seems, but she couldn't raise that issue with Sabrina...right? Cat's got her own boy troubles as well. Are she and Aidan just friends, or is there more to it than Cat would like to admit?
HEART AND SALSA is a fun read that will have readers wishing to escape to sunny Mexico right along with Cat! It's full of adventure in a foreign country, likeable characters, and romance. Cat is a character to whom readers will be able to relate, especially anyone who has ever had to move away from friends and family. The only reason Cat's mother agreed to let her go to Mexico was because they had just moved to Boston from New Mexico a few months ago, and adjusting is tough for Cat. While Suzanne Nelson's book is an entertaining, quick read, it's not particularly remarkable; it won't earn a place on my favorites shelf, but it was certainly worth reading!
May 5, 2019
Really a 2.5 star read, but I liked the message, and Cat grew a lot as a character, so I rounded up.
I couldn’t stand Sabrina though. She was a terrible friend, and Brian was awful too. Cat’s relationship with Aiden was decent, and I liked that he was patient with her.
A typical read probably best suited to young teenagers, but overall cute.
I couldn’t stand Sabrina though. She was a terrible friend, and Brian was awful too. Cat’s relationship with Aiden was decent, and I liked that he was patient with her.
A typical read probably best suited to young teenagers, but overall cute.
September 2, 2023
ok yum
October 2, 2017
I was obsessed with reading these books when I was younger, normally when I was heading to Florida with my family. This was the first book I decided to reread, and it was... about what I was expecting. The writing is easy to read, the story progresses quickly, and there are plenty of heartwarming moments and teenage shenanigans to spare. There isn't much beyond that, so I would say these books are better geared for a younger crowd.
March 11, 2018
This is certainly not a literary masterpiece. And it’s written for the tween demographic which I am far past being a member of. But I didn’t care. Because this book was just FUN. I will definitely be reading more of the S.A.S.S. series. I just wish these books had existed when I was young. And I wish they had one for every state and every country. A perfect plane/beach/vacation read!
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June 30, 2022From Follett:
Sixteen-year-old Cat, forced to move from Arizona to Boston when her mother remarried, makes plans to spend the semester studying in Mexico with her best friend Sabrina, but her plans for a summer of beaches and bonding are waylaid when she arrives to find Sabrina on the arm of a new boyfriend.
Sixteen-year-old Cat, forced to move from Arizona to Boston when her mother remarried, makes plans to spend the semester studying in Mexico with her best friend Sabrina, but her plans for a summer of beaches and bonding are waylaid when she arrives to find Sabrina on the arm of a new boyfriend.
September 3, 2021
Swag as
January 6, 2017
perfectly good fluff!
August 25, 2024
This book is absolutely cute and not serious. It was an easy read that I flew through in a day. Definitely the non-thinker type. The story was sweet and very young adult.
I do think it was quite funny in the way that the characters talked. They talked like actors that were in their thirties trying to play high schoolers. The slang was a funny throwback (it is nearly 20 years old!) The flirtiness between certain characters was absolutely CRINGE. However, it was goofy and fun and it was good as a break between 2 more serious books in my reading schedule!
I do think it was quite funny in the way that the characters talked. They talked like actors that were in their thirties trying to play high schoolers. The slang was a funny throwback (it is nearly 20 years old!) The flirtiness between certain characters was absolutely CRINGE. However, it was goofy and fun and it was good as a break between 2 more serious books in my reading schedule!
January 4, 2015
This is the twelfth S.A.S.S. book -- out of fourteen -- that I've read, but, oddly enough, it's the first one I've read in which the protagonist has a decent grasp of the language of the country where she's headed. (Excepting, of course, the books taking place in English-speaking countries...) Points to Cat, the Mexican-bound heroine, for actually caring about things like other languages.
By and large enjoyable, with a heroine who's willing to admit her mistakes and who is genuinely enthusiastic about the work she's doing. I do want to know how it's possible that a decent Boston high school wouldn't offer Spanish, though. And why Cat promises to pronounce Itzel's name right and then refers to her as Izzie for the rest of the book. There's an interesting dynamic between Cat and Sabrina, though; it's very realistic in the sense of them drifting apart due to one's relocation, and also in the role Brian plays. (Loved it when Cat questioned whether Brian was as one-dimensional as he seemed -- would have loved it even more if he hadn't been.)
As an aside: It is not possible to go more than about a page and a half without one or more character smiling, grinning, or laughing -- or all three. (They also do a lot of sighing and giggling.) While I'm thrilled that they're so happy, it grates. Reminds me, painfully, of the way Anastasia Steele whispers, murmurs, and breathes most of her dialogue.
Still, it's entertaining, and there's a lot of Spanish, and glory hallelujah I even understood most of it without the translations. Hurray.
