The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Rosie: Capricorn. Does great in class. Wants nothing more than to get into the prestigious Innovation Technical Institute and kiss this awful school goodbye. Her talisman: a magical jacket from her mother’s past that gets people to do whatever she says.
Caro: Leo. Rosie’s older sister. Always been closer to their estranged father – and always butted heads more with their strict mother. A trip to Dominican Republic for her father’s wedding leads her deep into family history that clears up any illusions about her parents she’s ever had. Her talisman: a baseball bat that fixes whatever it breaks.
Zeke: Certified Triple Pisces. Up in cold-ass Jersey City living with his aunt after his grandmother dies and his father moves to London to take care of his mother. He crushes on EVERYone – he knows he’ll find happiness in love, and maybe a way out of this depression. His talisman: a manifestation stone that will make anyone fall in love with him.
Rosie, Caro, and Zeke – and their talismans – find themselves intertwined in a magical, hilarious, and whip-smart Outsiders for the modern day, written by Camille Gomera-Tavarez, a 2022 Publishers Weekly Flying Start.
P R A I S E
★ “A hilariously great time… A perfect addition to any teen collection.”
–School Library Journal (starred)
★ “Dazzling.”
–Booklist (starred)
"A quick read and the characters are especially enjoyable… We all could use friends like this group of teens, and reading how they come together is a nice way to spend an afternoon."
–Locus Magazine
“Skillfully and chaotically represents the ups and downs of high school… a singularly compelling experience for readers.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Three New Jersey teens obtain magical items that will purportedly solve all their problems in this entrancing magical-realism novel by Gomera-Tavarez (High Spirits). Eager to escape her religious mother's strict rules, Dominican American Rosie can't wait to graduate and attend the Innovation Technical Institute. But following a physical altercation between her younger sister Caro and another classmate, who claims that Rosie was also involved, Rosie is kicked out of the Accelerated program, threatening her future pursuits. When she discovers a picture of her mother as a rebellious teen, Rosie—along with Caro and new friend Zeke, a queer Jamaican American who's managing depression following his intolerant mother's death—tracks down the sisters' magic-practicing aunt. Rosie soon procures a jacket that grants her mind control powers; Zeke receives a set of rings that allow him to choose his soulmate; and Caro finds an enchanted baseball bat that fixes anything it breaks. Initially, the teens enjoy the gifts, until they realize the danger the items also wield. Via the three teens' personable alternating perspectives, Gomera-Tavarez crafts a spell-binding tale that delves into Latin American culture, intergenerational trauma, and sexuality. Ages 12–up.
