Andrea Portes

LA TIMES BESTSELLER
MAY BOOKSENSE PICK

HICK by Andrea Portes

“[A] knockout…[a] bold, brash, up-yours coming-of-age story rubbed raw with gritty sexual awakening.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune

“In her debut novel, Portes paints a poignant picture of a teenage girl fleeing her past and landing in Vegas, where she’s forced to grow up fast.”—OK MAGAZINE

“A bracing drama, a study in tenacity against the gnarled teeth of domestic storms.”
—The Los Angeles Times

“Reading Portes alongside Raymond Carver, for example, might show you just how overrated an author he was… there are a number of individual, glittering sentences that should simply be framed and hung in the Smithsonian.”—Peter Quinones, The Bohemian Aesthetic

“Hick by Andrea Portes is the best literary release of 2007, hands down…Completely blew me away…do not not read this book. this is a spectacular debut.”—Tony Dushane, Drinks with Tony

“HICK is a terrific and addictive read. It just barrels along, fueled by the adrenalin and enthusiasm of its youthful narrator.” –The Kansas City Star

“The repetition of phrases and words is reminiscent of Gertrude Stein with a lyrical quality all it’s own. With a meandering style that is part stream of consciousness and part commentary, Luli’s journey offers up a view of America that is at once starkly revealing in its accuracy and unnerving in its honesty. HICK is a simple book with a subtly complex message that works as social commentary as well as a sort of disturbing coming of age.” – the celebrity café

“Hick is an engrossing coming-of-age novel by Andrea Portes…It’s an auspicious beginning from a writer who knows a good story and how to tell it. Impressive…Luli is so well-drawn and her voice so original and authentic that the reader can’t help but get caught up in her story.”—--Dallas Morning News

“Portes’ writing and Luli’s courage make this book a standout and, at times, beautiful novel.”
-The Omaha World Herald

“[A] smart and sassy tale.”—The Oregonian

“Portes is an edgy writer whose talent is apparent on every page. Her honest, raw portrayal of Luli is harrowing, yet Portes also punctuates many of her observations with a keen and jaded humor. Hick announces the arrival of an exciting young voice. Portes’ snappy prose shines through despite the disturbing plight of young Luli…“—The Rocky Mountain News

“Hick, by Andrea Portes, is an extremely-well written novel whose clever dialogue is both hilarious and pathetic… Hick is fast paced, it is original, it is an outstanding novel of perseverance and courage” –Blogcritics Magazine

“An exceptional debut effort and hopefully the beginning of a great career.”—Dan Wickett, EmergingWriters.net

“It’s Luli’s musings on her life, and its meaning, that lie at the heart of this brilliant first novel…”—Taconic Newspapers

“It’s the detached out-of-body point of view that allows understatement rather than melodrama to make passages stand out and eventually drive a tragic spike through the heart.” – Silent City

“Saucy and gritty.”—bookreporter.com

“[A] heartbreaking tale of growing up in an alcoholic household in rural Nebraska. The teen narrates her picaresque coming-of-age story in an authentic voice, liberally sprinkled with grammatical errors, Western accents, and creative profanity. The short chapters, well-drawn characters, and natural-sounding dialogue give the book a cinematic atmosphere….Luli is real and likable; her honesty, insecurities, and coping mechanisms will have readers rooting for her throughout the story. Hick is filled with difficult themes: sexual exploitation, unsavory adults, drug use, and poverty, but Luli keeps her chin up and embodies the human will to survive. This is an ultimately hopeful story that will appeal to teens who like problem novels and contemporary realistic fiction.”—School Library Journal

It deserves a 10…, June 4, 2007

“…for a few reasons. a.) It is extremely well-written. The prose is sharp. Not just “sharp” but razor sharp. It cuts. It hurts. It slices right though you. b.) It’s clever. Makes you think. Makes you wish you’d written that last line yourself. c.) It’s honest. This is how we live now. These are the times of “our” lives. No one has said it better. No one has made it hurt so bad and sound so good. Read it.”

..>..>..>..>..>..>..>..>

By	Chris Mclaughlin “teamsheltie” (N Eastham, Ma USA) – See all my reviews

The writing almost too good: you stop turning the pages to reread! Aug. 12, 2007

“I started reading Hick on a flight and resented arriving to my destination because I wanted to continue reading. The narrator takes you back to an America you may or may not know personally, but makes you feel at home there. And she takes you to places which are entirely uncomfortable as well, though with a resigned and non judgemental voice which has the effect of drawing you in even more to Luli’s journey. The book is captivating. The metaphors, descriptions, and in your face foreshadowing are so well written that I often found myself saying “good one” and rereading just for the pleasure of it, before turing to see what jems the next page offered. I look forward to Ms. Portes next book.”

..>..>..>..>..>..>..>..>

By	S. Pryce (Barcelona, Spain) – See all my reviews

A major talent in the making, August 8, 2007

“A debut author like Andrea Portes emerges only once in a generation. In a voice that is fresh, raw, and haunting, Portes takes us into the taboo world of pubescent female sexuality through Luli McMullen, a thirteen-year-old vixen wannabe who unflinchingly relates the sordid details of her life while blithely popping her bubble gum. Stark and disturbing, HICK is ultimately uplifting, a reminder that shedding the blinders of our naiveté always extracts a price in pain–even for a child deprived of innocence. This rich and complex novel is the first work of a major talent in the making.

..>..>..>..>..>..>..>..>

By	R. Ramos<b> – See all my reviews >

Bulldozing of America, July 18, 2007

An unforgettable author and an unforgettable tale. Hick is not just the story of a young girl who’s embarked on a perilous journey, but also a rich description of the American landscape, a landscape the author recognizes is fast disappearing. She captures the sense of awe we feel as we travel America, even as she observes that it is being slowly and inexorably bulldozed over by commercial interests, a topographical upheaval driven by the dollar. As she travels west, Luli cherishes the uniqueness of each vista, and her descriptive powers cause us to lament the continuing homogenization of the land she describes with such vividness and poetry. Her voice is insistent and strong. A spectacular first novel.

..>..>..>..>..>..>..>..>

By	Doug James (Ames, IA) – See all my reviews

“Andrea Portes knock-out debut novel, Hick, is getting the kind of reviews that make you want to open up a long-neck beer, put your feet up and settle back for a wild ride of a Saturday night read.”-San Diego Writers Ink