The House on Mango Street

I first got The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros for Ammon because it was required reading for his ninth grade English class. And I have no clue why.  It does not surpass the quality of any of the novels I read in ninth grade, and not nearly close enough to replace them! It's no To Kill A Mockingbird or The Chosen. Not by a long shot. 

Mango Street is told in short spurts by Esperanza, a girl who never really gives us her age or any information abut herself except that she wants  real home.  She does, however, tell us little snip-its about her neighbors in spurts of one or two ages.  It made it really hard to get into the book.  The reader barely knows the characters so one can't connect to them and there's no real story arc.  I'm unclear as to why Cisneros would write this or what story she is trying to tell.  I didn't enjoy this. I don't recommend it. And I certainly can't see a ninth grader enjoying or  learning from it.