LOU WITH THE BAND

An 18-year-old gets a job supporting a touring pop star and falls for a member of the band.

Luisa “Lou” Samalea has always lived in El Viajero, Texas, where she works in her Cuban American family’s bakery, hangs out with her best friend, and does her best to deal with tension between her divorced parents. When her uncle Arty, who’s part of the road crew for famous singer Zaiya and her entourage of musicians and dancers, suggests she join him, Lou jumps at the chance to travel the world and save money for college. She’ll be in charge of laundry and dry cleaning for nearly 100 people. The life of a crew member turns out to be messy as well as glamorous, but Lou doesn’t mind. Then she falls hard for a band member: guitar prodigy Chris, who presents white. Being with Chris is exhilarating, and Lou feels like she’s finally the “New Lou” she wants to be—until Chris’ wild antics start to get her into trouble, and she must decide what she wants her life to look like and what kind of person she wants to be, in a story arc that touches on important themes. Chock-full of vibrant characters and well-drawn backstage tour details, this story includes a number of subplots that are tied up very quickly at the end, but the portrayals of infatuation and a toxic relationship are exemplary.

A deeply resonant story of identity and growing up.