DEFINITELY NOT A LOVE STORY

An endearingly romantic story told in engaging verse for reluctant readers.

Ana Morales doesn’t have the most positive views of love: Her parents are always fighting, and her sister seems to collect breakups. Simply put, Ana says, “Love is / something / I want no part of.” But Regina, Ana’s best friend since first grade, has “the password / that lets her into / the VIP room / of my heart.” Still, Regina’s relationship with her girlfriend is full of ups and downs, which certainly doesn’t convince Ana to give romance a shot. Instead, she’s far more interested in writing stories “that tell the truth…that change the world.” When her teacher Mr. Diaz announces a fiction contest, she’s laser-focused on winning. But the theme is “teamwork,” the short stories must be written in pairs—and Ana’s been assigned to work with her former childhood best friend, Alejandro Garcia. He’s into romance both as a genre and in real life. They’re forced to hang out again, and Ana may start to see Alejandro in a different light, but some real-life drama is right around the corner, ready to remind Ana why she’s protecting her heart. Full of symbolism, this first-love story is told in short poems that unfold in chronological order and also explore the love between family and friends. All main characters are Latine.

Captivating and sweet.