You know how they talk about right book, right time, right person? That was me with The Luis Ortega Survival Club. Ariana's journey resonated with me in so many ways for so many reasons. Her autism, her queerness, and her messy relationships with her parents were written so well. I loved her character arc and her relationships with her friends, family, and love interest. Sonora Reyes really is the best in the YA contemporary game right now.

This book is ultimately a revenge fantasy against a serial rapist/abuser/misogynist in a high school setting. It is never graphic, and the stakes are never super high, but the subject matter is still dark. The trajectory of the revenge plot was obvious, but I didn't mind because Reyes executed it so well. The ending was a bit carceral for my taste, but I also don't expect anything politically radical from this genre, despite how affirming and liberating it so often is for the target audience and for others who see themselves in these stories, as I did with Ariana.

I am sick of parents in these sorts of books all being Mr. and Mrs. LastName. I was sick of it three years ago and I am even more sick of it now. Is this how many people still refer to their friends' parents? yes of course. But you're telling me none of these adult women kept their maiden names? You're telling me not one parent asked their kid's friends to call them by their first name or by some other sort of honorific? I'm not buying it.

That's such a minor gripe, though, and even though I am not the target age range at all (and despite some unfortunate pop culture references that already haven't aged well), this lovely book resonated with me deeply and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone who is queer, autistic, and/or a survivor and who thinks they can handle the content.

This book was difficult to read because of the subject, but it was so well done and so real, it is so sad this is the reality of many women, the guilt and the shame and everything else that comes with being raped, it was handled so well, it recommended it but people need to be careful as the subject is not an easy one.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club tackles vital topics like consent and sexuality with raw intensity. The story grips you from the start, exploring complex emotions and experiences with depth. It evokes strong emotions, making you root for the characters while confronting disturbing issues. Essential reading for everyone.

‘the luis ortega survival club’ is one of the most tender depictions of finding hope after having it stripped from you. a story written so accessibly, with so much depth and heart and honesty. this story’s a heavy one but one i’m so happy to have read. so happy to own and so happy that ariana made me feel a little more Known.

ariana is one of two characters in any fictional media that i’ve ever experienced whose selectively mute. and i: a child that struggled with being selectively mute for so much of my childhood, whilst not as severely as ariana by any means - get to find myself here. it’s so rare to see a character and see a character that has been in a thought process and mindset that’s never spoken about, it makes me feel warm. makes me feel known. makes me feel a little more hopeful.

there’s mentions of the spoon metaphor for energy, stimming and it’s importance, social aspects, masking, behaviours and thoughts that are so well written. i hold a lot of autistic characters close to my heart, but ariana is right in my pocket next to castor quasor and sam sylvester. (and if you know those characters you’ll get it).

this story means so much to me. i wish i had the heart to talk more about this, i wish i had more words to say.

ariana and the community formed in this book is so dear to me. naming the abuser in the title of the story - reclaiming some of the power of it. finding a family, finding a reason. having a story again, full of a hopefulness rather than isolation - readings pretty cool.

4.5

Sonora Reyes' debut The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School made me sob in the parking lot of the gym, so I was a little terrified of going into their sophomore release. While I didn't love it as much as I loved The Lesbiana's Guide, I still think this was an incredible book and so important for teens to have.

Ariana is autistic and selectively mute. Her parents are going through a rough patch and her mom treats her as a therapist and friend rather than a child, and at school is she is mostly ignored because she doesn't talk. So when Luis Ortega starts paying attention to her, Ari is excited and flattered, but then he assaults her at a party. This all happens in the first chapters and is in the synopsis, but what follows is Ari coming to understand what happened to her and how to move forward. She makes friends and navigates a crush and creates a better relationship with her parents.

While this book centers a rape, it is more so about Ariana's growth and recovery and is surprisingly sweet despite the tough nature of the book. Sonora Reyes writing is incredible and I love that their books center queer Latinx characters and tackle serious topics with so much care and nuance. I will absolutely read everything they write.

tw: sexual assault/rape

The Luis Ortega Survival Club was another book in my trio of reads that ending up being difficult. While this was a hard one to read, it is important and was such a wonderful read.

There is no waiting, this plot starts from the first page. Ariana is grappling with her experience which really sets the tone for the book. It's honest and raw. Ariana's story doesn't shy away from how difficult it can be to come to terms with what happened and come forward.

The story continues to showcase how the system can really protect boys and make it feel like victims can't come forward for fear of being blamed or not believed.

All of that was hard to read, but the good thing about this story while Ariana is going through all of that, the reader also gets to see her healing journey.

She makes some beautiful relationships that help her feel more confident in herself. Seeing her find the people she is confident around who accept her. With them, she blooms as she gets to explore who she is and it's such a beautiful thing to witness amongst all the other heavy themes throughout this story.

Austim rep! It was so good and made me so happy to read about.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is a hard read, but has layers of hope and beauty laced within it that left me really rooting and caring for Ariana and all her friends.

Okay so The Luis Ortega Survival Club started by breaking my heart. Make sure you read the trigger warnings because heart broken. Ariana's situation and how she processes her own rape and experience left me on the floor. It felt too real and resonated in a way I thought I was beyond. However, The Luis Ortega Survival Club turns into a book about power, solidarity, and friendship. About the victim shaming, the internalization, and the grasps of control. Yet also about friends who will make space to listen.

