Chronically Dolores

by Maya Van Wagenen Narrated by Victoria Villarreal, Maya Van Wagenen

Overview

Maya Van Wagenen, bestselling author of Popular, tells Dolores's story with humor, heartache, and an occasional bit of telenovela flair.

“A striking fiction debut.”*-Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An insightful, funny, and realistic coming-of-age story.”*-Kirkus


Dolores Mendoza is not thriving. She was recently diagnosed with a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. The painful disease isn't life threatening, but it is threatening to ruin her life.

Just when things seem hopeless, Dolores meets someone poised to change her fate. Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones is glamorous, autistic, and homeschooled against her will by her overprotective mother. After a rocky start, the girls form a tentative partnership. Beautiful, talented Terpsichore will help Dolores win back her ex-best friend, Shae. And Dolores will convince Terpsichore's mom that her daughter has the social skills to survive public school. It seems like a foolproof plan, but Dolores isn't always a reliable narrator, and her choices may put her in danger of committing an unforgivable betrayal.

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2024 - AudioFile

Victoria Villarreal smoothly shifts between the languages, locations, humor, and heartache of Dolores Mendoza. Delores suffers with interstitial cystitis, a condition that caused a bladder accident in front of fellow eighth graders, a moment of shame that Villarreal powerfully conveys. Villarreal captures Dolores's curiosity in a priest's confessional, wit in the bathroom reviews she writes, and imagination in the telenovelas she creates. Villarreal's narration flattens as she portrays Tersichore, an autistic girl, whose affect contrasts with Dolores's high emotions. Villareal portrays minor characters as vividly as she renders Dolores's older brother, who is struggling to find himself. The author delivers her afterword about her writing and life journey with candidness. S.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159553867
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	03/26/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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