More general look at the series here.
By and large enjoyable, with a heroine who's willing to admit her mistakes and who is genuinely enthusiastic about the work she's doing. I do want to know how it's possible that a decent Boston high school wouldn't offer Spanish, though. And why Cat promises to pronounce Itzel's name right and then refers to her as Izzie for the rest of the book. There's an interesting dynamic between Cat and Sabrina, though; it's very realistic in the sense of them drifting apart due to one's relocation, and also in the role Brian plays. (Loved it when Cat questioned whether Brian was as one-dimensional as he seemed -- would have loved it even more if he hadn't been.)
As an aside: It is not possible to go more than about a page and a half without one or more character smiling, grinning, or laughing -- or all three. (They also do a lot of sighing and giggling.) While I'm thrilled that they're so happy, it grates. Reminds me, painfully, of the way Anastasia Steele whispers, murmurs, and breathes most of her dialogue.
Still, it's entertaining, and there's a lot of Spanish, and glory hallelujah I even understood most of it without the translations. Hurray.
More general look at the series here.
June 10, 2008
Cat just moved to Boston and she hates it. Due to her mom's recent remarriage to the geekiest history professor in the world, Cat's had to pick up and leave all her friends in Arizona. She is not happy about it and, in fact, she's determined not to give Boston a chance. She'll get through her junior and senior years and then head right back to Arizona for college. And luckily, Cat's come up with a plan to escape Boston for the summer, too! Her best friend Sabrina told her about the Students Across the Seven Seas study abroad program. So Cat's going down to Mexico to spend her summer with Sabrina, catching up on girl bonding, perfecting her Spanish, and helping with a community service project.
What Cat did NOT expect was that Sabrina would have a boyfriend who also came to Mexico. Sabrina's blowing her off to hang out with her boy toy. Cat's new roommate Izzie (daughter of her host family) has taken an immediate dislike to her and calls her an American princess. Mexico's not what Cat thought it would be at all...
I've been wanting to try one of the SASS books and I really enjoyed it! It's a little formulaic, but there are a lot of details about the places they go in Mexico. There's a host of likeable characters (none of which are particularly deep except for maybe Cat), some comic relief, and a predictable romance thrown in. I'll definitely be reading more in this series. It's perfect escapism reading.
What Cat did NOT expect was that Sabrina would have a boyfriend who also came to Mexico. Sabrina's blowing her off to hang out with her boy toy. Cat's new roommate Izzie (daughter of her host family) has taken an immediate dislike to her and calls her an American princess. Mexico's not what Cat thought it would be at all...
I've been wanting to try one of the SASS books and I really enjoyed it! It's a little formulaic, but there are a lot of details about the places they go in Mexico. There's a host of likeable characters (none of which are particularly deep except for maybe Cat), some comic relief, and a predictable romance thrown in. I'll definitely be reading more in this series. It's perfect escapism reading.
October 19, 2014
3.5 stars
Well, this is a one novel of Students Across the Seven Seas (S.A.S.S) yang bercerita tentang Caitlin yang pergi mengikuti program SASS ini dan memilih Meksiko sebagai kota tujuannya, karena 1) ia mencintai bahasa Spanyol, 2) kabur dari keluarga barunya, 3) bertemu dengan sahabat lamanya dari Arizona setelah ia dipaksa pindah ke Boston, 4) nope, tiga poin itu saja yang penting. Namun setelah ia mengikuti program itu terjadi 1) pacar beneran sahabat lamanya yang membuat sahabat itu berubah terhadap Cat, 2) bahasa Spanyolnya menjadi lebih bagus dan fasih, 3) mendapat teman baru dan keluarga baru, 4) berhasil menghilangkan sikap-friendzone-nya, 5) berhasil melapangkan hatinya bagi si ayah tiri, 6) bahwa semuanya akan berubah karena waktu dan jarak.
Yap, aku sudah mereview buku ini.
Rame, menarik kok, mudah membacanya, membuat ingin langsung menyelesaikannya dalam sekali baca. Namun terdapat beberapa terjemahan yang tampaknya kurang kata, seperti 'yang' dan seperti itu. Tapi tidak terlalu bermasalah bagiku.
Oh dan aku suka dengan si mata hijau! di Indonesia ada yang kayak dia nggak ya?
