Synopsis
Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met.
Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak.
As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some can’t understand why she doesn’t know where she comes from. Others think she’s “not brown enough” to fit in.
But time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to get to know each other, and the key to their connection may ultimately lie in bringing all these different elements together. Fixing a broken building is one thing, but turning these stubborn individuals into a found family might take more than this one summer.
From: HarperCollins
Notes on This Title
The main character of this title is a teen girl with one Guatemalan parent and one white parent. The supporting cast includes a Mexican-American lesbian woman and a queer teen boy of Guatemalan descent.
Awards
2024 Publishers Weekly Best Books - Young Adult
Reviews
Starred Review: “This energetic and emotionally grounded story hits the mark, culminating in a satisfyingly transformative tale.” (Source: Publishers Weekly)
“Beautifully profound.” (Source: Kirkus Reviews)’
“A great YA graphic novel for teens who are trying to figure out who they are or anyone who has ever felt like they were on the outside.” (Source: School Library Journal)
Interviews
YA Books Central: “Interview With Samuel Teer (BROWNSTONE)“