Review by Booklist Review
Toxic masculinity and the perils of puberty combine in this gripping novel in verse that follows a teen on the edge of change, trying to decide what path he'll take. Elio's body is changing, his mind is changing, and his heart is changing, as it opens up to his first girlfriend, Camelia. Camelia makes him feel alive in ways he never knew he would feel, but this softening of his heart puts him in conflict with his macho father, aspects of the culture he has been raised in, and the festering of feelings at his middle school. When betrayal breaks his heart, Elio ends up hurtling into intertwined dangerous situations that will keep the reader propulsively flipping pages to see what choices he will make next. Full of insightful explorations of masculinity and teen culture and heartwarming ruminations on music and first love, and pulsing with tension, Salazar's verse jumps and flows like a rhythm as Elio's story unfolds. For fans of Kwame Alexander, Elizabeth Acevedo, and A. M. Dassu, this treatise on masculinity is couched perfectly in Elio's verse.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When 13-year-old Elio Solis starts eighth grade and notices that all of his classmates have begun pairing up, he doesn't understand their interest in love, until he meets Camelia. Suddenly, "all this love stuff smacked me/ on the jaw/ like a good right hook/ and knocked/ me/ out." They start dating, and Elio experiences the world in ultraviolet ("Glow in the dark outrageous./ It's what I see when Camelia's around") as they sneak kisses, share smoothies, and spend as much time together as possible. After their relationship ends badly and abruptly, Elio is left dealing with tumultuous feelings of anger, despair, and grief, which are amplified by the hormonal changes he experiences while undergoing puberty. Pops says he needs to "man up," but Moms wants him to break away from toxic displays of masculinity. In a succinct, conversational style, Salazar (A Seed in the Sun) humorously and introspectively depicts the effects of puberty on Elio's everyday life as he grapples with confusing messaging he receives about how to be a man. Issues around consent and patriarchal systems are handled with insight and sensitivity, culminating in a compassionate verse novel about first love, heartbreak, and vulnerability. Most characters are Latinx. Ages 10--up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt and Zacker Literary. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up--"Who invented love, anyway?" this verse novel queries. "Had to be a girl, right?" Elio, 13, quips--until Camelia sparks emotions that transform his world into "Ultraviolet./ Glow-in-the-dark outrageous." First love is all extremes, especially when first breakup means "everything is wrong." Pops tells him "Manning up is good for you" and drags him to a vicious cockfight; Moms declares she's "raising [him] to be a feminist," an ally against toxic masculinity. Pops works to shed "old-school Mexican beliefs" by joining the Brothers Rising circle for fathers and sons. When Camelia is victimized by a manipulative new boyfriend, Elio's anger is unstoppable. Bilingual Latine actor Ruiz perceptively embodies Elio's growth, adapting from wondrous to devastated, questioning to resolved. They're equally affecting as Elio's supporting cast, particularly his younger "mocosa sisters," his evolving Pops, toxic Chava; piano notes occasionally underscore Elio's full-of-feelings experiences. VERDICT Ruiz provides well-balanced entertainment and enlightenment.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Elio is in love for the first time--and he has no idea what to do about it. Eighth grader Elio Solis is only 13, but he's met the girl of his dreams. His feelings for Camelia are so profound that he sees things in ultraviolet: "Whoever heard of having your whole vision / change because you met some girl?" Growing up in East Oakland, California, Elio is trying to navigate social media, friendships, his family's Mexican culture, and his changing body--all part of his quest to understand what it means to be a good boy who will grow into a good man. What does that look like when your father takes you to cockfights and your mother warns you about toxic masculinity? Most of all, how do you handle the crushing blows of a first heartbreak? Written in Salazar's stunning and highly accessible verse, with Spanish words contextually woven in and easily understood by non-Spanish speakers, this novel stands out for the thoughtful way it expresses a young boy's perspective as it discusses topics such as masculinity and consent. Elio and his dad join Brothers Rising, a group started by Fernando, Elio's best friend Paco's dad, which offers them community and a framework for honest conversations about coming of age and masculinity, as well as a beautiful rendering of Indigenous Mexican rituals. A story that sings to the soul. (Verse fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