Well, this is a one novel of Students Across the Seven Seas (S.A.S.S) yang bercerita tentang Caitlin yang pergi mengikuti program SASS ini dan memilih Meksiko sebagai kota tujuannya, karena 1) ia mencintai bahasa Spanyol, 2) kabur dari keluarga barunya, 3) bertemu dengan sahabat lamanya dari Arizona setelah ia dipaksa pindah ke Boston, 4) nope, tiga poin itu saja yang penting. Namun setelah ia mengikuti program itu terjadi 1) pacar beneran sahabat lamanya yang membuat sahabat itu berubah terhadap Cat, 2) bahasa Spanyolnya menjadi lebih bagus dan fasih, 3) mendapat teman baru dan keluarga baru, 4) berhasil menghilangkan sikap-friendzone-nya, 5) berhasil melapangkan hatinya bagi si ayah tiri, 6) bahwa semuanya akan berubah karena waktu dan jarak.
Yap, aku sudah mereview buku ini.
Rame, menarik kok, mudah membacanya, membuat ingin langsung menyelesaikannya dalam sekali baca. Namun terdapat beberapa terjemahan yang tampaknya kurang kata, seperti 'yang' dan seperti itu. Tapi tidak terlalu bermasalah bagiku.
Oh dan aku suka dengan si mata hijau! di Indonesia ada yang kayak dia nggak ya?
May 21, 2009
The S.A.S.S. (Students of the Seven Seas) series takes a girl, puts her in a foreign country, and pretty much lets her be a teenager there. In *Heart and Salsa,* Cat Wilcox goes to Oaxaca for the summer to volunteer for a group building a school for orphaned children. She has recently moved with her Mom and brand new stepdad from Arizona to Massachusetts. Cat misses her friends, her diving team, hasn't taken well to the new Dad and finds Boston to be horrible. (she's crazy, huh!) Anyway, she meets her best friends in Oaxaca only to find that SAbrina has a tagalong--the heart throb boyfriend that she never bothered to mention to Cat. Lots of teen drama, and in its own fluffy teen drama fashion, the book offered slices of life in Oaxaca including geography, culture, foods, problem of poverty, art, and history. I liked it and think it will be easy to recommend these books to teen girls.
June 25, 2010
I think this might be my new favorite book in the series. I really liked Cat's journey and the maturity she developed by the end. So much of it rang true! When you move away, friendships can change in ways you don't expect. When a friend has a creep for a boyfriend, she won't always believe you. And most importantly, no matter how much you plan on life going in a certain direction, it can always surprise you in ways you never planned. All of these themes help to create a fascinating character on a wonderful journey. Loved it! :) I think Spanish students would particularly enjoy this installment since it takes place in Mexico and has many Spanish words and phrases throughout. Again, these are the kinds of books I feel good about sharing with teen girls. I love the positive messages they bring and diverse characters and settings. So good. :)
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March 4, 2012Caitlin Wilcox, a student who is spending her summer in Mexico with the Students Across the Seven Seas program. Cat can't wait to spend time in Mexico, with its sunshine and clear blue ocean, to reunite with her best friend Sabrina, after spending the past few months with her mom and new stepdad in Boston rather than her sunny former home of New Mexico, and to practice her Spanish, a language she loves. Nothing, however, turns out as planned. Cat is a character to whom readers will be able to relate, especially anyone who has ever had to move away from friends and family. The only reason Cat's mother agreed to let her go to Mexico was because they had just moved to Boston from New Mexico a few months ago.
October 18, 2011
Cat Wilcox is ready to hit Oaxaca, Mexico and leave cold dreary Boston, her mother, and her new stepdad behind. Ahead is a reunuion with her best friend, Sabrina, from Arizona, whom she hasn't seen since her mom forced her to move away from her life. Girl bonding and helping build a school for orphans are her plans for the summer, until Sabrina's surprise boyfriend, Brian, shows up in the program. Cat feels like she'll be all alone, until cute Aidan, another exchange student, starts being very friendly and attentive. But Cat isn't ready for a boyfriend, and it's alway simpler if you're just friends, right? Maybe not . . .
April 26, 2015
This is a reread for me.
Not the best book from sass series, but it stands in the middle.
This book mostly talks about friendship and family which I think are great. Especially the friendship between the main, Cat, and Sabrina. Though the long distance seems to be the reason of their conflict, it's such a shame that the big fight happens because of guy problem.
The sass program in this book sounds exciting. This time the main is participating in a community service program. The participants are having a big project of building a school for orphaned children. I think that's inspiring. It's an okay read, but still fun and enjoyable.
Not the best book from sass series, but it stands in the middle.
This book mostly talks about friendship and family which I think are great. Especially the friendship between the main, Cat, and Sabrina. Though the long distance seems to be the reason of their conflict, it's such a shame that the big fight happens because of guy problem.
The sass program in this book sounds exciting. This time the main is participating in a community service program. The participants are having a big project of building a school for orphaned children. I think that's inspiring. It's an okay read, but still fun and enjoyable.
