A teen girl faces new challenges both at home and in high school in this graphic memoir by author and illustrator Bermudez.
Alyssa has a lot on her plate as a new ninth grader at an all-girls high school in New York City in 2002. Her camp crush is far away, and she misses him. Her white mom and Puerto Rican dad make her try out for sports, even though she doesn’t consider herself athletic. Dad lectures her on the importance of taking advantage of every possible opportunity. He’s getting remarried soon, which means adjusting to a new stepfamily. And, hardest of all, her dad has been sick with liver issues that Alyssa can tell are more serious than he wants to let on. But relatable, likable Alyssa bonds almost instantly with a new group of girls at lunch—and she even makes the cross-country team. Her dad comes to cheer her on at meets, and she and her mom watch Gilmore Girls together. Life is good. The story unfolds through Alyssa’s diary entries, which burst with mini-adventures and expressive, colorful illustrations. But when disaster hits, Alyssa must rely on her family and friends for support. Even in her darkest moments, the love surrounding Alyssa shines endearingly, almost palpably, on the page. Through her heartache, Alyssa remains relatively well adjusted, learning to cope with her pain in healthy ways.
A heartfelt, reassuring, and emotionally intelligent page-turner.
(author’s note, photographs) (Graphic memoir. 10-14)