The Luis Ortega Survival Club
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of the National Book Award Finalist The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School comes a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing. An ideal next read for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson.
Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers—despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.
Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.
Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A teen struggles to contextualize her first sexual encounter in this searing read by Reyes (The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School), which tackles issues of assault and consent. After having sex with 18-year-old classmate Luis Ortega, Ariana Ruiz—an autistic, queer 16-year-old who experiences selective mutism—privately admits that she "hated every second of it." Worse, she feels guilty and ashamed because Luis "didn't even ask me if I wanted to have sex with him. Just kind of assumed," and he began spreading rumors that Ari is willing to sleep with anyone. Ari soon connects with classmates who have also been wronged by Luis, including his ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Together, the teens plot to bring him to justice, all while developing strong bonds and new relationships of their own. Some characterizations occasionally feel over-the-top, but it is easy to find points of connection with this empathetic cast. Via biting prose and insightful discussions of accountability, explicit consent, and what that looks like for one neurodivergent teen, Reyes crafts a thrilling tale of vengeance alongside sensitive depictions of sexual assault aftermath and recovery. Ari is Mexican; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 13–up.
