Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip—from debut author Angela Velez.
Overachiever Luz “Lulu” Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school’s cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can’t fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste.
Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college, or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own Spring Break plans (Operation: Lose Your Virginity) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she’d never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is.
On a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara’s secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood.
Format
Page Count
Trim Size
Dewey
AR
Genre
Scholastic Reading Counts
JLG Release
Book Genres
Topics
Standard MARC Records
Cover Art
Gr 9 Up-The Zavala sisters have always been close, but ever since eldest sister Clara left Baltimore to attend college in Iowa, things have been different. Lulu is just as dedicated to school as Clara was, and has received an interview invitation to a summer program at Stanford. Milagro is focused on her boyfriend Pablo and trying not to get too many detentions. When Clara returns home during winter break, the sisters and their mom realize that something is different-Clara has changed, but she won't talk to Lulu or Milagro about what is going on. As Lulu prepares to go on a weeklong trip visiting colleges, Milagro's plans for intimacy with Pablo change as she discovers he's not who she thought, and she suddenly finds herself on the bus with Lulu. Throughout the trip, the sisters struggle with finding out what they want to do in the future; Lulu wants Clara to patch things up with their mom so she can also have the opportunity to go away for college, while Milagro makes forgetting about Pablo her priority. As they go from college to college, the sisters discover that their future can be different from what they imagined, but that that's not a bad thing. And as they get closer to the end of the trip, they find out important truths about themselves and about Clara. VERDICT A funny, heartfelt story filled with unique and unforgettable characters, the strength of sisterhood and family, first love, and a love for STEM and the arts, this young adult novel will have readers laughing out loud while also thinking about their own future. Highly recommended for young adult collections.-Selenia Paz