June 1, 2022
A decision backfires, putting the marching band and Yasm�n's dreams in jeopardy. Yasm�n Trevi�o is a Type A personality, a Mexican American sophomore with high academic ambitions who is nothing if not determined. After her freshman year was ruined by Hurricane Humphrey, which hit her Texas town, Yasm�n is sure that this will be the year when she turns everything around. Specifically, she aims to conquer what has been her main goal since fourth grade: moving beyond second chair flute to become first chair--even though her best friend, Sofia Palacios, has always held that spot. After Yasm�n reports a bullying incident at a band camp party and, with it, the fact that there were minors drinking alcohol, everyone in the low brass section gets suspended, leaving the band's chances of success in an upcoming competition in serious jeopardy. To help salvage things, Yasm�n volunteers when their band director asks for people to switch instruments, but learning the sousaphone goes less than swimmingly. Although there are strengths to the narrative, in particular the exploration of online interactions, Yasm�n is not sufficiently compelling as the book's lead, and the slow pace may hinder engagement. The rivalry with her best friend is, in Sofia's words, "way past cute," and readers are not offered enough moments of Yasm�n's support of Sofia for their friendship to feel earned. A romantic subplot emerges later in the story, and through it, the book explores aromantic and asexual identities. Lacking in heart. (Fiction. 13-18)
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August 1, 2022
Grades 8-11 Yasm�n is so ready for her sophomore year and her first year of marching band, given that her freshman year was upended by Hurricane Humphrey. But all her plans are derailed when she calls out an incident of bullying and suddenly the entire low-brass section is kicked out of the band. In an effort to make amends, she trades her beloved flute for a massive tuba. Just as her frustration for her fellow brass players is waning, Yasm�n's digital past comes back to haunt her in a way that makes her question who she is and who she wants to be. Meriano takes a compelling look at the dual burden of being a perfectionist and a peacemaker. Cyberbullying is explored in a realistic--and never heavy-handed---manner that shows its destructive forces as well as the opportunities it leaves for remorse and forgiveness. This novel is bound to become a classic for band kids, and its honest approach to the pain and joy of evolving friendships make it relatable to anyone, with or without a spare spit valve.
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October 1, 2022
Gr 9 Up-Yasm�n is at a breaking point, and the contributing factors include a mother whose behavior borders on toxic, the financial fallout on the Houston community after Hurricane Humphrey, a frenemy, and educators who, while well intentioned, put unnecessary pressure on students, specifically Yasm�n's Spanish teacher. Another contributing factor is a harmful online culture that allows peers to hide behind a screen and attack one another. Put all of these pieces together, and they make an explosive cocktail. Through the upheaval, Yasm�n must negotiate healthy boundaries, learn how to distance herself from a negative friendship, and build new ones without repeating previous mistakes-and learn to play the tuba to save the marching band. This YA novel will sit well with the band nerds as well as school counselors who want young people to see that a successful path to healthy friendships is attainable. Meriano addresses the wide and varying spectrum that can be found in a student population. The representation of love and acceptance in the queer community is a definite positive for the novel. Yasm�n embraces this diversity: she cheers for Layla and Mia, a budding romance in the flute section; creates a supportive space for Milo and Caleb, freshmen in the brass section, to express their affection without fear of judgment; and Bloom can safely express being asexual and having attraction to Yasm�n. VERDICT This novel embodies the value of celebrating healthy love; stock it on the realistic YA shelf.-Stephanie Creamer
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