This book was fantastic. I didn't get to it when it was in my netgalley but I did download it and I enjoyed it a lot. I thought the characters were great.

I spent a while trying to chip away at this one but I just never got into it. The writing is decent, I just never connected with it on any meaningful level.

REASONS TO READ THE VICTORIA IN MY HEAD:

Victoria is relatable, studious, rocker trapped behind anxiety and familial pressure. She’s on track for Harvard. Has playlists for every event, occasion, and fantasy.
Her BFF Annie is much the same, wants a change from the same old routine but has to push Victoria to do it for herself and progresses on her own path.
You know how in Disney, there’s always a shot of the guy falling for the girl? Well, here we get it from the Victoria’s perspective. But she doesn’t let looks overrule her common sense. I was so proud of her!!
Victoria doesn’t like Strand the playboy or let him slide and calls him out on his BS. That’s my girl!
Love how the romance plays out and ends in unexpected ways. Very understandable, confused with growing pains, but wonderful maturity and resolution. Perfect way to go out.
Great honest worries and concerns about body image, dating, hooking up, and keeping up with your peers. Rumors and assumptions play a big role with a side plot with another bandmate and I love how it’s all dealt with.
Underage drinking and sneaking out. Okay, that sounds bad, but it happens. They do things responsibly. It’s not the end of the world. And it’s not preachy after school special either. Such a turnoff for kids.
FUNNY! Oh my lord. I’m the type that has to look away/turn away from second hand embarrassment, but this book just made me laugh and didn’t turn my stomach with their antics. Cutlet.
Rep included: Anxiety (Victoria), Daughter of Cuban Immigrants (Victoria), Eclectic Cast: Indian, Biracial, Asian, and only 1 white dude while the rest of the white people are in the background, Lesbian Couple.
It’s Latinx Heritage Month! Victoria has to be apart of her cousins Quince and gets closer with her male dance partner and they discuss the tradition. Find out more by reading it now!
The Victoria In My Head is perfect for YA contemp fans looking for an adorbs romantic-comedy especially if you’d like a coming of age story with intelligent prep school kids soon to be rocker stars.

Victoria is a teenager who lives with her protective Cuban parents who expect a lot from her in New York.
One day at high school (at the prestigious Evenston Academy) she meets Strand and Levi. Strand and Levi are in a band and are looking for a lead singer. She immediately is head over heals in a crush for Levi. And then, altough her parents are not happy with it, she get's the chance to audition for the lead singer spot, and to her own surprise, she gets it! Now the Victoria that was always living in the back of her head comes alive.

It's her first time in a band though, so many things are new for her. She was always very shy, and now she has to deal that she is on a stage with an audience. She get's into a relationship with Levi, but this goes like a rollercoaster with ups and downs. But then she gets to know Strand better, and the two have a click. Her parent's though are not happy with her band life and just want to her to graduate, and to play a part in her cousin's quinceanera. Victoria has have to make choices, Strand or Levi, and just between her old life, or to the path of love, adventure and danger.

From the start on, the writing the plot and the characters are very good! The book just has a fun tone to it, which makes the book very likeable. I really liked how Victoria started in the band and made friends with all her new bandmates. It really helped Victoria to come out of her shell. They really become like a little family that look out for one another. The romance ended quite differently then I expected, as I thought she and Levi would be together but instead of that she ends up with Strand. I really liked how that relationship was growing during the book.

A very well written read with a fun tone and some pretty good main characters, recommended!

Janelle Milanes’s debut The Victoria in My Head is a feel-good contemporary with an easy-to-relate-to protagonist. Victoria Cruz doesn’t exactly live her life on the edge. As a scholarship student and the daughter of parents with Harvard aspirations, Victoria’s life is pretty much laid out for her. She’s good at going through the motions, of never taking a chance on anything, even if it’s something she really wants. When she gets the opportunity to audition for a rock band, Victoria isn’t sure she can overcome her stage fright in order to do so. Taking those first steps toward embracing her dreams won’t be the hardest decision she’ll have to make. Victoria will discover that finding her place in the world isn’t easy, and despite all the dissenting voices around her, only she can decide her own future.

The Victoria in My Head is an incredibly readable novel. I nearly finished it in one sitting, not because it went by particularly fast, but because I had to find out what happened next for the protagonist. Victoria is a really insecure character. She doesn’t readily share how she feels with other people and is more prone to imagining what her life could be like than actually taking steps to make these things happen. Her parents are Cuban immigrants who have sacrificed a lot in order to open doors for their daughter. They have grand ambitions that are constantly being reinforced by Victoria’s school and best friend. This added pressure is enough to get anyone to crumble, especially for someone who isn’t sure if her dreams are the same as those around her. Despite how it sometimes felt to Victoria, it’s clear that her parents only want what’s best and it’s their earnestness in wanting to be involved in her life that endeared them to me.

I loved the friendships in this novel. Victoria’s best friend Annie is incredibly driven and iat first it does feel like she isn’t quite hearing Victoria when she talks about what she wants in life, but it doesn’t take long to realize that Annie is an incredibly supportive friend. The budding friendship between Victoria and her new bandmates is also one of the highlights of this novel. They build a kind of family that looks out for one another and it was really nice to see the loyalty they show later on in the novel. I was a little iffy about the romance in this novel, but despite my first impression, I ended up really liking the person Victoria ends up with. It’s a relationship that grows overtime and felt earned because of all the hiccups along the way.

The Victoria in My Head is an important in that it’s a book written for teens still trying to find their own voice, who feel insecure in their own skin, or who grappling with the added pressure of parental expectations.

This is one of those compulsively readable ones that you just want to keep diving back into when you're away from it. And sometimes that's what you're reall looking for: a book you can fly right through and just enjoy the process of reading. But while it was fun, there were some flaws in pacing and I had some issues with certain moments. For one, Victoria, who has never dates before, is in a relationship within a couple of chapters? Her family is Cuban but the rep isn't exactly there...her mother makes spaghetti for dinner every single night, for instance. And there were some problematic moments: neither of the queer characters in the book are out; Victoria mentions a few times what "normal girls do"; she says that her boyfriend would be within his rights to be angry at her for "false advertising" because she wears a padded bra...small things that made me go naaaaah girlfriend. The plot was overall predictable but, again, super readable. I liked the characters and the writing flowed nicely. Would rec for an easy weekend read or to grab between heavier books.

I love band novels and this was a fun band novel with a Cuban American heroine who is super relatable and funny. The storyline was a little predictable but Victoria's family and friends are all engaging and believable. Her experiences with alcohol and making out also ring true. I enjoyed cheering Victoria on as she aimed to try to reconcile the Victoria in her head with the Victoria her parents want her to be.

DNF pg 182 - I really tried with this book. Maybe it's my age showing, but I just found Victoria to be the most annoying character. She was whiny and immature and just not a strong character. Cuban American representation is great, but it didn't really effect her life beyond the quince. Why is her mom making spaghetti every night? And where's the Spanglish?