e-ALC, 03:59:31
Narrated by: Jasminne Mendez, Shayr Guthrie, Pamela Gold, Rae De Vine, Angel Pean, Jeremy Carlisle Parkler, Reynaldo Piniella, Naylb Felix, Aimarie Guerra
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape (Dial Books)
Read from: September 20, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a free ALC from the publisher’s app. I also got an ARC from the ALA Conference. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: Racism, Racial Slurs, Chronic Illness, Homophobia, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Ableism, Bullying, Cursing
For Readers Interested In: Realistic Fiction, Activism, Novels in Verse, Audio, Books about Books, Sparkly Covers, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Texas Local Reads, ToB 2026?The Pura Belpré Honor Award winning author of Aniana del Mar Jumps In makes her YA debut with a powerful novel-in-verse about a Texas teen who is battling racism in her theatre program and book banning efforts by her town’s school board.
Yulieta Lopez is angry. Angry at her racist drama teacher who refuses to cast Black students in lead roles. Angry at the school board threatening her favorite teacher for teaching works of literature that they deem “controversial.” Angry that she has to keep quiet until she can head to college and leave Texas forever.
Yuli is accustomed to playing various the diligent daughter, the honorable hija, the good girl who serves everyone else before serving herself. But as the fire of Yuli’s rage spreads and lights her up, she can no longer be silent. Determined to find a way to fight back, Yuli and her friends start a guerilla theatre club which stirs things up and gets people talking, and finally, Yuli steps into the role she was always meant to play.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I’m not huge on novels in verse, but seeing that this was the debut YA from a MG author that I’ve loved before, I needed to have it. And let’s be real, that powerful image on the cover was everything. I couldn’t wait to get this one in my hands.
And just as expected, this was amazing. I loved the characters. I usually feel like novels in verse are missing a lot of details because of what they are and what they’re trying to accomplish, but with this one, we know each character and they all feel really flushed out. And I mean from the besties to the teachers to the sibling to the parent. Everyone has a purpose in the story and everyone makes sense.
When I first read the synopsis I thought it sounded like it was going to be too much going on. Like why are we talking about book bans AND racism in her theater program? Both of those topics are huge and felt too big to be put alongside each other. And it does seem that they are, but somehow Mendez ties the two of these together and I mean seamlessly. It just proved how strong Yuli was because she managed to navigate both of these instances.
I loved the guerilla club idea. That was pretty bad ass. I hadn’t heard of this before, so I thought it was hella interesting. I loved the places that she picked and the things they did. I didn’t however like the outcome. That theater teacher got nothing and the one teacher who meant everything to them got the opposite. I know that’s how it really is in real life tho. I just wish for once we get to be the winners if that makes sense.
Overall, I give this
