First published 2025
Valentina Camacho stares at the wall of her bedroom, months after the accident that ended her fencing career. She was the top athlete at her gym before everything changed. Now she's finally cleared to return to the sport she loves. Vale expects her body to remember what it knew before. She expects to reclaim her place at the top. Instead, her movements feel foreign and slow. A new fencer named Myrka dominates the strip with perfect technique and natural confidence. Vale watches Myrka sweep aside opponents with an easy smile. The harder Vale trains to catch up, the more she struggles. Her injury isn't healing the way she hoped. Something deeper holds her back. Vale must decide whether to keep fighting for what she used to be or accept who she might become. This novel in verse from Newbery Honor winner Andrea Beatriz Arango follows one athlete's journey back to her passion and her discovery that personal worth extends beyond competitive success.
Genres: literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, sports
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
272 pages · Hardcover · Random House Books for Young Readers