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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Two teens are sent to Mexico for the summer to unplug in this hilarious and heartwarming dual narrative, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, Erin Entrada Kelly, and Meg Medina
“The dual narration slips fluidly between one consciousness and the other, a neat split-screen effect that brings alive each character’s experiences inside and out.” —The New York Times
★ "A powerful contemporary coming-of-age story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Relatable [and] vivid.” —Booklist, starred review
"An accessible, heartwarming story." —Publisher's Weekly
It's finally summer—heck, yeah!
With eigth grade done, Elio Solis plans to lock in on his gaming and show the fellas what he's got.
Celi Rivera and her bestie are headed to Hawaii to sun, skate, and search content for her channel.
But those dreams end when a catfishing incident rocks their Oakland community. Suddenly, parents are nosing in posts, taking phones, and laying down lectures about screen-time safety and well-being. Suddenly, Celi and Elio find themselves sent to rural Mexico, without internet, electricity, or even running water save for a dying stream that could wipe out the whole pueblo in the coming summer rains.
Helping curanderas in a healing clinic... carting sticks to rehabilitate the arroyo... turn summer dreams to misery!
But day by day, in nature, beauty, and community, with crushes blooming, can they find their way to each other—and slowly back to themselves?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this thought-provoking contemporary verse novel, Salazar (Ultraviolet) turns a compassionate eye toward two 13-year-olds seeking online validation who learn to unplug. Celi dreams of becoming an influencer, masking shame about her appearance behind carefully curated social media posts. Elio, reeling from a breakup and recovering from heart surgery, retreats into an all-consuming video game habit that tanks his grades. When a video of Celi twerking at a party goes viral, her parents send her to spend the summer with her no-nonsense tías in Mexico. Meanwhile, Elio—similarly exiled for his poor academic performance—crosses the border to stay with a family friend and complete an environmental project intended to pull him offline and back into the world. With her aunts' guidance, Celi learns the rhythms of herbal remedies and intergenerational care, while Elio finds purpose reinforcing a riverbank to prevent flooding. After a minor injury brings Elio to Celi's doorstep, their hesitant friendship blossoms, rooted in shared vulnerability and cultural rediscovery. Though some slang may already feel dated to savvy readers, spare, briskly paced lines sensitively explore addiction, bicultural identity, and body image. The result is an accessible, heartwarming story that offers timely reflections on authenticity in the digital age. Characters are Latinx. Ages 10–up.
