This one spans a much longer time period than I was expecting. It's a narrative reminiscent of Angela's Ashes. Compelling characters but a fairly scattered narrative.

This is a beautiful story about growing up in a dysfunctional household, being gay, and 2 brothers' understanding of church. The brothers stay close through the years. I loved this book!

Many thanks to Net Galley and RB Media for an audio copy of Pedro & Daniel.

A tender and heartbreaking coming of age story featuring two Latinx, gay and neurodiverse (dyslexia, dyscalculia) Mexican American boys trying to survive their abusive home life and constant bullying and microaggressions at school.

Parts of this story were so hard to read - their mother treats the boys terribly - both verbally and physically. They are from a very Catholic, strict family, with toxic ideas of masculinity about how a 'good Mexican American' boy should behave. They also are forced to get circumcized as teens against their wills.

Set in 1970s Ohio spanning childhood to adult, this story is told in alternating POVs and was good on audio narrated by Frankie Corzo and Tim Pabón. Highly recommended for fans of books like Aristotle & Dante or Fifteen hundred miles from the sun and Ander and Santi were here by Jonny Garza Villa.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a heavy read and should be read with care especially for anyone for whom these topics might be triggering!

This book was a sweet yet sad reality check with 2 brothers who are trying to grow up and figure out who they are and what they will become while trying to learn about themselves. Both Pedro and Daniel are gay and they knew it from a young age. One deals with the outside world beating him down while the younger brother has to deal with his own mom abusing him at home just because he looks too identical to someone in her life that she doesn't like. As they age in the book you learn about the AIDS pandemic as well and what it's like to have to live and suffer with it and watch your own family member fade away into nothing. While the ENTIRE book just completely shattered me, it was still a wonderful read. The narrator also brought life to the authors characters and made you feel like you were in the book. The accents and being able to differentiate each character is always a plus.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨.

As a Mexican, I honestly judged this book by the cover, but I am so glad I ended up enjoying it. We follow two Mexican American brothers, Pedro & Daniel, growing up in the 1970s in Ohio. Both are gay and raised in a Catholic family, which brings both characters on a journey to self-discovery and living in a world where they fear homophobia and HIV/AIDs.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I loved the cultural talk, I related so much to these characters and the way they were raised. Both characters are super likable and there are so many moments you just feel so many emotions towards them.

We follow both characters from childhood to teen years to adulthood - and the whole time you learn so much from them. It was very difficult reading this book at times. I did predict how this book would end, but I do think it was completely necessary. There’s never a moment when I didn’t feel emotional about the way they had to live.

There are quite a few triggers in regard to this story, however, I really do think this is an important LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story, with so many difficult themes. I enjoyed this so much and really related to the way it was written and told.

Thank you so much NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Child Abuse, Chronic Illness, Religious Bigotry, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Homophobia, Mental Illness, and Racism

Thank you to hear our voices tours for an alc of this

This was very good and very very sad. There is a lot of trauma in here but the bond between siblings was super sweet.

CW: abuse, homophobia, colorism, religious trauma

This was an intense listen on audio. The narrator did a good job of differentiating characters without over doing it and was easy to listen to. I was impressed with the flavor the Spanish language quotes added without interrupting the flow of the story. They were clearly translated into English. and were an integral part of the narrative. Pedro and Daniel used these proverbs or quotes like mantras throughout their lives to help them through the many, many hardships they faced both separately and together. Combined with the fact that they were blessed to have each other, they helped the boys through an abusive household growing up, oppression of all kinds, homophobia, racism, and AIDS. This book broke my heart in so many ways and I thought over and over again "Thank God they have each other!"

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, Levine Querido, Federico Erebia, Frankie Corzo (audio narrator), and Tim Andres Pabon (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Pedro & Daniel in exchange for an honest review.

This book has history! It has culture! It delivers the experience not only of Mexican-American boys in the 1970's, but also the challenges of being of that culture and acknowledging that one is gay.

Son tal para cual.
They are cut from the same cloth.

This novel features an exorbitant amount of Spanish (which is generally translated after), which really drives the authenticity to the cultural experiences the boys in this novel have and bring the reader even closer to their story.

Pedro and Daniel aren't exactly what their mother wants them to be as boys in the family. Daniel likes dolls while neither of the brothers enjoys sports (yet they are thrust in to play anyway).

In the face of a challenging home environment, the unyielding bond between the boys becomes their steadfast anchor, a connection that will endure throughout their lifetimes.

Within the pages of this extraordinary coming-of-age tale, the brothers navigate a host of daunting hurdles. From managing the hardships of an abusive household to embracing their true identities and discovering the complexities of first loves and first jobs, their journey is anything but ordinary. Moreover, their path intersects with the devastating backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, adding an additional layer of significance and depth to their shared experiences.

