-in this novel, ari is dealing with the aftermath of being slut shamed at school. she is reached out to by an anonymous user, who suggests that one person has done this to many people and they should team up to get back at him. in the process, ari discovers many things about herself and what really happened that night, and gains some friends along the way.
-wow. this book was incredibly powerful and deeply moving. the author does such a great job at really making you feel what ari feels very strongly, whether it be her fear or her moments of happiness
-i can’t speak to any of the representation present in this book, but i really hope it resonates with those who haven’t seen a character like ari before. i don’t think i’ve come across a non-verbal character in my reading before and it was interesting to see things from her perspective
-i’m not sure how necessary the romance subplot really was, but i can also understand why it was there and i don’t think it took away too much time from the main plot lines either. i also wish the character ed had gotten delved into a bit more!
-it was really intense to watch the plot unfold, but i think it’s an important read nonetheless. please check out the trigger warnings beforehand

cw: aftermath of off-page rape, rape culture, sexual harassment, on-page sexual assault, slut shaming, bullying, non-consensual drug use

I have been seeing a lot of revenge plot media lately, from this book, to Do Revenge, and Never Ever Getting Back Together, and more, and I LOVE this genre! Women are sick of men getting away with their shit, and I love reading and watching them get revenge, because it's not really revenge. It's justice.

I was not surprised at all when I ended up crying several times throughout this book, Sonora Reyes is masterful at connecting to the reader's emotions, as can be seen by her debut novel as well. This was such a good read and one that I will highly recommend, with the TW of rape and sexual assault. Though it happens off-page, I have personally not read a YA novel that so thoroughly explores the emotions and feelings that a survivor goes through after an event like this. From denial, to blaming herself, because it's easier to believe that she could have done something to prevent it, that she can do something to make sure it never happens again, was incredibly raw and relatable.

I have also never read a book with a main character who has selective-mutism and undiagnosed autism, and I am so grateful that this book exists for those who can relate! It is also wonderfully full of queerness, sapphic romance, and found family that provided the joy needed to balance the pain of what Luis Ortega did to Ariana and her new friends.

I am also impressed again at Sonora Reyes's portrayal of complicated family dynamics. SPOILER: My only confusion/criticism is, while the shocking twist of her mother also having experienced rape explains a lot of her mother's clingy behavior, I don't understand why she ended up cheating on Ariana's father multiple times and wish that could have been better explained.

CW: rape

I really loved Sonora Reyes’s YA debut, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, when I read it a couple of months ago, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of their newest. The Luis Ortega Survival Club returns to Reyes’s Phoenix with another stellar cast of characters led by a protagonist with an unforgettable voice. It’s also quite different in topic and tone. The narrative starts out intense and doesn’t really get less intense until the very end.

The story begins with Ariana riding home from a party in an Uber, reflecting on the unpleasant, unwanted sexual experience she’s just had with the titular Luis. Self-diagnosed as on the autism spectrum with selective mutism, Ariana doesn’t have a lot of friends aside from Luis, and is known mostly as “the girl who doesn’t talk.” She later realizes that this is precisely why Luis targeted her—he knew she couldn’t say “no” to him, and knowingly raped her.

Ariana feels anger at Luis (though still an embarrassing pang of attachment), and when rumors spread, other guys start to sexually harass her at school (she does slap them back). Her parents clearly love and support her, but are a bit caught up in some issues of their own (I loved this nuanced representation). After a mysterious “TLOSC” Tumblr account reaches out to her, she starts to befriend others who have been wronged by Luis—and starts to understand the depths of his evil actions.

This delightful unlikely group of friends convenes to try to get revenge on Luis, but they also do fun things together, like sleepovers and D&D. Queerness is a fairly casual part of this novel, and Ariana starts to catch feelings for Luis’s ex-girlfriend Shawni. Reyes manages to make this story both brutally realist and wonderfully escapist, with a happy ending, and I look forward to more of their work.

to start, i really enjoyed reading this book. it felt as if there was so much care and thought put into every word. it didn't feel out of touch with teenagers either, like a lot of YA books do. another thing i loved about this book was it being set in arizona:) not a lot of books are, and it was really relatable! i loved the part in the book about snooze, and their pancakes. it just so happened to have my favorite pancake from there mentioned :)))

this book was a bit of a heavy read at times, and it definitely made me cry (although, i cry easily at books- but i think it would make a lot of people cry at parts.)

it's hard to describe a lot of this book without giving spoilers, but it was fantastic. id highly recommend to someone looking for a YA fiction book that's got a great mix of serious topics, lighthearted moments, neurodivergent, poc, and LGBTQ+ representation, and hope <3

Thoughts

This book is pretty much everything I wanted Revenge of the Sluts to be: victims working together to fight oppressive structures, to take back the power, to free themselves of undeserved judgement. It isn't perfect, but it does its job so well.

