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A review by claudiaslibrarycard
Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The best YA title I've read so far this year, Shut Up, This is Serious is the coming of age story of two teenage girls who flip societal expectations around. Belén Dolores Itzel del Toro is smart and just wants the normal teenage experience, she's desperate to feel love and lose her virginity, and she's in danger of not graduating from high school. Meanwhile her best friend Leti is very, very Catholic, a little bit nerdy, and pregnant.
Surrounded by their families in Oakland, CA, Belén and Leti struggle with their personal situations and secrets while being forced to grow up by their environment and the ticking clock of high school ending. This is one jam packed, beautiful novel that feels so emotionally resonant and perfectly balanced. While it tackles so much and I did just call it jam packed, it never felt over the top to me. It was such a great representation of how overwhelming life can be as a teenager especially as societal pressures and -isms compound already difficult life transitions.
I cannot recommend this enough and writing more wouldn't do this book justice. Just read it!
Surrounded by their families in Oakland, CA, Belén and Leti struggle with their personal situations and secrets while being forced to grow up by their environment and the ticking clock of high school ending. This is one jam packed, beautiful novel that feels so emotionally resonant and perfectly balanced. While it tackles so much and I did just call it jam packed, it never felt over the top to me. It was such a great representation of how overwhelming life can be as a teenager especially as societal pressures and -isms compound already difficult life transitions.
I cannot recommend this enough and writing more wouldn't do this book justice. Just read it!