DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Raquel Merediz shines with warmth and compassion in this moving performance. Middle school student Iveliz is severely depressed; she has PTSD because she saw her father die in an accident. Her grandmother, Mimi, comes to live with her and her mother, which adds to Iveliz’s stress because Mimi has Alzheimer's. Iveliz is also struggling with school and friendships. She is wary of medication and therapy, and her grandmother’s negative views about psychology are not helping. Learning how to cope with her anger and sadness is ongoing. Merediz compassionately voices all the characters in an emotionally demanding performance. She jumps from English to Puerto-Rican Spanish seamlessly. Her vocal range is very impressive, and she successfully portrays characters of a variety of ages and genders. A.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Award Winner
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
Children's Book Council Best of Book of the Year
Association for Library Service Notable Children's Book
"A lyrical, vital, and spunky debut about mental health, grief, and the healing power of self-love. A must read.” —Mariama J. Lockington, Stonewall Honor-winning author of For Black Girls Like Me
★ "Superbly woven; a bold, deep portrayal of a young voice who needs to be heard.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "A compassionate, stirring story that readers will not forget." —School Library Journal, starred review
★ "A candid narrative told in quick-moving, rapport-like verse, made accessible by Iveliz’s sarcastically funny, authentically tween voice." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A great reminder that no one is truly alone." —Booklist
"Relatable and powerful. . . . Iveliz’s first-person account amplifies the need for finding one’s voice and asking for help at any age." —The Horn Book
"Deeply moving and honest." —CCBC Choices
DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Raquel Merediz shines with warmth and compassion in this moving performance. Middle school student Iveliz is severely depressed; she has PTSD because she saw her father die in an accident. Her grandmother, Mimi, comes to live with her and her mother, which adds to Iveliz’s stress because Mimi has Alzheimer's. Iveliz is also struggling with school and friendships. She is wary of medication and therapy, and her grandmother’s negative views about psychology are not helping. Learning how to cope with her anger and sadness is ongoing. Merediz compassionately voices all the characters in an emotionally demanding performance. She jumps from English to Puerto-Rican Spanish seamlessly. Her vocal range is very impressive, and she successfully portrays characters of a variety of ages and genders. A.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-06-22
To navigate her school and home lives through depression and PTSD, a 12-year-old Latina girl retreats into her poetry and journal.
Seventh grader Iveliz plans to make this a great year despite recent trauma. Her abuela Mimi’s arrival from Puerto Rico means a chance to feel like a family again, filling in the space left by her father’s absence. But Mimi’s Alzheimer’s has progressed since the last time Iveliz saw her, and Iveliz’s fraught relationship with her distant, always working Mami doesn’t help to keep the peace either. Meanwhile, her friendship with Amir, a boy from Afghanistan, seems to be on the rocks, and Iveliz keeps getting in trouble at school thanks to bullies, an ill-conceived revenge plot, and awkward attempts to forge a new friendship. Going to therapy and managing her medication also eat away at Iveliz even as she tries to find solace in visions of her dad. Full of heartbreak and compassion, Arango’s debut crackles with refreshing frankness and wit. The author excels at building Iveliz’s voice through each poem, leading to a tale that’s quick to read yet hard to put down. The creative use of varied poetic forms supports moments of levity and catharsis. Final art not seen.
Superbly woven; a bold, deep portrayal of a young voice who needs to be heard. (author’s note, resources) (Verse novel. 10-14)