Pros
Autism Acceptance: This is a great read for the month of April -- and any month. We don't need to relegate autistic identities to a single month. The main character here is autistic, and this affects her in a lot of ways. Her selective mutism, in fact, is part of what gets her into this whole situation. She's socially vulnerable because of it. But even though she's not the most talkative in public, her inner narrative is distinct, biting, and important representation. She's the strong, self-confident type of autistic rep that we need more of -- even when she's questioning and doubting herself.

Support Group: At the center of this group is a bunch of girls who have experienced shades of the same terrible thing all coming together to support each other. And I love that. They're in it together, no matter what their story is exactly, and this group isn't just comprised of the victims themselves. As a best friend and strong ally, Angel is a wonderful addition to the group. He might not know exactly what these ladies have gone through, but he's got their back and is ready to fight for them if they want him to. Nobody is pitted against another. Nobody is forced to go it alone. And that's the type of support anyone would dream of.

Fear: afraid for this girls and the ramifications of speaking up; especially without guidance; rape doesn't matter when you might be "slandering" a man, right?; very afraid for them, and that's part of the point; important; slashing tires oof; but warning anxiety high;


Cons
Simple Writing: There's nothing wrong with simple writing. "Simple" sounds bad, but I simply mean that the writing here isn't flashy. It doesn't play with words, doesn't tug on the heartstrings, doesn't render profound quips and quotable instances. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But with a story that I loved, with female friendship at the center, I wanted to be able to really dig into the writing, to quote it and love it on that level, too. I didn't really get that. It's not bad. It's just not something to write home about.

Anonymous Trust: Ari has great reason not to trust anybody. She has never really had friends, and when she opened herself up to Luis, it came back to bite her. So when an anonymous source reaches out online, I'm not sure she would so willingly open up. It seems unlikely, given what she's been through, especially when this anonymous person keeps pushing her to meet up, to spill her secrets, to share what happened with her. I'm glad it works out for Ari, but I'm not sure that's how it would play out in real life.

Hyperbolic: There are guys like Luis everywhere, guys who don't respect boundaries, who hurt others who are vulnerable, and who get away with it. That's unfortunately all too common and all too realistic. But Luis also has other things going for him -- like his judge of a father. He doesn't need that much to get away with what he's getting away with (unfortunately), so having this rich and powerful connection (someone who can get innocent people sent to detention centers just because) feels a little like overkill.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Natalie Walton's Revenge of the Sluts will like this new, empowered girl gang. Those who appreciated Anna-Marie McLemore's The Mirror Season will like this new tale of murky waters and revenge.

I really enjoyed this book. I love John Tucker Must Die and will always immediately pick up a book if it's JTMD-coded (What can I say, Sophia Bush warped my mind at an impressionable age). I love the friendships created in this novel. It didn't feel like the character's identities were thrown together as diversity quotas in the novel but were weaved with intention into the story which is refreshing.

It is safe to say that I completely love Sonora Reye’s writing. I would read anything they write. This book was beautiful and painful in so many ways. The talks about consent and the little things that the characters did for each other were very comforting. I want to be part of this friend group so badly. My inner teenager felt seen and heard, and safe.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is an incredibly important but heartbreaking story.

It’s a powerful story about consent and trying to navigate the world with autism. I’m autistic and Ari is one of the best autistic characters I’ve ever seen. I could relate on so many levels with Ari and her struggles. She’s an absolutely amazing character, just like all the other members of the club. While the book focused on Ari, the other characters still got their own storyline, which I really enjoyed.

The story itself was amazing, it’s heavy and can be triggering, but I hope many more teens read it. The topic of consent is very important, not just in a sexual way but also “just” hugging or touching someone’s shoulder. The author did a really good job at handling these topics with sensitivity and care.

Whomever designed this cover did an amazing job! Love it.

John Tucker Must Die (Dir. B. Thomas, 2006) has been brought back to life with diversity!

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is darker than the movie, but the sentiment is the same. I have to admit that I really wanted to like this book. It has diversity on all levels and the lead main character is neurodiverse. Everything about this cast screamed “like me”. I do like the cast. Unfortunately the story dragged for me.

I can’t quite put my finger on why this read so slow for me. I like Ari. I love the secondary characters and what they bring to the group dynamic. I really dislike the parental units.

