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Title: The Luis Ortega Survival Club
Author: Sonora Reyes
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Release date: May 23, 2023
Synopsis: “From the bestselling author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School comes a story in the vein of John Tucker Must Die but tackling serious topics. It’s a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing.
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.”
After a traumatic and confusing first sexual experience, Ariana struggles with the aftermath: she’s labeled as a slut as rumors circulate, and she finds herself conflicted as she tries to sort through her feelings about what happened with cool boy Luis Ortega. As she grapples with the truth about that night, she finds community with several classmates; they come from different backgrounds but all have one common goal: take Luis Ortega down.
Can I even express how incredible this book is? I loved Sonora’s debut, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, but I think I loved this one even more! This compelling YA contemporary balances heavy themes like misogyny & rape culture with a thoughtful exploration of family and friendship, with a sweet queer romance woven in. This novel is about reclaiming your story and fighting for justice, but it also recognizes how finding joy, happiness, and your chosen people can be a form of resistance.
Ariana is a queer neurodivergent Latina girl, and there are numerous other queer & BIPOC characters in the supporting cast. This novel truly highlights the value of community as Ariana finds solidarity among classmates with shared experiences. I really appreciate that Reyes centers voices that are often left out of conversations around sexual violence. Reyes also portrays a complex mother-daughter relationship that will resonate with many readers. I also love that we get to see positive examples of boys/men who act as allies.
Ultimately, The Luis Ortega Survival Club is a powerful book about rape culture & justice, but it’s also a beautiful story of friendship and first love. Reyes brings new perspective and nuance to these topics, and I know that I’ll be recommending this one a lot at my library.
Have you read this one yet? If so, what did you think?
Books. Libraries. Also, cats. 