This was my first read by Andrea Beatriz Arango, but I know I’ll be checking out her other books immediately. This is one of the best free verse books I can recall reading, with the perfect balance of lyricism, authenticity, and uniqueness to make me fall in love with Vale’s story. This story—one of a middle-school champion struggling to find her identity after losing what she grounded herself in—is one I can’t recall seeing before but that I absolutely loved. Vale is so utterly relatable: determined, perfectionistic, self-sufficient, and yet ultimately incredibly vulnerable, I loved every beat of her voice and her story. The queer romance plotline here was also incredibly sweet, adding a light touch that made me smile. I truly can’t recommend It’s All or Nothing, Vale enough—five extraordinarily well-deserved stars!

Novels written in verse can be a great format for an emotional and thoughtful story like this. So much of the change and growth happens in Vale's head, her emotions and reactions, so there is little need for long descriptions. Even the fencing action fits well with the spare language, pulling the reader into how it feels to excel at a sport, rather than a play by play. I was very interested in the friction between the "all or nothing" support Vale got from her parents before her injury, and the disappointment and fear they felt afterward. It is all laid out very clearly, and both the parents opposing views make sense. Vale is a strong and resilient character learning to see herself and the world around her in a new way.

My arc had a total of 73 pages.
We meet Valentina during her recovery after an accident.  Valentina is an athlete with chronic pain, with a competitive nature and she gets to discovers that there is more to recovery than just her leg healing.  She learns about herself, friendships, her relationships and her family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's-Random House Books for Young Readers for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED Iveliz Explains It All so I was very excited to read Andrea Beatriz Arango’s new book. Just like with Iveliz, Vale is such a complex and wonderfully written character. It’s so easy to understand her feelings of anger, frustration and jealousy as she navigates her new world where she’s not automatically the best fencer after her injury. I really loved how she learned ways to communicate what she needed from her family and also to do things just for the sake of joy instead of competition. I also enjoyed seeing her friendship with Amanda and her feelings towards Myrka evolve. Also, the look at the spectrum of disability was done in such a nuanced way and I loved how it was explained. I very much enjoyed this book and I’m so excited to see what Arango writes next!
CW: injury

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Kids for an advanced digital readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

I always have the same complaint about Andrea Beatriz Arango’s incredibly written middle grade novels in verse - I wish they were longer! I fall in love with her characters and read her books quickly because they’re written in verse, and I am always left wanting more!

Her most recent release, It’s All or Nothing, Vale, is no different! It is just so well written and I could keep reading hundreds more pages of Vale’s story!

Valentina’s identity centers around her being a highly successful competitive fencer. When she has a motorbike accident with her dad that leaves her with chronic pain, she finds that her future as fencer is suddenly very uncertain.

The exploration of disability and identity labels is incredible representation for the many readers out there figuring out how to manage life with chronic pain. Vale figuring out that she’s so much more than a fencer is beautiful. And the queer representation of Vale crushing on another girl is another perfect layer to the story. (And how could I forget to mention how Andrea always weaves lines of dialogue in Spanish seamlessly into her stories?!)

As you can tell, this is a must-read new middle grade novel in verse!

Andrea Beatriz Arango has yet to disappoint me. As a queer Boricua who also navigates chronic illness, I connect deeply with her stories, and "It's All or Nothing, Vale!" is no exception. I've loved all her work, from indie to traditionally published, and this one earns another high rating from me.

Vale, a nationally ranked fencer, faces a challenging return to the sport after an accident leaves her with chronic pain. Arango masterfully weaves together themes of physical and emotional recovery, rivalry, friendships, and family dynamics within the novel-in-verse format.

"It's All or Nothing, Vale!" is packed with so much for young readers to unpack. It's a story that will resonate with anyone who has faced setbacks, big or small, and offers a powerful message about self-acceptance and finding strength beyond achievements. This book would be an excellent catalyst for discussions about the many challenges kids face today.

Valentina, once a promising fencer, returns to fencing after a life-changing accident. She struggles with accepting that she will never be as good as she once dreamed as she deals with chronic pain. This novel in verse was decent but it tried to do too much.

This is a beautiful novel in verse about a girl going through a physical recovery. She discovers that there is so much more to recover from than just her leg healing. I love the lessons she learns about herself, her friendships, and her relationships with her family.

95/100 or 4.75 stars

This was fantastic. This story will be important for so many middle grade readers, and I so happy I got to check it out as an ARC.
If I could find this for a reasonable price once the book is released, I will definitely buy it for my library! I know so many middle grade readers that come to the resort who would love to have a story that represents them! The representation thorughout the story is well done and genuine. Vale is a strong female protagonist, and I had a great time reading this!

This BOOK MY PEOPLE!!! It changed me! I looooved this book so much. I loved how the author explained how hard it is to let something you have worked so hard for go when that’s all you’ve known your entire life. I especially loved the family dynamics and how the life of an athlete can look like before and after an injury; how “en un abrir y cerrar de ojos” life can be forever changed. How our girl Valentina becomes her own person, learns from her mistakes and realizes there’s more to life than fencing and being jealous (or liking) her new fencing rival Myrka. I loved the relationship she had with her brother Luis and her new friend Amanda. How they pushed her to be better and get to know this new version of herself that she didn’t think existed. I loved this book and am excited for what’s to come from this author. She really kills it every time.

