Ophelia After All

December 1, 2021
It's the end of senior year, and Ophelia Rojas is overwhelmed by the many changes charging through her life. Ophelia--17, hopeless romantic, fittingly flower-obsessed, Cuban and White--knows that the future is coming on fast. Soon she'll graduate and start college, moving away from parents she actually gets along with, best friends she shares everything with, and even her beloved rose garden. With so much of her life in flux, she wishes some routines would stay intact. Then Talia--Black and Puerto Rican, quietly intelligent--starts occupying all her thoughts, and she's not sure what that means. The novel is rich in secondary characters, all of whom learn and struggle together in a messy web of teenage friendships. There's Agatha (Black, plus-sized fashionista), on her way to design school and determined to succeed; Lindsay (White, popular as all get out), juggling the expectations of two lovestruck boys and an entire presumptuous world; Sammie (Pakistani American and Muslim, jester and boy next door), whose emotions are fast outgrowing his usual devil-may-care attitude; and Wesley (Korean American) and Zaquariah (Black), both artists navigating their own growing pains. Marie writes Ophelia and her friends through the hurdles and heartaches of senior spring with charm and insight, giving each character complexity and their varied cultural experiences the space, consideration, and depth they deserve. A feel-good and effortlessly inclusive coming-of-age story that deftly captures the aching tension of queer adolescence. (Fiction. 13-18)

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December 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 High-school senior Ophelia Rojas' life is about to get complicated, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Her fondness for Cuban food and her rose garden remains steadfast, but she's had boys on the brain far less than usual. Why? Her attention has been completely focused on her shy, pretty classmate, Talia Sanchez. This is a departure from Ophelia's usual parade of boy-centered crushes--a running joke in her family--and she's not quite sure what it means. Beyond her romantic quandaries, Ophelia is also dealing with the slow disintegration of her once-solid friend group, and the secrets that surface as a result. Filled with realistic elements, this lovely coming-of-age story follows Ophelia as she explores her identity as well as the ups and downs of high school. Is she really the boy-crazy girl she thought, or is she queer? What's next for her love life and friendships after high school? This touching debut offers an emotional ride that readers will be happy to embark upon.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 28, 2022
High school senior Ophelia Rojas, who’s Cuban and white, is wild about the roses she grows, but to her friends and family, her salient trait is her “thirstiness”: always having a crush on some boy or another. Which is why her sudden interest in quiet Afro–Puerto Rican classmate Talia Sanchez surprises and confuses her. Prom’s in three weeks, and there’s drama in Ophelia’s friend group, which includes Black and white characters as well as teens of Korean and Pakistani descent, about who’s going with whom. Savvy about the complexity of intersectional identity, debut author Marie packs a lot of action into those three weeks, and shows a wonderful knack for creating sweetly complex relationships—like Ophelia’s bond with her parents as well as longtime bestie and neighbor Sammie. While there’s plenty of information for teens grappling with sexuality—and inclusive portrayals, including aromantic, asexual, bisexual, and pansexual representation—the book never feels like a manual: Ophelia, Talia, and their friends are fully human creations. Ages 14–up. Agent: Thao Le, Dijkstra Agency.

July 1, 2022
All is well in high-achieving, botany-obsessed, high-school senior Ophelia Rojas's world until she gets caught up in friend drama over prom and recognizes her romantic interest in a new female friend. True to her namesake from Hamlet, Ophelia (whose mother is an English literature professor) is gradually overcome by social and internal pressures. She fears that her support system will fall apart if she does not live up to the heteronormative persona that her friends and family assume of her. Ophelia discovers her potential for growth as her relationships evolve and she becomes vulnerable with those she loves. Marie's debut YA novel adds more welcome queer and multiracial Latinx leading characters to the teens-coming-of-age canon. The novel comfortably alternates between contemplative inner monologues and busy, playful scenes featuring Ophelia's family or friend group. While this engaging story will especially resonate with individuals who share the protagonist's identities and who seek to see themselves reflected in the stories they read, Ophelia is highly relatable as a soulful and eccentric individual who tries to find her way and reclaim a clear sense of who she is. Nicholas A. Brown

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
All is well in high-achieving, botany-obsessed, high-school senior Ophelia Rojas's world until she gets caught up in friend drama over prom and recognizes her romantic interest in a new female friend. True to her namesake from Hamlet, Ophelia (whose mother is an English literature professor) is gradually overcome by social and internal pressures. She fears that her support system will fall apart if she does not live up to the heteronormative persona that her friends and family assume of her. Ophelia discovers her potential for growth as her relationships evolve and she becomes vulnerable with those she loves. Marie's debut YA novel adds more welcome queer and multiracial Latinx leading characters to the teens-coming-of-age canon. The novel comfortably alternates between contemplative inner monologues and busy, playful scenes featuring Ophelia's family or friend group. While this engaging story will especially resonate with individuals who share the protagonist's identities and who seek to see themselves reflected in the stories they read, Ophelia is highly relatable as a soulful and eccentric individual who tries to find her way and reclaim a clear sense of who she is.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)