When I saw this arc on NetGalley, I had to request it. Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore are amazing writers on their own, but have now proven to be a powerhouse when combined. From the description, it would be easy to cast off this book as another fluffy contemporary in the recent release of an abundance of YA LGBTQIA+ coming of of age/coming out novels. But, if you think that's all this book is going to cover, you're in for a surprise. Set in the rural New Mexico town of Meteor/Meteorite, Miss Meteor tells the story of Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez. The two used to be best friends, but grew apart years before the story begins because of the personal secrets they kept from one another. Now, the two come together again to battle the systematic racism of their town by throwing Lita in the running for Miss Meteor. With the help of Chicky's three older sisters and two unlikely friends from school, the team sets out to shake up the establishment! In addition to being a social commentary on systematic racism, this book has realistic and relatable LGBTQIA+ representation, realistic friends to lovers romances, healthy friendship building, confidence boosting body positively, and all the feels.

Lita and Chicky are childhood friends who have lost their friendship but reunite to win the local Miss Meteor pageant. It is a heartwarming story with a beautiful message about finding yourself and accepting that what makes you different is not a weakness. The Quintanilla sisters are such a delight. If you have sisters, you will recognize a lot of the dynamics of this group. The queer representation is beautiful. I just have so many wonderful things to say.

This book is not what you think it is. Yes, there is romance. Yes, there is a beauty contest. Yes, there is LGBTQ+ representation. But that isn't the story.

Lita wants to win Miss Meteor so that she doesn't fade away to the star dust that created her.

Cole is trans but that isn't even important to the story, other than he is.

Junior is an artist.

And Lita and Chicky were best friends. And then they weren't, and now they need to be again.

And yes, the beauty pageant consumes most of the book, but so do the two voices of girls looking for something that they are not sure of. Do they want love? Do they want friendship?

I love the voices of the characters who trade off telling their story. I love the way the story zigs and zags.

Great fun, and very insightful.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I was given a free e-arc from the publisher through Hear Our Voices in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review. All opinions are my own.

What I Liked

Lita: Lita was such a refreshing character to read about. She is unapologetic about who she is in all of her quirkiness, even if that means people making fun of her or ignoring her altogether. Despite how people treat her, she never ceases to be kind and caring. I also liked how her body image as a plus-size girl is not a a big point of issue. She does mention how it affects how people see her, but it isn't something she seems to be super focused on. Proud plus-size girl rep is so wonderful and reading about her experience in the Miss Meteor pageant was a lot of fun.

Chicky: I really identified with Chicky, which is probably why she ended up being one of my favorite characters. Despite the fact that so many people in her small town are so dismissive of her, and even though she isolates herself, she remains as much of herself as she feels she can be. I enjoyed seeing her development as she goes from someone who runs away from others to keep herself protected to someone who is proud of who she is, especially in regard to her pansexuality, and is willing to stand up for herself and those she loves.

Cole: I found Cole to be such an interesting character. He is a trans boy with a sister who is a bully to all those who are different from her, with the exception of her brother. Despite homophobic comments she makes to others like Chicky, she usually avoids making any comments to allude to her brother's trans identity. This ends up being more of a way to try to hide Cole's identity than being respectful of him. Cole is the darling of Meteor, which she wants to protect. The town's support of him is conditional on him not being "too out there" with his identity and continuing to be their sports star, and he knows this.

He is initially not very outspoken about how awful his sister and friends are, but as the story goes on, we begin to see him make comments that make people question the things that they say and the way that they act. It's unfortunate that he has to constantly educate and correct people, but I truly appreciated him as a character and the perspective he brought to the story.

The sister relationships: I personally don't have any sisters, so I always love reading about sister relationships. Their banter was so much fun and I found myself laughing at their interactions many times throughout the book.

The friendships: I loved all of the friendships in this story, specifically that of Chicky and Lita. Despite the time that has passed since they stopped being best friends, they have always longed for one another's friendship. They are exactly what the other needs and they each provide a safe space to reveal who they are. Not only do they uphold one another, but they come to extend that to both Cole and Junior as well.