While I had a little trouble getting into this novel, as it begins with the perspectives of other people in their lives (such as the nurse helping with their birth, things like that), once it picked up with Pedro and Daniel's perspectives, I was hooked and could not put this novel down. There is a lot to say about manhood and what it means to be a man in this culture and time period, and even today how these norms make for a challenging environment for young people to discover and explore who they are. The occasional dirty jokes that tend to go over the boy's heads (at first) were a fun touch of humor among the serious elements of this novel.

Really, Pedro & Daniel is a must-read for a teen audience and potentially an instant classroom classic with so much worth teaching therein.

This coming of age (and through a full if short life) tale of two gay brothers raised in a very Catholic traditional Mexican American family spanning decades from the 1970s is a necessary story. Written for a YA audience the narrators are well constructed with a purpose of connection to own voice readers. Which is needed in the marketplace and our society as a whole. The love between the two brothers, and the colorism Pedro experiences are highlights of this read.

I will say that like many (especially YA) books I’ve read in the last few years with a strong message, this book is a little too kitchen sink. Erebia manages to force just about every experience he can come up with into this book, which dilutes some of the book’s power. Moving from a tale of self-discovery and brotherly love into almost an encyclopedia of experience. That need for message over story makes some of the dialogue really heavy handed and unrealistic, it also villainizes the mother to a point that the reader struggles to understand why Daniel would maintain a relationship with her. There is so much going on we don’t get enough between the brothers on the mother to explain why they choose such different paths around her (both are valid, I just want to have a better understanding as a reader of why).

I hope at some point to be able to flip through the physical as it is illustrated, and I think that element will enhance the reading.

This book was so incredibly well written and with tons of representation. It felt like a love letter not just to Daniel but also to all queer, Latine and neurodivergent kids.
The way the story is written did make me take time to get into it but once we got to the POVs of the brothers I devoured it!!! This book made me so angry and protective of these kids, it made me laugh and fall in love with them, and it broke my heart.
Check the trigger warnings since there’s a lot of heavy subjects in it.

The emotional journey that this novel takes you on is something you're not prepared for. At times, I found myself rooting for these characters as well as reprimanding them for their mistakes. The world-building and honesty that Erebia writes with makes you feel so closely connected to what the characters experience. The narrative clings to Pedro and Daniel with the same love, compassion, and honesty that the titular brothers hold for one another. To me the only negative with the audiobook version would have to be the change in voice actors fairly early on in the story. It definitely cause some whiplash, but the core of the storytelling persevered.

This story was absolutely heartbreaking in so many ways. A beautiful story about overcoming great odds and learning about one’s true self.

Audiobook Review - This story has a lot of triggering content and should be recommended with care while still making it available for all. I had a hard time getting drawn into this story, this may have been due to the narrator. The narration was flat at times and didn't give enough emotion to the story. This is an important book, but I can say that I wasn't drawn in by the writing style. Recommended for larger collections.

This is the coming-of-age story of two Mexican-American brothers growing up with an abusive mother and a loving, but passive, father. The author deftly develops these characters both as individuals and as a pair... It's really hard to describe what I mean, but it is so pertinent to their story.

The audiobook is well narrated. It was interesting to hear the way the boy's voices develop as the years pass.

I am rating this novel at 4.5 stars, docking a bit because there was a point when it started to feel a bit long. I must add that, while this book is labeled as YA, it doesn't read as a YA novel. The writing is deep, poetic, and rich.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me access to the ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Colorism, HIV, Aids

I thought this was an important story, but I didn't like the writing or the way that the story was told. Maybe I would have liked it more if I didn't listen to the audiobook.

Telling the story of two Hispanic brothers living in America and growing up through the 80s and 90s and facing challenges such as parental abuse and living in the AIDs crisis, this book really hits hard. At times it was difficult to read, especially when detailing the treatment of the siblings by their mother. It's difficult to describe this as enjoyable, but I did enjoy the writing, especially how the voices of the characters developed over the years that were covered.

I had a few challenges with the book, primarily with the later sections of the book. Once they'd left home the plot moved on at a pace which meant that, while we fully understood who the boys were as children, as adults we learned very little and so for me the emotional connection that I had during the early stages was somewhat lost. Additionally, there was little in the way of retribution for the actions of the most reprehensible character in the book, which felt pretty unsatisfying.

However there were aspects of the book with which I strongly identified and because parts of it were so strong, my overall feeling about the book is extremely positive.