Sonora Reyes addresses many dark issues and does it with sensitivity and respect. Respect for the characters and with how the characters deal with each other - with of course the exception of the abusers. Being a teenager is hard enough as it is but adding in additional patriarchal issues that are overlooked by society where kids should be protected is hard to deal with as an adult nevermind as a young person.

The Luis Ortega Survivors Club is a diverse young adult dark fiction read. I love the club characters. Luis Ortega never stood a chance against these amazing humans.

This book is incredible. Once again Sonora Reyes emotionally destroyed me and I loved every second of it. Do mind the content warnings, we start off in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, thought it is only through the course of the book that the main character comes to realize that is what happened to her. The aftermath and Ari's struggles were so well done but it is a gut punch. This is not a light hearted read but it is so so worth it. This is the kind of book I wish I had had as a teenager. The content is so important.

Also the rep is fantastic and all the characters are so vivid and lively. They are also real people who make mistakes and teenagers who very much act their age.

Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for the eARC. I was thrilled when I was selected and the book did not let down. If you haven't checked out Lesbiana's Guide please do so. Sonora Reyes is an incredible author.

Cw: off page sexual assault, sexual harassment, bullying, slut shaming.

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to check out an ARC of this book through Netgalley!

CW: This book deals with issues of bullying, slut shaming, rape culture, sexual harassment, and the aftermath of an off-page rape.

I absolutely was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes. The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School was one of my top reads of 2022 and I knew this novel would not disappoint.

This book explores so many tough topics in a sensitive and thoughtful way. The characters and story are diverse and I would find it hard for someone to not see themselves in one of the characters.

I absolutely loved the authentic neurodivergient representation and queer representation! Books like this will really change lives and will make such an impact on those who read. I know if books had been around when I was younger I would have felt so seen by the characters on the page.

Thank you Sonora for writing another beautiful book that shows real people living their real hard lives.

This book was amazing. It was so comforting and wonderful. I felt so alone when I experienced sexual harassment. I relate so hard to Ariana. I love the autism representation!!! OMG!! It was so well done! It was written by an autistic person! I love that! We need more autistic representation! I love the queer representation! And Mexian and POC representation! And mental illness and neurodivergence!! I just love this book so so much. And some enemies to lovers??? Yes, please. I can't wait for this book to come out. I will be there on the release date. I can't wait to highlight all over it and reread it and cry and go "aww" and smile and laugh and feel all tingly all over again. Thank you so much Sonora Reyes for giving me some of the best books I've ever read and representing my communities so well. I can't wait to see what else you will create. <3

I love that the revenge fantasy for Ariana is not that that trauma just didn’t happen. She’s allowed to fall apart. Her trauma doesn’t stop her from winning.

This book gave me hope that I, and other victims of sexual violence, will get the justice we need.

this was genuinely so, so good !! i also loved how there were neurodivergent characters in this, including the main character who has autism and also selective mutism. i feel like that’s not usually represented in books, and it was really nice to read about. i definitely need to read sonora reyes’ other book, and i’ve been eyeing it and meaning to read it for a while. i can’t wait to read more of her in the future <3 thank you so much to netgalley and harperteen/balzer & bray for the arc of this book !

(Please read the trigger warnings before reading this book.)

THE LUIS ORTEGA SURVIVAL CLUB is a necessary work for young adults to have access to. In every generation, there is one or two pillars of support in the world of fiction that make young adults feel seen and not alone when it comes to assault and the complicated everything that happens after, this is that book. I would definitely recommend it to my students.

Immediately, I felt connected to Ari’s voice and felt like I knew her character within the first 2 chapters. Ari’s actions and thoughts were well connected and reading from the point of view of a neurodivergent MC made me see the world in a different way. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew how Ari would react to the changing situations before seeing it on the page not because it was predictable and flat but because her character was so well developed while remaining dynamic.

The Luis of the story felt familiar, in all of the worst ways. It was the subtle ways he’d act around the girls, the things he would say, the people around him excusing his behavior, the system that was complicit in it until it became so bad they couldn’t pretend anymore and then feigned ignorance. It was so well done, almost too well done (so much rage while reading). And then layering in everyone who was affected and making them dynamic characters as well with their own backgrounds, personalities, and mini arcs instead of just being background noise.
( I particularly love Ari’s relationship with Shawni and Ari’s relationship with her Dad.)

The writing was honest, intuitive, and my favorite, voicey, which is hard to find in a story that is about such an intense subject matter. You could see Ari’s voice change with the narrative and relate to it with each step. It was very well done. The stages of denial, grief, anger, acceptance, are truly cyclical in the narrative and by the end, Ari’s growth is evident.

My only wish would’ve been for the Ari’s mom’s story to be explored a little more and really connect it to what happened to Ari and the line of women we’re apart of that face similar things and will mostly likely continue to do so after us.