What I Didn't Like

There was honestly nothing that I didn't particularly like about this book. I wasn't aware that it included magical realism elements until I started the book, but I don't think that took anything away from my experience (since I don't typically love magical realism in books). Obviously, it should just be a given to me now that any book by Anna-Marie McLemore will have magical realism!

Final Thoughts

The second that I saw this beautiful cover, I knew I had to read Miss Meteor. The dark hair, the thick eyebrows, the jalapeño cupcake! Yes! Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and it did not disappoint. I found myself reading late into the night because I wanted to see where the story would go next, which hasn't happened in awhile. The atmosphere of this book definitely lent to how excited I was to keep flipping the pages.

I think as a teenager, a book like this would have been so valuable to me. Although I grew up in a pretty big city with a predominantly Latinx community, going to a school with all but a few Latinx kids, I still identified with Chicky and Lita's struggles in finding who they are and who they want to be within their communities. This is such a beautiful story about friendship, self-acceptance, and family that I would recommend, especially if you are looking for a book with Mexican-American and LGBTQ characters.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and Hear Our Voices Tours on Instagram for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez used to be best friends, but too many secrets, and trauma made them grow apart. Now they have a uniting cause: Get Lita into the Miss Meteor pageant and win. Which is easier said than done, as the predicted winner Kendra Kendall has a family history of winning the Miss Meteor pageant. But with all the Quintanilla sisters on board, they might just have a chance at seeing Lita be victorious.

There’s something about seeing the word pansexual in a book. And that feeling ultimately transcends words. Especially when there’s also the true definitely of what it means. It was described so beautifully and I felt every word in my heart. This book was incredible and I can not recommend it enough. It’s the perfect read for Latinx Heritage month too!

Living the past history and the hopeful rekindling of Lita and Chicky's friendship was so beautiful. There were several hard conversations and emotions between these two, but I loved every minute of this friendship. There's such a strong found family vibe throughout this entire novel: from Lita being adopted by all the Quintanilla's to prepare her for Miss Meteor, to Bruja Lupe being her adopted mother, and to Chicky, Lita, Junior and Cole becoming true friends.

While this story does not focus on Cole coming out as trans, we see so much of the trauma and pain that comes from dealing with inherent and implied transphobia. Cole is on a male sports team, but is still barred entrance from the men's locker room. Cole also has to work through being related to Kendra, the main school bully, and who would most certainly have turned her eyes to him had they not been related.

This tackled so many important topics including transphobia, homophobia, and racism, thought that's certainly not all that it covered. I loved this book so much and I wish there was a sequel!

The ending of this book is such an extended meditation on joy and overcoming bigotry and uncontrollable forces that it makes up for what was, for me, a lackluster reading experience at times. I enjoyed the beginning, and I loved. the end, but the middle tripped me up a bit and took much longer to read. I think this book was, for me, overlong, though this probably has a lot to do with my dislike of reading extended or repeated examples of injustice, bullying, and harm directed at people with marginalized identities. And this novel deals with that a great deal--understandably so, as it's set in small, small town New Mexico and features a pansexual young woman, a trans young man, and a Latina girl who's also a literal alien. The representation seemed fabulous, though, again, the homophobia, racism, xenophobia, and (slightly more controlled) transphobia from many of the "bad" characters made it hard to read some of the time. I prefer more escapist/utopian approaches to contemporary, inclusive YA, but I completely understand why that shouldn't always be the norm.

Miss Meteor proves to be a top of the line coming-of-age story with plenty of drama and laughs for everyone. Exceptionally inclusive with a hint of magic, we follow a group of friends who learn probably the most important lesson of them all: about being yourself. The book goes to great lengths to illustrate this common lesson in a way that shows the wide variety of acceptance someone can come to, whether it be on there own or with the help of those around them. Miss Meteor is a feel-good read for anyone who has ever felt other, and for me, one of the very few books I felt represented as a queer latinx woman.

