Well-handled are Leigh’s genderqueer identity and Vanni’s bisexuality. The author richly and authentically describes the culture of a small New Mexico town, while welcomingly unitalicized Spanish enriches Vanni’s interactions with friends and family. A worthwhile addition to collections of contemporary romance with depth.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Vanni’s realization about her bisexuality is satisfyingly matter-of-fact, and her relationship with Leigh faces realistic teenage troubles. As much about self-discovery as it is about love, this moving coming-of-age tale is an ideal choice for fans of Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay.” — Booklist
“This book should have wide appeal for teens who feel trapped by their circumstances and family obligations.” — School Library Journal
Vanni’s realization about her bisexuality is satisfyingly matter-of-fact, and her relationship with Leigh faces realistic teenage troubles. As much about self-discovery as it is about love, this moving coming-of-age tale is an ideal choice for fans of Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay.
Vanni’s realization about her bisexuality is satisfyingly matter-of-fact, and her relationship with Leigh faces realistic teenage troubles. As much about self-discovery as it is about love, this moving coming-of-age tale is an ideal choice for fans of Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay.
09/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Vanni is stuck in small-town New Mexico, dreams of college dashed by her father's diagnosis of a chronic condition that will soon render him unable to care for himself. Loyal to her parents and their hard-earned family business (and fearful of whether this genetic condition has been passed down to her), she has resigned herself to a life of restaurant-work drudgery, flings with local boys, and watching her friends go out into the world without her. When she meets Leigh and Lucas, twins who have recently relocated from the northeast, things shift for Vanni in ways she never expected. Initially drawn to Lucas, she soon realizes that Leigh fascinates her more than any boy she's ever met. The two young women soon fall deeply in love, leading Vanni question her sexual identity. Leigh is mischievous and daring, pushing Vanni out of her comfort zone (and sometimes into trouble, like getting fired from the local water park where she played a mermaid). She is also critical of Vanni's resignation and insists that she, Leigh, will be leaving New Mexico the moment she turns 18. Their relationship is passionate and rocky, but ultimately life-changing for Vanni. A strong coming-of-age story, if at times just slightly predictable for sophisticated readers, this book should have wide appeal for teens who feel trapped by their circumstances and family obligations. VERDICT A good selection for most YA shelves.—Nora G. Murphy, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, CA
2017-07-02
When Savannah Espinoza's dad was diagnosed with Huntington's disease three years ago, her small-town New Mexico life went stagnant.Paralyzed by a secret fear that she, too, has inherited the hereditary disease, Vanni, a Latina, has abandoned her dreams of swimming on a college team and isolated herself from her friends. She now plans to spend the summer after graduation hooking up with boys and working at her family's Mexican restaurant. Things are stirred up when she meets pugnacious Leigh Clemente, a white girl, who's recently moved to New Mexico and wants nothing more than to leave. A turbulent relationship blossoms between the two, both of whom have their own reasons for feeling stuck. While Leigh's character shines, Vanni's personality is hard to pin down, which leaves the first-person, present-tense narration somewhat flat. Still, Vanni's well-crafted arc ends powerfully when she makes a hard choice in order to finally take charge of her life. Also well-handled are Leigh's genderqueer identity and Vanni's bisexuality, through which Podos affirms that identity is something people come to in their own time, on their own terms. Additionally, the author richly and authentically describes the culture of a small New Mexico town, while welcomingly unitalicized Spanish enriches Vanni's interactions with friends and family. A worthwhile addition to collections of contemporary romance with depth. (Fiction. 14-18)
Vanni Espinoza feels trapped in her small New Mexico town and by the possibility that she may have Huntington’s disease, like her father. With youthful energy, narrator Kyla Garcia reflects Vanni’s aspirations and fears as the recent high school graduate submerges her feelings through romantic dalliances and shifts at her family’s restaurant. All around her are familiar faces and places, brought to life through Garcia’s use of regional accents. Vanni’s complicated hopes for swimming, which is her refuge and passion, are revealed through the compromises she makes. When a new water park opens, Vanni develops close relationships with Lucas, an amiable lifeguard, and his younger, volatile sibling, Leigh. Garcia’s tonal shifts illuminate family dynamics, identity issues, romance, and the search for a future that seems forever out of reach. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Vanni Espinoza feels trapped in her small New Mexico town and by the possibility that she may have Huntington’s disease, like her father. With youthful energy, narrator Kyla Garcia reflects Vanni’s aspirations and fears as the recent high school graduate submerges her feelings through romantic dalliances and shifts at her family’s restaurant. All around her are familiar faces and places, brought to life through Garcia’s use of regional accents. Vanni’s complicated hopes for swimming, which is her refuge and passion, are revealed through the compromises she makes. When a new water park opens, Vanni develops close relationships with Lucas, an amiable lifeguard, and his younger, volatile sibling, Leigh. Garcia’s tonal shifts illuminate family dynamics, identity issues, romance, and the search for a future that seems forever out of reach. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