I’m so glad I was able to read this ARC.

A wonderful, enrapturing story about the importance of consent, and the victims harmed. This story, following main character Ari, reaches into your emotions and leaves you empathizing with her. Thank you to Sonora Reyes for this beautiful read, and Harper Collins for allowing me the privilege of reading this early with an ARC. I really enjoyed this!

After Ariana has a confusing sexual encounter with Luis, rumors run rampant around school and all of a sudden Ari is receiving way too much unwanted attention. But she also receives a tumblr message from someone who seems to know what she’s going through and soon there’s a club full of Luis’s victims that decide exposing him is the only way to get revenge.

This book was like a high stakes John Tucker Must Die. It’s such an important story that needed to be told. Consent is such a necessary topic for young people especially to learn about and Sonora handles it with such finesse. The way this group of friends supported each other was so powerful.

Check content warnings before reading because it does deal with heavy and triggering topics.

Absolutely powerful and filled with great representation. I am so thankful that I got to read this book not only during Autism Acceptance Month, but also during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. So many of the issues touched on were raw and real. I did have some minor issues with some of the writing being a little bit choppy or scenes not being entirely realistic, but I still think this was a fantastic read and definitely worth it.

Thanks for making me cry!

Thanks Blazer & Bray and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This is an incredibly deep story! Ari's world has just been rocked when the guy she liked invited her to a party and things went to far. She's struggling because she didn't say no but she didn't say yes either. Luis Ortega acts like nothing is wrong and he's promised to to tell anyone. But things get even worse for Ari when guys start hitting on her and crossing boundaries that no one should have to worry about. It has to be Luis ex right? Then she learns the truth. She's helped by a group of people who have been through similar experiences. This one person always getting away with it. The group will set out to take Luis down. Sonora Reyes talks about topics that are so important to be heard! The story discusses finding your inner strengths, finding the people who will be there for you, and even learning what real love looks like! An important book that everyone should read! Can't wait for it to come out.

i started reading this book today and devoured it in a matter of hours. the story is so raw and engrossing and the characters so lovable and real, i just couldn't put it down. the mc ari is perhaps the most authentic and realized portrayal of an autistic character i've ever read in a book, and so much of the way she acted and felt made me feel so seen. lesbiana's guide was one of my favorite books from the start of the year, and this just might be even better.

a huge thank you to sonora reyes, netgalley, and harper collins for an advanced copy of this book!

I received this ARC from the author and I want to personally thank them so much for allowing me to read this before its publication date.

Before I get into my review this book has several TW and CW that anyone reading should take heed of before going into this book. This book touches lots of heavy topics such as SA (off page), r@pe culture, victim blaming, homophobia, emotional abuse, bullying, slut shaming, and etc; The author does make a note I believe at the start or end of the book laying out some of these themes which I really liked.

This book revolves around our main character Ariana, who has autism in the form of selective mutism. She only talks to those whom she feels comfortable with such as her parents ( mostly her mother who often treats her like a live in therapist since her dad is almost never home due to her moms cheating history) and her journalism teacher. She is over the moon once Luis Ortega starts to pay attention and make an active effort to talk to her knowing she wouldn’t say anything back. Luis uses this to take advantage of her and spread rumors that she slept with him. Ariana now has to deal with the boys at her school seeing her as only something to satisfy their needs. When she least expects it she finds unlikely friendship with those whom can relate to the same experience of being involved with Luis and their reputation being destroyed. As a collective they make a plan to get revenge to show everyone who he truly is.

I want to start off with saying this is my first time reading Sonora Reyes and this book has turned me into a huge fan of their writing. I went into this not really knowing if it had any romance to it but I was pleasantly surprised with the budding romance of Shawni and Ariana. Two girls coming together to get revenge on their mutual ex and falling in love simultaneously
, what more could you want? I absolutely cannot wait to order Lesbianas Guide To Catholic School if it’s anything like this. This book is so important because it offers so much representation and so much for those to relate to within the characters. Ariana’s journey of no longer feeling dirty and sick to her stomach when thinking of the past because of her safe space. Her being able to breathe because she is surrounded by those who make her comfortable, respect her boundaries, and care about her dearly. I enjoyed so many themes within this book but when it came to the storyline focused on Ariana’s parents I felt as though it needed to be fleshed out more. The resolution felt very sudden and doesn’t leave the reader very satisfied because of just how much the parents decisions throughout the book affected Ari in so many different ways. Overall I still loved this book and ended up finishing it within a few hours of starting. Sonora Reyes outdid themselves and I’m truly stoked for what’s yet to come!