The final review will be on Geek Declassified September 22, 2020

What I Liked:
Lita – Lita Perez isn’t like other people, technically she isn’t a person at all. She wasn’t born on earth, but materialized from stardust from a meteorite that struck her small town. Lita knows she is different and in a place like Meteor, New Mexico, she sticks out like a sore thumb. Still, she loves this town and the few people who accept her for who she is, like her adopted mother, Bruja Lupe, and Cole, the boy, who despite his popularity, always makes Lita feel seen. Her one quiet dream is to be Miss Meteor in her town’s regional pageant, even though she knows girls like her, who are too short, too brown, and too fat don’t usually win. Lita has the biggest heart. Even when she and her former best friend, Chicky, aren’t on the best terms, Lita is always thinking about her and taking that extra step to nudge her in the right direction. Lita thinks her quest to become Miss Meteor is all about finding a way to stay in the only place she’s called home when it really is about her declaring herself to the world and taking her fate into her own hands.

Chicky – Chicky Quintanilla does not like the spotlight, in fact, there are times when she wishes she could just disappear. The youngest of four sisters, Chicky, short for Chiquita, is used to being overshadowed. There aren’t too many people in her life who get to see the real her and that’s partially her own fault. If Chicky is good at anything, she’s good at running away. It’s what happened with her and her former best friend Lita. It’s what’s happening with her current best friend, Junior Cortes. It’s easier to run away than to come out as pansexual in a town that might praise her family one minute for coming to this country the “right way” but will still look at them like they aren’t worth their time. Chicky’s journey isn’t just about gaining confidence, but about learning to be vulnerable with those closest to her.

Pros and cons of small towns – Many looking from the outside would call Meteor, New Mexico a quaint place to live with such staples like Selena’s Diner, Chicky’s family’s business, or the upcoming Fiftieth-Annual Meteor Regional Pageant and Talent Competition. But the truth is, for people like Lita and Chicky, their small town isn’t always the most welcoming of places. There is a clear divide between the well-off white residents and the brown residents who work for them. There is also a lot of hypocrisy and surfaces-level acceptance of those belonging to the queer community. Cole, a trans boy, for example, knows acceptance by his peers is conditional. While he often challenges their bigoted views, he knows he is only allowed to go so far before they turn on him.

Friendship – The heart of Miss Meteor is friendship. Lita and Chicky used to be inseparable until Chicky pulled away. With Lita running for Miss Meteor and Chicky assisting her, the two find each other again. Lita needs someone to believe in her, someone who will be in her corner and push her when it feels easier to give up. For Chicky, she needs someone to listen to her and have patience with her. I love that these two become each other’s safe spaces and how they extend this to include characters like Cole and Junior.

What I Didn't Like:
Nothing to note.

Final Verdict: With a little bit of magical stardust, Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore deliver an empowering story of friendship and belonging in their first collaborated work, Miss Meteor.

“I may be made out of the same dust and glow as the lights in the sky, but if you read any of the astronomy books in the library— even our little library—you’ll realize, isn’t everyone?”

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Can’t argue with a book that had me actually shedding tears by the end of it. This brilliant author duo brings you gorgeous writing and fun characters. The mixture is perfect in a story you’ve never read before.

This book is about two ex-best friends Lita and Chicky. Lita is made of stardust and fears that she will no longer be able to retain her human form. As her last beautiful act, she decides to go for something she’s always wanted: the Miss Meteor Pageant title.

Chicky is desperate trying to avoid being noticed. She wants to help her family’s restaurant, Selena’s, stay above water. She wants everyone to stop comparing her to her three older sisters. Feeling outcasted and bullied at school, she decides the perfect revenge is making sure the most popular girl at school loses the Miss Meteor Pageant.

Old friends getting back together for the great cause of a beauty pageant had my whole heart. I really loved that the core of this book laid with Chicky and Lita. With their friendship and with their own individual stories of finding the strength to own who they are.

This plot was so bonkers, I won’t lie. I tried explaining the book to a friend and it just came out, “Aliens! But not aliens aliens. And there’s a Selena restaurant with jalpeño cupcakes. And the whole town loves corn holes!” New Mexico? Am I right?

What I’m saying is that this book is probably something you’ve never read before. I mean- it’s a beauty pageant plot filled with so much representation and also a girl made of stardust? It’s hard to wrap my head around the specifics, but it’s new and different and worth a try.

Especially with these characters. Not just Chicky and Lita but all their friends. I did not expect to love the side characters just as much as the main ones or even more. Chicky’s sisters are the Alvin and the Chipmunks, but high on hairspray. They were so kind and supportive, my heart felt that. I also loved Junior and Cole- like a lot. So much.

It was a scene with Cole that got the waterworks started. I think he’s probably my favorite character in this if I am being completely honest. He had a unique personality, perspective, and position in the book that was fascinating as much as it was heartbreaking.

While I didn’t love the book at first, it grew on me. When I started, I was annoyed with the characters and kind of done with the whole Selena gimmick. To be honest, I still feel like there wasn’t a lot of reason to have all the allusions to her included. I get that its probably a latinx pride thing, but I feel like Selena gets thrown around too much. It wasn’t for me, but I bet someone else will appreciate it.

TL;DR: This book is stunningly original with amazing representation and writing. The plot is something you’ll have to roll with, but it’s very worth it in the end.

E-galley provided by HearOurVoices Book Tours and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.

"Miss Meteor" is a high school, contemporary YA that drew me in right away with its hint of magic. The fact that Lita, short for Estrellita, and her guardian, Bruja Lupe, are composed of stardust was intriguing. But even though there's some magic, this story still dealt with real issues, such as bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia, socioeconomics, and so much more. Lita and Chicky were best friends until their secrets split them apart years ago, but now Lita wants to run for the title of Miss Meteor, and Chicky desperately wants to humiliate her enemy/bully who is also entering the pageant, so she agrees to help Lita. Their ragtag band of misfits includes Chicky's devious, hilarious sisters, Junior, an artist, and Cole, a star athlete. This story was beautifully-written, emotional, and had diverse rep. Lita and Chicky felt so real, and their interactions with their friends and family were so authentic. I adored Lita because she was adorable, sweet, and quirky, and Chicky made me uncomfortable because her school experiences were so relatable to me. I was definitely taken back to my high school years. I was so invested in seeing the two of them grow over the course of the novel. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it because of its message of empathy, compassion, and strength.

4.5/5 stars - To Be Released in September 2020.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Meteor (or Meteorite, depending on who you ask), New Mexico holds an annual beauty pageant. Lita knows her time in Meteor is coming to an end and chooses to enter, even though no one like her has every won before. This isn't just a book about a pageant and Lita is more than just your average teenage girl.

There are so many amazing things about this book. The cast of characters are extremely diverse with a ton of representation. One of the overarching themes is self acceptance. Each character struggles with their past and their secrets and throughout the series of events begins to recognize their self worth. The characters deal with bullies from their high school peers and members of the community. The bullying the characters are faced with is more than your typical high school bully, but extends from prejudice and xenophobic mentalities. The writing style is quirky and humorous when it needs to be and powerful as Lita and Chicky discover and stand up for who they truly are. This book is well worth the read!

There is so much to love about MISS METEOR. Unique magical realism tied to a small desert town. Two compelling heroines. Latinx heritage and Selena Quintanilla-Perez references. Family dynamics. So much diversity and wonderful discussions about sexuality, relationships, and identity, all subtly but importantly explored. The only thing that felt off to me was the pacing. In some places I felt like the plot slogged along, and was too repetitious, and then once things got really exciting, there were so few pages left to enjoy. If you're a fan of diverse coming of age, you'll want to check this out. A Latinx Dumplin' with magical realism twist.

Thoughts and themes: After reading several books that had me deep in my feelings it was nice to read something that was joyful. I love that this book is all about family and friendship and how important having a support system can be. I really loved the way that friendship was centered throughout the story and how each character found their strength from these friendships.