I was provided with a copy of the audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley. While it was an excellent production, I was confused about some of the decisions that were made. There were two narrators in the book, but instead of having one for each of the characters (which would have given a greater sense of clarity about whose perspective we were hearing from), they chose to have an (assumedly) female narrator for the first section of the book and a male narrator for the rest of the book, which I found very jarring and it made no sense to do it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books RB Media for gifting me an audio ARC of this debut book by Federico Erebia and wonderfully narrated by Frankie Corzo and Tim Andrés Pabon - 4 stars!

Daniel and Pedro are Mexican American brothers growing up in Ohio in the 1970s. Their mother resents that Pedro is darker like his father and that he likes dolls and not sports. So he gets the brunt of his mother's abuse. The brothers share a bond that continues throughout their life.

This book is based on the author's own childhood and provides the legacy that Daniel longed for. It's a story that touches on so many difficult subjects - growing up gay, especially in the 1970s, racism, abuse, the abuses in the Catholic Church. But it's also a story of loyalty and unbreakable bonds between brothers. The audiobook was wonderful because there were different narrators for each brother and the spoken Spanish was beautiful.

Trigger Warnings: cursing, child abuse, death of a sibling, toxic masculinity, domestic violence, homophobia, colorism, racism, clergy abuse, suicidality, sex, death

Representation: Gay, Neurodivergent, Mexican-American

Pedro & Daniel is a young adult contemporary about Pedro and Daniel, who are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their darker-skinned father; that Daniel likes dolls; that neither boy plays sports. Both are gay and neurodivergent. They are alike, but they are dissimilar in their struggles, their dreams, their approach to life.

Pedro & Daniel is a sweeping and deeply personal novel that spans from childhood, through their teen years, and into adulthood. Theirs is a bond that won’t be broken. Together they endure an abusive home life, coming out, first loves, first jobs, and the AIDS pandemic, in a coming-of-age story unlike any other.

Pedro and Daniel by @federicoerebia is touching and evoked strong empathetic feelings. So much so I just wanted to put my arms around little brothers Pedro and Daniel. I want to wrap them in my motherly love and show them both they are worthy, beautiful and loved. I want to instill self worth and recreate their childhood memories. I wanted to make them safe.

This story also evoked contempt, anger and sorrow. I wanted to get little Pedro and Daniel away from their mother who was obviously mentally ill and/or self absorbed. She especially abused Pedro for being a darker indigenous Mexican like his father. I felt it given my mom’s experience as the darker child. Their mother was extremely abusive and their dad didn’t protect them. He was struggling to protect himself as well.

Thank goodness for the audiobook because narrators changed between the brothers and the story is filled with sayings in Spanish (translated to English as well) that I would probably have butchered. It was amazing to experience the authentic Spanish. I loved that we heard from both boys/men throughout their lives in 1970’s Ohio and beyond. An unexpected feature was the comedic voices of both Pedro and Daniel. Their stories and quips were hilarious.

The writing was poignant and introspective. Above the abusive home, colorism and homophobic themes, the ugly side of Catholicism and the onset of a new killer disease, HIV/AIDS, Pedro and Daniel love each other. My favorite part in the story takes place early on when Pedro is in school and Daniel is not school age yet. I don’t want to give it away but it made my heart smile. So much so that I wish I had grown up with my siblings. You’ll know when you read it. I won’t give it away.

You must read the printed copy for the beautiful artwork by @kwon__julie! So good! I was invested in their well being and growth. I finished feeling their love and grateful Pedro gave us their story.

4.5 stars

Readers, prepare for impact. This book will make a lasting home in your brain after both breaking and reinforcing your heart. It's a real roller coaster.

The titular Pedro and Daniel are brothers growing up in the 1970s, and while they are extremely different from each other in some critical ways, they are also both neurodivergent, queer, and the victims of their surroundings: particularly but not exclusively a very tough to read mother and a system of organized religion that simultaneously does not accept them and exposes them to all kinds of harm. Though both boys face countless and varied challenges throughout their young and then adult lives, the running thread is their commitment to each other. Readers need this relationship as much as the characters do to keep them going.

This is an intriguing piece of historical fiction focusing on queer experience in the '70s and '80s, especially. There are many TWs that come with this one, and a quick review of the book's description will provide the necessary info for readers to make informed decisions. Additionally, since readers go through the preteen and teen years with these boys, they should be prepared for some degree of introspection about bodies, sex, sexuality, and, well, mechanics. These characters are written authentically, so they really ponder a lot on the page when it comes to these subjects.

The narration of the audiobook is top notch and further enraptures readers in these characters' moving experiences. I recommend the audio version when and where accessible, and I'm grateful that this was not just an available read for me but also that it was my first of Pride Month. I'll be recommending this one to students for a long time.