This was such a cute read. I may found the characters a bit immature at times, but they are growing up. It's bit expected when they are those ages. Perfect read for high schoolers.

4.5 rounded the fuck up. this was a netgalley arc i got last year that i was too sad to go through but i remember being super duper excited when i received it. sensational, there truly is no other words for this . i loved ari , shawni , jasmine and everybody-except you luis ortega fuck you-
this was heavy yet the author managed to write about it in such a warm way that honestly felt like a hug at times , and you know , i haven’t been in the same predicament before-i pray that no one ever is- but i felt like i was transported to the time and place with ari. this was beautiful,start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book, and many apologies for reading it well after the publication date. This book, much like the author's previous novel, deserves all the stars! This is a story of revenge (well-deserved--Luis is among the book characters I despise the most), but it's also a story of friendship and learning to stand up for oneself. I loved Ari so much and the way her character grew throughout the story was just perfect. Truly, this is a must-read for teens. It empowers survivors of abuse and assault and presents the complicated feelings a young person may experience in the wake of an assault by in a very accessible way.

It was such a great book about standing up for yourself and for your community. I'm amazed by the author's ability to craft characters and to build up tension. Lived up to my expectations.

This was enjoyable - who doesn't like tales of revenge against awful people - but it felt like the last third of the book was just missing. I had to many questions when the last chapter ended that the epilogue did not tie up. Who did they give the recording to? What happen to Luis' dad? Did Ed get a settlement? I realize that this is not what the book was about, but as a reader it felt really unsatisfying to end without that information.

Otherwise, this is a quick read, but it does the heavy topic justice.

Difficult one to rate/review. Ultimately going for 4 stars, even though it's closer to 3 stars, "I liked it," for me.

Some of what I really liked: LOTS of representation: Neurodivergence, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ characters, and more. A main character, Ariana, a/k/a "Ari," that I really liked and rooted for, as well as the crew that emerged to support her. A lot more to like, but to me, the biggest plus was the brave tackling, by the author and by the characters, of rape, particularly date rape, slut-shaming, bullying, and other important and too common issues.

Unfortunately, the way that the myriad maze of legal issues involved above is handled just didn't ring quite right, or true. To say more would be to give out spoilers, but let's just say that I found the denouement and the epilogue to not quite work, both as a piece of fiction and as a reflection of real life. And certain subplots, like the one involving Ari's parents, left certain revelations hanging in the air, and thus ended up feeling, I'm not sure, superfluous, at best, or not particularly revealing or needed? Lastly, Ari is autistic and in many other ways, isolated, and not for nothing, a teenager, so it could make sense that she is not always able to read signals and cues like most of us could, at least hopefully. However, some of her assumptions and misunderstandings along the way just didn't always work for me, the reader.

So, lots of mixed, not always positive feelings, but because the book tackled such insidious topics as rape culture, and because this is in many ways an empowering book, not just for victims but also those around them, I'm going with that higher rating and also recommending the book. Many thanks to the author for helping us care, helping us be aware, helping us know we need to take action.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

An incredibly important book. The romance is beautiful and how the group turns from co-conspirators to friends. The main character's hesitance to talk about what happened to her, especially when it didn't match up with what the other girl's had experienced. The complexity of emotion that they all experienced.

Ok I had big expectations going into this one because I love Sonora Reyes and loved The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School. This didn't disappoint. Reyes is such a talented author and they always find a way to dive into the complicated/triggering subjects with gentleness and care.

High school friend groups can honestly be life-saving and I was so glad that Ariana found her people even though it was in such a messed up way. Community support through trauma is incredibly healing and I loved that this was demonstrated at a high school level. So many kids lack this peer support especially over traumatic issues and I really appreciated a book diving into this.

Overall a warm and wonderful read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

An instant favorite—this friend group is everything to me!🥹❤️🏳️‍🌈

What I loved
1. This book honestly reminded me of John Tucker Must Die but instead dealing with a much heavier reason to connect this group of characters—trigger warning: sexual assault. Other trigger warnings from the author are in the beginning of the book which is helpful for young readers especially.
2. The friendships in this book seriously brought tears to my eyes—I loved seeing their little community grow and them all get closer and more comfortable with one another and sharing their stories even when it was hard 😔🥺❤️
3. Queer characters!!!! 🏳️‍🌈
4. Ari is the first character I have read that is non-verbal unless she feels safe/comfortable—this was such an important topic and so happy to see this representation! I loved seeing the other characters learn how to communicate effectively and creatively until Ari felt comfortable with them. Ari is also autistic which is also great representation for YA.
5. Romance in this was just enough— it was a sweet slow burn which is always the best!

An easy 5 star read, can’t wait for the next book by Reyes ❤️❤️

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I had no idea what this book was about before going into it. I find it better that way. The first line hooked me and I knew I would absolutely love this book. It was heartbreaking but full on wonderful. I have so many thoughts but the loudest one is appreciation for such a story.

This was a really nuanced, in-depth exploration of autism, queerness, and rape culture—I loved following the characters as they find their found family and their own strength.

I loved The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School (Sonora Reyes' earlier title) a lot, so of course I requested a copy of The Luis Ortega Survival Club. I am really glad I read this -- Reyes has created interesting, queer, neurodiverse characters in this book. I still loved The Lesbiana's Guide the most, but I am very glad I had the opportunity to read this.