December 2, 2009
I really liked this book. I really connected to the main character cat. I could feel her emotions. This book takes place in Oaxaca, Mexico. When I read the book I could see the clear skies and the bright blue waters. I have read this book multiple times and it never gets old. This book always makes me smile. The characters are fun and are always on the go. The main character in the book moved to Boston and she describes it in a funny way. I found it interesting to compare what I think of Boston, to what she thought of it.
December 29, 2014
This entry into the series was a little bit more edgy with its language and references than the previous ones I've read.
Kat was nice and relatable, and Mexico was vivid and lively.
I found myself often at odds with Kat's 'Growth', because she was more often than not right in the first place. Where the hell does a woman with a child get off marrying a man that she has been with for three months? And then uprooting said child part way through the semester? Sabrina's behavior can mostly be written off as crappy teenage crap, but Kat was more right than wrong.
Kat was nice and relatable, and Mexico was vivid and lively.
I found myself often at odds with Kat's 'Growth', because she was more often than not right in the first place. Where the hell does a woman with a child get off marrying a man that she has been with for three months? And then uprooting said child part way through the semester? Sabrina's behavior can mostly be written off as crappy teenage crap, but Kat was more right than wrong.
January 5, 2014
A summer with a community service program and her best friend Sabrina in Mexico sounds like the perfect antidote to Cat's new life in Boston. But she arrives in Mexico to find that Sabrina has a new boyfriend and reconsiders her own attitude about dating when she meets the cute Aidan. This was a cute and fluffy quick read. Cat is a spirited, relatable main character who grows realistically over the course of the book and Aidan is a picture-perfect love interest. The book's main themes are drummed in a little too bluntly, but, in the end, Heart and Salsa is just pure fun.
July 16, 2012
This is the first book from this series that I have read though I do have some others floating around in my collection.
Like a number of the YA books I have read I probably would of gotten more out of it had I read it when I was a teen though as an adult I still enjoyed it. I thought Cat was an interesting and believable character, the romance element was sweet and I could see this book and others in the series encouraging teenage girls to travel.
Like a number of the YA books I have read I probably would of gotten more out of it had I read it when I was a teen though as an adult I still enjoyed it. I thought Cat was an interesting and believable character, the romance element was sweet and I could see this book and others in the series encouraging teenage girls to travel.
May 4, 2008
Finally finished this piece of crap. I thought it would at least be cute in that like "this is such a girl book" way, but it didn't even hold my attention on that end.
This book was honestly such a waste of time, it makes me wonder how people like this author get published. Can I get a book deal? Honestly?
This book was honestly such a waste of time, it makes me wonder how people like this author get published. Can I get a book deal? Honestly?
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May 4, 2009S.A.S.S. books (Students Across the Seven Seas, penguin.com/sass) are perennially popular, with girls of all ages/reading levels/interests, in my library. This one has a community-service element (summer spent building school for orphans in Oaxaca), plenty of Spanish, and an athletic heroine (championship diver). Yes, completely predictable, but fun.
August 6, 2014
This book was great, as just like in Spain or Shine, I was able to identify more with the characters as they conversed in Spanish. The plotline was good and interesting, and the fact that they were doing more than just taking classes by building a school for orphans was interesting. I have worked with Habitat for Humanity before, so I identified with this book on yet another level.
March 10, 2016
This book was really good. At first, when I read the blurb about Cat's best friend, Sabrina, bringing a guy along, I thought it would be boring, but then I decided to give it another chance.
I had a feeling that Sabrina's new and first "boyfriend" would either be perfect for her or break her heart...if you want to find out, you should read it, it's a GREAT book!
I had a feeling that Sabrina's new and first "boyfriend" would either be perfect for her or break her heart...if you want to find out, you should read it, it's a GREAT book!
January 26, 2008
Seiously. She moved from Arizona to Boston, and was so upset about it she had to go on exchange to Mexico? I understand why anyone would want to go to Mexico, but why would you hate Boston that much??? What??? I am extremley jealous of Cat.
September 6, 2008
I really liked this one because even though in this one they had some some school most of the time is spent with the helping hands group buliding a new school for orphanes. i thought it was cool and the descriptions about mexico is so cool. you can really picture mexico
July 13, 2010
I finished this book in two sitting, completely absorbed in the story and sad to see it end. I had a hard time getting engaged for a while but I loved the characters and the story by the end and am looking forward to reading other books in the series.
May 10, 2011
Cat was just a funny character. I wouldn't really count this as Romance, though.
Cat definetely has the Salsa Spirit!
It was sweet! I like the S.A.S.S. series, I should continue if I still like it! :)
Cat definetely has the Salsa Spirit!
It was sweet! I like the S.A.S.S. series, I should continue if I still like it! :)
June 9, 2007
I think that this is my favorite book of the S.A.S.S. series! it shows that you cant give up your dream just because you have to move or change.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews