Isabella Gonzales Sparknotes

After a hit and run accident, a young student finds herself targeted by an ambitious DA, when she’s unjustly accused of drug trafficking in jail.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

ISABELLA GONZALES (20’s) is a young waitress trying to make financial ends meet. She hopes to be a nurse. Her life changes when driving home on a rainy night and she hits something in the road. She notices blood on her car, but continues to drive home.

Isabella is shocked when she learns that she hit and killed DENNIS HOFFMAN. Isabella calls the EDWIN, the man she’s been dating, for help.

With her attorney, MICHAEL, Isabella turns herself into the police. An ambitious DA, JENNIFER DAVISON (40’s) wants Isabella prosecuted. Isabella is eventually charged, but agrees to a one-year

Isabella makes a phone call for Janice to her boyfriend asking him to bring tampons.

Isabella is released and ready to start a new life with Edwin, but things go horribly wrong when she’s falsely accused of drug trafficking. They claim the phone call she made for Janice was a code for bringing drugs. The DA is thrilled to have her arrested. This time she’s facing prison. She makes another deal.

In prison, a cellmate, SELMA, befriends and mentors Isabella to go on with her life and learn something. Isabella attends cosmetology school. She runs into Janice and her homie CRYSTAL. They attack Isabella and Isabella ends up in solitary confinement with more time. She emotionally pushes Edwin away from her. She wants him to move on with his life.

Selma, once again, mentors Isabella, who returns to the class. Janice conceals a shank and pretends to be a customer. Isabella is tempted to use the hair shears to cut Janice. Selma stops her, but Janice stabs Selma. She dies.

Edwin investigates the DA and learns she has a conflict of interest. A drunk driver killed her son. Edwin calls to have the case on Isabella reopened. Isabella is finally released; ready to begin her life with

He’s almost too perfect. Edwin never doubts Isabella, even when she acts cold and aloof towards him. Perhaps giving him some doubt and questioning her would elevate the personal tension and chemistry. Remember, great chemistry is created with the balance of conflict and attraction. Perhaps instead of Michael, Edwin is the attorney who represents Isabella.
Isabella has inner conflict, but at times she feels a bit detached and abrupt with people, making it more challenging to care about her. The audience still roots for her, but she’s not an endearing character. One reason may be because the audience doesn’t see her struggling enough with her decisions or making tough moral choices. At the end, it’s nice to see her write a letter to the family, although it would have been more effective if the audience had felt Isabella’s pain was genuine.
The secondary characters feels believable with the exception of the DA who would benefit from more developed and seems a bit one-dimensional. It’s leap to believe no one knows her background and the idea of a mental hospital stretches