Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend

by Brandon Hoàng

Overview

A contemporary YA debut about a Vietnamese-American boy who tries to attain popularity by befriending the most beautiful girl in school, inspired by the Vietnamese-American author's teen experience.

Gary Võ is one of the few Vietnamese kids in his school and has been shy for as long as he can remember—being ignored and excluded by his classmates comes with the territory. So when the most popular guy in his grade offers Gary the opportunity to break into his inner circle, Gary jumps at the chance. All he needs to do is steal the prized possession of the most beautiful and untouchable girl they know—Gloria Buenrostro.

But as Gary gets to know Gloria, he’s taken in by her authenticity and genuine interest in who he really is. Soon, they’re best friends. Being part of the “in crowd” has always been Gary’s dream, but as he comes closer to achieving infamy, he risks losing the first person who recognizes his true self. Gary must consider if any amount of popularity is worth losing a true friend.

YALSA 2024 Best Fiction for Young Adults List
SCBWI Golden Kite Award Finalist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374388584
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	06/27/2023
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Brandon Hoàng is the author of the YA debut, Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Brandon grew up coveting The Baby-Sitters Club books and slurping pho noodles. Before he was a writer, Brandon spent 10 years as an animation executive. Now a television writer by day and novelist by night, he currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters. You can visit him on his website or cringe at his tweets.
Brandon Hoàng is the author of the YA debut, Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Brandon grew up coveting The Baby-Sitters Club books and slurping noodles. Before he was a writer, Brandon spent 10 years as an animation executive. Now a television writer by day and novelist by night, he currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.

Editorial Reviews

04/24/2023

Gary Võ and his best friend Preston Tru˘,o˘,ng, both 16 and Vietnamese American, often feel invisible in their majority-white school. But when popular kid Jordan Tellender, who reads as white, offers Gary the chance to be initiated into his exclusive Rooster Society, things begin looking up for the two friends. All Gary needs to do is befriend beautiful classmate Gloria Buenrostro—and steal and deliver to Jordan one of Gloria’s personal items, “worthy enough to be deemed a token” of Gary’s loyalty to Jordan and his crew. After a brief misunderstanding, Gary finds himself tandem biking across town with Latinx-cued Gloria, making deliveries for her family’s tailor and tamales business. Pressure from Jordan reminds Gary of their goal, but as Gary and Gloria grow closer, they open up about their lives in a way they never have with their friends or families, causing Gary to reconsider whether popularity is worth everything he could lose. Their easygoing relationship adds levity to thought-provoking themes of wealth privilege, stereotyping, and insecurity. In this sweetly rendered debut, Hoàng employs well-paced plot points and dynamic character development that coalesce into an amicable tale. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Jennette, Stonesong Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

YALSA 2024 Best Fiction for Young Adults List
SCBWI Golden Kite Award Finalist

"An uplifting debut about true friendship and being comfortable with who you are instead of chasing who you want to be." —Loan Le, author of A Pho Love Story

"The friendship between Gary and Gloria is one for the ages. I'll be holding these two characters in my heart forever." —Margot Wood, author of Fresh

"Sweet, funny, and bighearted, GLORIA BUENROSTRO IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND is a treat." —Elana K. Arnold, author of What Girls Are Made Of

"[Gloria and Gary's] easygoing relationship adds levity to thought-provoking themes of wealth privilege, stereotyping, and insecurity." —Publishers Weekly

"This is a sincere story of unexpected bonds and self-discovery. The lightness of the summer adventures is balanced by raw, honest conversations and depictions of Gary’s poverty and Gloria’s parents’ conflicts." —Kirkus

From the Publisher

Successfully conveying teenage angst, David Lee Huynh infuses his performance with longing and youthful doubt as he delivers the story of Gary Võ. Gary and his best friend would do anything to be popular in high school. Then the notorious "Rooster Club" learns that Gary has befriended the most beautiful girl in school, Gloria. They challenge Gary to steal something from Gloria to join their club. Getting to know Gloria, Gary learns that her life is far from ideal. Gary shares his own challenges. As he develops feelings for Gloria, can he bring himself to steal from her? Huynh's voice has the perfect tone and cadence for a believable adolescent. Deftly voicing all the characters regardless of gender or ethnic background, he adds continuity to the story. A.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2024 - AudioFile

2023-04-12
A boy befriends the most beautiful girl in school, hoping to get in with the popular crowd.

It is the summer before junior year, and Gary Võ and best friend Preston are ready for a change. Being working-class Vietnamese American kids at a mostly White school in a wealthy neighborhood means they are always on the outside. So, when Gary runs into Gloria Buenrostro, his accomplished, popular Mexican American classmate, making deliveries of altered clothes and tamales in his neighborhood, he takes the opportunity to get to know her. When the popular boys catch wind that Gary is hanging out with Gloria, they offer him and Preston the opportunity to join their club, the Rooster Society. All Gary has to do is steal the silver bracelet Gloria always wears as a trophy for the society’s collection of possessions taken from “the hottest girls in school.” As the summer goes on, Gary and Gloria become close and open up to each other. With mounting pressure from Preston and the Roosters, Gary struggles with his desire to be popular and the potential loss of a real friend. This is a sincere story of unexpected bonds and self-discovery. The lightness of the summer adventures is balanced by raw, honest conversations and depictions of Gary’s poverty and Gloria’s parents’ conflicts. Mental health and toxic masculinity are also explored throughout the novel.

A moving story of true friendship. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews