Queen of Water analysis, Young adult literature

1. The Queen of Water by Laura Resau
Quantitative Dimensions of Text Complexity
Lexile 1200L
ATOS 6.5
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 8.1 (eighth grade)
Coleman-Liau 8 (eighth grade)
SMOG 6.6 (seventh grade)
Gunning Fog 9.7 fairly easy to read
Dale-Chall 6.32 (seventh-eighth grade)
Format
Size:The book is 15cm X 22cm, novels appear in lots of different sizes. It is a longer novel, so
the size fits it well so it does not become overly bulky. The is a popular size for hardcover
books. It has 352 pages.
Font: The text in this book is set in Bauer Bodoni 11.5. The font does vary at
different points in the book. Spanish word and words from the Quechua language
are italicized. When events are happening in her imagination the words are
italicized. The varying font makes the text more complex.
Layout: The right and left margins are 2cm. The text block is 10.5 cm. The
layout is traditional. The full pages have 30 lines of text. The first page and the
last page of each chapter are the only pages with more white space. The margins
are all standard. The layout does not vary throughout the book.
Construction: The Queen of Water is available in paperback, hardcover or digital.
The hardcover is constructed with high quality paper. The pages are a shade of
creamy white that make it easier to read than a pure white color. Considering the
amount of pages it is a lightweight book. The book is quite compact and not loose
at the spine. This makes the book very durable. The book opens and closes easily.
It will not remain open without assistance at any given page.
Organization: The book is divided into three parts. Part one, the main character
is a little girl. Part two, she has been living with her owners for three years and is
settled into her new life. Part three, she has decided to go home. The sequence is
logical. The first part consists of nine chapter. The second part is fifteen chapters.
The third part is fifteen chapter. The three parts are divided by a page labeling the

2. next part (Part 2), and no other text. Each new chapter is numbered but has no
title. The back of the book has a glossary and pronunciation guide which is very
useful.
Illustrations: There are no illustrations in this novel, it is a text-only book.
Audience
SMOG, Flesch-Kincaid and Dale Chale all place the reading level of this book at the 8th
-9th
grade level. This is the appropriate audience, but this title would be enjoyable to older teens
and adult readers. Book retailers and Booklist place this also in the middle school/high school
age range. Though the main character Virginia, ages from 7 to approximately 17 in this book,
the subject matter is best suited for a more mature reader than grade school, as her journey is
particularly harrowing. The story is mainly aimed at a teen audience as the bulk of the story
takes place as Virginia matures and deals with adolescence, with the story ending as she
approaches adulthood.
Levels of Meaning
Theme
This book’s theme is about the social structure of the poor indigenous people of Ecuador, the
Quito, and those of Spanish/Quito decent that are often wealthier. The wealthy take advantage
of the indigenous Quito people by taking their daughters as slaves and nannies. by making
vague deals with the poor families concerning wages and visiting rights. Virginia’s character is
often torn between her desire to be like her wealthy “bosses” and the loss of her indigenous
family. There is an ongoing theme of national pride versus the desire to have advantages that
money and education provide. Virginia, and those like her, are displaced and the feeling of
alienation lies within the structure of this story.
Conflict
The conflict within our heroin portrays the conflict of an entire nation. The basic struggle of
those who have and those who have not. At one point in the book, Virginia asks herself “Where
do you want to live? Do you want to live free and poor and covered in flea welts? Or enslaved,
with your own clean room and a shower with hot water? Who are you, Virginia? Who are you
really?” The loss of identity and living in near isolation is her reality if she wished to have her
basic needs met. Her family lives very poor, and as a young child she wants always for more
food and her own belongings, but the price of those needs in this societal structure, is her own
freedom. in addition to the thematic conflicts, more struggles exist between characters.
Virginia’s “bosses” are in constant conflict with each other. Virginia’s heart is also in conflict,
always torn between her hatred of the Doctorita and her love for the children she has raised for
her “bosses”.

3. Connections
Teens will be able to make connections with this character as Virginia feels like she wears too
many hats, always trying to fit but not knowing where she will be accepted. It is a natural part of
teen development to not know “who they are”, like Virginia who is forced into a life she both
loves and hates. She is compromised between wanting to be proud of her indigenous heritage
and the shame of being a poor longa, the slang she is labeled with. Teen should be able to
identify with her mixed feelings and confused relationships.
Structure
Setting: The setting begins in a small Andean village in Ecuador. Next, the setting moves to a
nearby larger village called Kunu Yaka, where Virginia lives with
her bosses. Finally, the setting moves to a city where Virginia furthers her education. As far as
mileage, there is not a lot of distance between the settings but they are worlds apart in social
classes. The living standards and lifestyles vary greatly. The first village consists of dirt huts
and fields of corn and potatoes. Lice and bedbugs infest their home. The larger villages have
modern conveniences such as electricity and plumbing much like our modern home in USA. As
the setting is on another continent it would be unfamiliar to most readers. The author gives a
vivid description of the villages with mountains dividing the two worlds. The story took place not
so long ago, in the 1980’s. The family was watching TV. MacGyver was a favorite show. At the
beginning of the book there is the sense the story took place long ago, but that was because of
the poverty and isolation of the first village. The book makes a smooth transition between
setting.
Plot: A young spirited girl is taken from her family to become a domestic slave. She dreams of
escaping from this life and becoming free and educated. Her charm fills the reader with hope
throughout the book. She suffers through physical and emotional abuse that leave the reader
aching for her freedom. The reader is kept in suspense wondering what direction her life will
turn. Will she escape this life? There are several different conflicts in the plot. She has to deal
with hints of forthcoming sexual abuse, puberty issues and physical abuse. There are issues of
identity crisis, clash of classes and cultural pride. The suspense climbs when she leaves the
boss's home. The reader is filled with hope for the future. New problems and decisions arise.
Will Virgina return to her roots or live a life of hidden identity? The reader feels a sense of
mystery and suspense throughout the book. The plot is a steady progression of realistic life
events.
Characters
Doctorita, Nino Carlitos and their children Jaimito and Andrecito make up the family of Virginia’s
“bosses”. Overbearing, highly educated Doctorita is a teacher and dentist. She is cruel and
portrayed as a portly and privileged as well as a bit neurotic. Nino Carlito is portrayed as a weak
but kindly person and is also a teacher. Doctorita is never satisfied with their income, so Carlito
hatches many strategies to get rich. Doctorita and Nino Carlito have very different ideas on how
their “adopted” daughter is to be treated. Doctorita hits Virginia and heaps derisions upon her,

4. whereas Carlitos is loving and attentive to the point of inappropriate attentions as Virginia
matures into womanhood. The little boys are loving and have the greatest admiration for
Virginia, who basically raises them both from infants. It is Virginia’s genuine love of the boys
that keeps her sane but also prolongs her imprisonment.
Virginian is hard working and full of spunk. She is determined to become free and educated.
She is a gentle, loving caregiver to Jaimito and Andrecito. She is torn between the classes and
culture. She is often described as “vivisima” in the story because of her clever wits. She is
physically and emotionally abused by the family she lives with. She feels abandoned by her
birth family.
Point of View
The story is told in first person point of view. The viewpoint progresses from approximately age
7 to 17. The view encompasses childhood through puberty to young adult.
Language Conventions
Style and Tone
This story is a fictional representation of a biography. The sentence structure is clean and
appropriate for the target audience, using regional titles and a mixture of Spanish and Quito
terms to give the flavor of the Guatemalan culture. It is written in first person so the reader is
intimate with Virginia’s suffering and shares her confusion for the actions of others. Virginia’s
character is emblematic of the struggle between these subcultures, in addition to being a likable
character who exemplifies perseverance and quick thinking.
Literary Devices
This story is based on real life events and the author has selected the most interesting and
emotional events from Maria Virginia Farinango’s life. The author uses imagery well to create
Virginia’s world, explaining the settings, native clothing, customs, food and dwellings. She uses
imagery to create the feelings around her characters. The Doctorita’s image for example, is
seen in the repeated use of overstuffed furniture in seemingly opulent fabrics. When talking
about the indigenous women, the quality of their jewelry is cited, is it painted and cheap or
fabricated from metal and stone. These images are repeated to illustrate the roughness and
primitive settings of Virginia’s parent’s home. Descriptive words like gritty, sticky, dry and hot
are used to create mental pictures of the native villages.
Knowledge Demands
The story tells of a land that most of us have never visited. Some geographical knowledge will
be needed to understand the setting. The use of words from foreign languages makes the text
more complex. There is a glossary at the back of the book that helps with the language barrier.

5. Reader Dimensions of Text Complexity
Envisioning Independent Readers
Independent readers need to read and comprehend text about countries and cultures different
than our own. We want our readers to be aware of worldwide issues. Independent readers can
read a book with no illustrations and yet have a vivid picture of the events in the book. Readers
will become very engaged in this book and filled with anticipation. It will promote reading for
pleasure. Text with no illustrations and yet have a vivid picture of the events in the book.
Readers will become very engaged in this book and filled with anticipation. It will promote
reading for pleasure
Adolescent Reader
Adolescent Development
During the adolescent years, kids will try on different identities in an attempt to figure out who
they are, who they want to be. Virginia is a character who embodies this same sort of
experience. She is Quito by birth, then she is thrust into a world full of those things that fill her
fantasies. She then desires what money and knowledge can bring, but in her journey to reach
that conflicts with her fragile grasp of being indigenous. Like the average teen, she also feels
invisible. Her captivity has forced her into a solitary existence and she is isolated like what
adolescence can perceive or inflict upon themselves through social awkwardness.
Reader Aptitude
Individual Makeup and Experience
This is a story of growth, alienation, cultural confusion and persistence. Adolescence, as stated
before, will find many situations to identify with as Virginia matures physically and mentally.
Readers who have experiences triumph over adversities or who seek the power to do so, will
also find text to connect with.
Interest
The striking cover photo of a beautiful Quito girl in her native costume, will attract those enticed
by culture based literature. The text itself would be interesting to those who are fascinated by
the studies of anthropology, sociology and psychology. This book delivers a rich insight into a
cultural system as well as basic human behavior.
Experience
The targeted audience are teenagers, so personal experiences will most likely make a
connection with the character. The story includes her horror at physical changes, first love, and
the fascination with pop culture icons. Virginia’s feelings of anger and betrayal, though caused
by different factors than the average teen will experience, will most likely be emotions that teens
will be able to identify with.

6. Motivation
This title would be of higher interest to a female audience. Not to say boys would not benefit
from it, but it is not a subject most male student would be attracted to automatically. This work
is for girls who are lovers of realistic fiction with real life situations will find appealing, and
motivating them to read about a spunky little survivor will involve little effort.
Overall Assessment
The complexity of this novel falls within the 8th
to 9th
grade reading levels, but would be
appropriate for grades up through 12th
. This book is written passionately by an author who
wished to share this harrowing story with the world. Maria Virginia’s real life experiences as a
poor Ecuadorian native created a basis for this title, making it a relevant text to enhance a
variety of lessons. It includes the fear of childhood, the angst of adolescence and the
determination of youth.