Publishers Weekly
06/24/2024
Colombian American 11-year-old Luchy Zapata is thrilled to be starting middle school in Miami with her best friends Cami and Mateo. But since returning from her summer trip to Colombia, Cami has been acting distant and seems concerned with projecting a more mature image. With their once-easy friendship now marred by “awkwardness full of sharp edges,” Luchy—with the help of dependable Mateo—tries to win back her friend. She makes a scrapbook celebrating their shared history and even attempts to modify her style with makeup and “cool” clothes. She eventually joins Cami on the middle school soccer team, certain that doing so will give them more time together and thus fix everything (it might also make Luchy’s soccer-obsessed papi proud). But when Luchy’s cleats go missing on the day of tryouts—and she realizes that Cami is the only other person who knows her locker combination—Luchy vows vengeance. Told via thoughtful and confidently rendered narration, this sincere tale of diverging friendship by Alessandri (The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía) is augmented by organically layered subplots surrounding Luchy’s feelings of disconnect from her Colombian heritage and her steadfast friendship with Mateo. Ages 8–12. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary (July)
Amanda Rawson Hill
"The perfect book for those awkward middle school years. Luchy is the hero every reader in between childhood and adolescence needs—messy, relatable, and remarkable!"
Andrea Beatriz Arango
"Funny and relatable, Grow Up, Luchy Zapata will have you rooting for Luchy even as she makes some questionable decisions—glitter, anyone?—in an effort to win her best friend back. This one is a must for any kid navigating the roller-coaster of a friendship breakup."
Adrianna Cuevas
"A heartfelt exploration of changing friendships and the challenges of growing up. Alessandri presents a pitch-perfect story with a main character young readers will relate to and cheer for as Luchy navigates a new school and evolving relationships."
Anika Fajardo
"Alessandri not only captures Luchy’s painful–and painfully relatable–experiences, but also beautifully seasons the story with Colombian food, culture, and art as Luchy tries to figure out her place in not only middle school but also her community."
Kirkus Reviews
2024-04-20
Lucía Zapata and Camila Ramirez have been best friends since they were 2.
When Cami finally returns to Miami from spending summer vacation visiting family in Colombia, Luchy, who’s also Colombian American, is thrilled. She’s ready to begin sixth grade with Cami and Chilean American Mateo, her other bestie, by her side. Surely nothing could go wrong. But after Luchy is thrown into the world of middle school, she experiences challenges beyond even her many worries. Cami is suddenly “extra. Extra makeup. Extra cool. Extra popular,” and she thinks Mateo’s Spider-Man book bag and Luchy’s colorful leggings don’t project the right image. But why should Luchy change for anyone else? Still, as Cami makes friends who she says are more “mature” and less “babyish,” Luchy becomes desperate to get her BFF back. She tries a new look and makes a scrapbook tribute to their friendship, but when those efforts don’t yield the desired results, Luchy decides maybe she should teach Cami a lesson instead. Can they learn to understand each other, or will their friendship be ruined forever? Alessandri’s latest explores classic middle school themes of trying to fit in versus being yourself, and readers will see themselves and their peers in both Luchy and Cami. The infusion of Colombian cultural elements and Spanish phrases makes this stand out.
A sincere journey of navigating friendship and self-discovery. (Fiction. 8-12)