A novel in verse with a Latina heroine who fences?? Was this book created in a lab specifically for me? In any case, even if it wasn't all my favorite things wrapped into one, the poetry in this novel is beautiful and accessible, and the message is one that kids and grown-ups need to hear. I highly recommend this one for all middle grade collections.

Before suffering a major leg injury, Valentina “Vale” Mari Camacho was a top-ranked fencer. When she returns to fencing, she is in a lot of pain and starts questioning her identity. Her competitor, Myrka seems to have taken the top spot from Vale. As she develops a crush on Myrka, Vale starts to reevaluate what makes her who she is in a different way. Will she figure out who she is?

The plot is well written and realistic. The characters are flawed, authentic, and easy to sympathize with. Vale’s struggles with her disability, perfectionism, and her parents’ expectations are well integrated into the book. Spanish dialogue mixed throughout the novel are easy to understand in context. Vale is Puerto Rican and Myrka is Cuban American. Readers who like realistic fiction, LGBTQ+ fiction, books about self-discovery and dealing with disabilities, and friendship and family stories will want to pick this one up. Recommended for library collections where such books are popular. 3 stars, Gr 6 and up.

I loved the author's previous book, but I struggled with this one. Valentina's entire self-worth is dependent on her ability to fence, and the fact her mother put all this pressure on her to win wasn't really addressed. I also got the feeling that Valentina didn't enjoy the actual sport of fencing as much as she enjoyed winning and that made it hard to connect with her.

Overall, I appreciate the sentiments that this novel in verse was trying to convey, and I know that so many young athletes trying to compete at the professional level can find a connection to this story. However, for the average middle school reader, I am unsure if this drive for perfection to the physical, emotional, and social detriment of the main character will resonate in a meaningful way with most readers. The story was well-written, and I really enjoyed the novel in verse style. I struggled to relate to the main character (even as someone who has OCD myself) and really had a hard time empathizing with her. She was very self-centered (which is true for many kiddos her age) and did very little for anyone other than herself (until the very, very end). It was an abrupt shift at the end, and I think the plot needed to be developed a bit more to assist the reader in feeling that the redemption arc had fully taken place. Additionally, I wish the author had fleshed out a few more plot points like the accident and what exactly went down with her ex-best friend. It was a quick read, but I felt like there needed to be a bit more.

Sweet middle grade novel-in-verse bringing the reader along Valentina's struggles after a dirt bike accident impacts her identity and future as a champion fencer. While working to get back into fencing shape and navigating friendships old and new, Valentina is forced to reflect on her past, present, and future, and who she wants to be. A strong read for middle grade readers about a sport not often highlighted!

I loved this--it was such a great look at an athlete with chronic pain, an athlete's competitive nature, and the complicated crush on a girl (made complicated by the fact that she's Vale's competitor, not that she's a girl!) Highly recommended.

What a wonderful and poignant novel in verse! It did such a nice job of depicting chronic pain, fears of identity, and first crushes. The emotional arc comes from Vale realizing her worth outside of winning and losing and learning to accept her disability (without any homophobia as she experiences her first crush on a girl). It is done in a way that is very accessible and comprehensible for middle grade readers.

(Librarians take note: I think this could potentially have appeal for upper elementary, but this is definitely geared for middle school readers).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed It’s All or Nothing, Vale. This novel in verse follows Valentina, or Vale, a fencing prodigy who’s struggling to reclaim her passion and strength after a life-changing accident. After months of recovery, Vale is finally cleared to get back on the mat, but it’s not the same. Her body doesn’t move the way it used to, and a new, seemingly perfect rival named Myrka makes things even harder.

Vale’s journey of coming to terms with her injury and learning to push past her past is so emotional and real. I loved how the story showed that the journey is about more than just physical strength—it’s about mental and emotional healing too.

If you're into stories of resilience, personal growth, and coming back stronger, this one will really resonate!

Arango,Beatriz Andrea. It’s All or Nothing, Vale. Random House Books For Young Readers, 2025, 9780593810929. $17.99. 279p. Grades 5-9

Description: Valentina Camacho, also called Vale, is all about fencing, all the time. She lives and breathes fencing, but after getting into an accident on her dad’s motorcycle, she really struggles to adjust to the new way her body moves, accepting her limitations, and moving past the fact that she is no longer the top fencer.

Thoughts: This, like Arango’s other novels, is absolutely phenomenal. It touches on fencing as a sport, which is not often represented in books, but it also highlights learning how to move on in the face of adversity and learning to live a new “normal” and finding who you truly are.

Realistic Fiction

Tags: Fencing, LGBTQ+, Adversity, Caribbean/Caribbean American, Latine, Novel-In-Verse, Sports, Girls in Sports, Mobility Aid

A strong middle grade verse novel about Vale who is returning to fencing after a horrific injury that has left her physically bruised but also emotionally drained-- when will she be back on top again? Are people letting her win because they feel bad for her? Does she want to keep fencing? How can her parents' responses be so different in how they've treated her since the accident? Plus, she's still navigating school, friendships, and a new girl on the fencing team. And one of my favorite relationships highlighted in the story is hers with her brother, Luis.

Reflective and inspiring about decisions she'll have to make moving forward about who she is and who she wants to become without worrying about what happened in the past or questioning her skills and assets.