First published 2022
Iveliz enters seventh grade determined to turn things around. She plans to make new friends, help her grandmother Mimi adjust after moving from Puerto Rico, and stay out of trouble at school. But Iveliz struggles with anger that flares when people say the wrong things. Her medicine helps her feel less sad, yet Mimi insists the medication is unnecessary. Iveliz finds herself caught between her mental health needs and her grandmother's beliefs. She must learn to explain feelings she doesn't fully understand herself while figuring out how to speak up when nobody seems to listen. The novel follows Iveliz as she navigates the challenges of middle school, family expectations, and her own emotional well-being. Through verse, her story reveals the difficulty of advocating for yourself when you're still discovering who you are. Those who truly love her will remain at her side as she finds her voice.
Genres: family-life, mental-health, contemporary, adolescence, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, found-family
Setting: Puerto Rico
Period: 21st-century
272 pages · Hardcover · Random House Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: mental-illness