I thought it was great that the story centered around Lita disappearing and trying to figure out how to stop that from happening. I thought it was great that she struggled with realizing why the stardust would leave at times and other times more of it would appear. I don’t want to ruin too much so I can’t elaborate on this point but it is a great addition to this story.

Characters: There are several characters that are involved in this book and I really enjoy all of them. You have the main characters Chicky and Lita who are sweet, funny, lovable characters. I love how relatable these two characters are and how their friendship started, falls apart and repairs itself. I thought that the secrets that they kept from each other really added to the story and I loved how Lita made it clear that she never would have asked Chicky to reveal a part of herself that she wasn’t ready to share.

I love the side characters that are included as well, Junior and Cole add a lot to the story and I love that Lita and Chicky have these two guys who have their back no matter what. I love what this friendship means to all of them and how you can see the feelings are there but their friendship comes first.

I like that you get a transgender character as a side character who has a sister who is dating the guy bullying Chicky and Lita. I thought his reaction to Royce and his sister were very important and then loved when he finally stood up for himself. I liked that through the whole book he was concerned with other people and making sure they never felt like they didn’t belong but he put himself aside until he realized that he didn’t have to.

Writing Style: This book goes back and forth from the perspective of Lita and Chicky and is told in first person for both of them. I thought this was a great way to tell the story so that you can see both of their feelings about everything that happens throughout the course of the book.

A very enjoyable read - think Dumplin' with a cast that's more queer and brown, plus a hint of magical realism. I sometimes felt that the two POVs didn't quite gel and there were plenty of moments that I struggled through due to secondhand awkwardness, but both MCs felt very lived-in, as did the descriptions of the town's quirks and faults, the romances were both great, and the story felt invested both in the sweet moments and in keeping issues realistic rather than overly simplistic. Fans of both authors might be interested, but also has broader contemporary appeal.

After I immediately read the words "queer" and "beauty pageant", I knew I just had to read this. Plus Anna-Marie McLemore. Albeit, I haven't read a book by them until now. But I've been wanting to read their work for a long, long time. I've heard nothing but good things about their novels. Honestly, I didn't expect the magical element in Miss Meteor, but it was definitely an interesting aspect. (I should've have known there would be something magical about the story because it is Anna-Marie McLemore after all).

I loved all the main characters; Chicky, Lita, Junior, and Cole. I loved everything about them, I loved their dynamics. I loved their friendships. And the development of their friendships. It wasn't necessarily the queer love story I had expected, but nonetheless, I still loved and enjoyed every last bit of it. It is friends-to-lovers, which I absolutely adore. I had different expectations of the friends-to-lovers going in, but despite it not being was I had expected, I still enjoyed it. We have pansexual representation and trans representation.

Chicky, who is pan, struggles with coming to terms with her identity, and struggles to come out to her friends about it. She deals with a lot of homophobia from her peers. There are slurs that are used throughout the novel in regards to Chicky and her sexuality. Then we have Cole, who is a trans boy. He is very comfortable with his identity and with who he is. And he wants nothing but to help others who are questioning themselves. He wants to help them feel accepted, no matter who they are.

It's about friends who fall in love. Friends who stopped being friends becoming friends again. Accepting and loving yourself for who you are.

Trigger warnings: Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism.

A small town story in dual perspectives, this story follows two former friends who find their way back to each other when they decide to team up for a beauty pageants. Diverse, touching, and multi-layered—this book was both funny and heartfelt. Perfect for fans of Cemetery Boys and Dumplin.

Mejia and McLemore brought forth a novel not quite what I expected, which turned out even better than I'd hoped - with the exception of my assumption of the main romance, but that's on my assumptions and not their writing. Latinx women star in Miss Meteor, part of a population that numbers higher than most realize, yet seen as others or outsiders. Stereotypes about race, gender, and sexuality are faced head-on, and resolutions and relationships are for the most part breaths of fresh air. The pettiness of many YA high school novels doesn't really worm its way into the writing or characters here, instead giving way to subtle magical realism. Representation in Miss Meteor is also huge, and the entire plot also rests on discovering how beautiful proper representation is - from a popular trans male athlete being friends with one of the most ostracized students to four sisters helping a "nontraditionally beautiful" teen work her way through a beauty pageant. Pansexuality is also on display, an identity that is rare to find in books, especially those for teens. While the pacing was a little awkward at times to me, Miss Meteor is a little unlike a majority of YA I've read, and one I think should be on required reading lists.

This is my most highly anticipated book of like all time. And boy did it live up to expectations! I absolutely loved the friendships and romances, the themes that were discussed - which were heavier than I was anticipating - were on point and thoughtful, the story itself was endearing and easy to get into, and the writing style was incredibly fluid, despite being written by two people.

In fact, it was the writing that I was most impressed with. Both Tehlor and Anna-Marie met each other where they were at, stylistically. I truly couldn’t tell you who wrote Chicky’s POV and who wrote Lita’s (if I had to guess, I’d say Chicky was Tehlor and Anna-Marie was Lita?). The fluidity of it was outstanding. The writers were clearly so connected in this, that it made Lita & Chicky’s reconnection more believable.

Once I got into this book, I couldn’t put it down. Not because it was suspenseful or dramatic or anything. It just was so touching and felt personal and adorable, and that made me want to not stop reading it. I read it basically in one sitting, and stayed up until about 330 in the morning to do it!

Like I said, the themes were surprisingly poignant and heavy; racism, homophobia, body issues, broken friendships, this book gets into it all, but does it in a way that doesn’t hammer you over the head with it. It’s soft yet sad, and you can’t help but feel and get angry and scared alongside Lita and Chicky.

An incredible amount of care and heart clearly went into this book, and it completely stole my heart. I know it’s one I will re-read in the future. I highly recommend it!

This is more on the realistic-fiction side than the authors' previous works, but still has a magical realism element.
Estrellita Perez and her "mother," Lupe, arrived in Meteor, New Mexico on the space rock the town is named from. Now fifteen years old, Lita has always been able to live among her peers as a normal girl, even if she is the target of notorious bully Royce Bradley and she spends most of her time hanging out with the cactuses she's named near her house. Recently, she's noticed that her skin is slowly turning back into stardust, and she decides that before she has to leave, she wants to live out her childhood dream of winning the town's famous Miss Meteor pageant. Even if everyone else thinks she's not skinny, blonde or white enough, especially her classmate and competitor Kendra Kendall Along the way, she finds an unlikely friend in Kendra's brother, popular athlete Cole, who may end up being more than a friend, as well as discovering that winning the pageant could possibly prevent her from turning back into stardust.
Chiquita Quintanilla's family owns Selena's Diner in town, a business that greatly benefits from the pageant. Her three sisters, Cereza, Uva, and Fresa, have all entered in Miss Meteor before, but none of them have won, and now Chicky wants to be Lita's manager and ensure her victory. She is also dealing with her feelings for her best friend, Junior, and Kendra and Royce's bullying over her appearance and her sexuality. While not officially out, she remembers being mocked and called a "lesbo" after trying to flirt with her fourth-grade crush, Allison, and her classmates haven't stopped reminding her of that moment.

I liked that Cole, who was trans, was a well-liked kid with a supportive family and friends, as well as the fact that he was an athlete. And he was never deadnamed! Most of the trans male characters I've seen in books have been "outcasts" or their whole story arc involves their coming-out process. Having trans characters in more roles like this is so important.
And Lita's love of cactuses was another favorite part, as I've always loved them (my Goodreads profile pic is cactuses, even) and now I wish I could have my own collection with names and all.

I really liked Lita and Chicky's stories and how they were woven together. I loved the little touches of magical realism. I felt really drawn into the story and liked the characters. I liked the queer representation and just how real the characters felt. I know one is supposed to be made of stars and crashed as a meteor to this small town. But I just really liked all of it. I can see how this isn't a book for everyone but I think there are teens out there who will like this one and like the writing.

Thanks for this ARC!