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A review by nickartrip102
Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa
3.0
I selected Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa from my TBR list, where it seems to have been lingering for much too long! I say much too long, because I purchased this on the day it came out because I really love the author’s other works, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. Amid his grandfather's death, Rafael Alvarez leads his high school's mariachi band to a first-place win in a national competition as the group's lead vocalist and almost hooks up with the hottest guy he's ever met. Eight months later, Rafael's preparing for his senior year and one final victory for his school's mariachi band when his parents announce that they will be be moving to San Antonio before the year starts. As it turns out, his new school's mariachi band already has a lead vocalist: Rey Chavez, the boy Rafael made out with and missed out on months before. Now the two find themselves locked in a rivalry to take center stage, but they can't ignore the spark of attraction between them.
I think that what I love most about this author is the way they handle big emotions with their male protagonists. Rafael is dealing with so much, between the death of his grandfather and his parent’s decision to move, that it was quite easy to sympathize with him. Like most teenage protagonists, if you take away these factors, Rafael comes across as quite unlikeable. Garza Villa sort of captures all of this turmoil through the teenage lens quite perfectly. It also allowed his character the proper room to grow and heal throughout the story. The dynamic between Rafael and Rey was also very well-written. Their chemistry was off the charts and I really felt that every scene between them had a special charge that made we want to root for their friendship and potentially more as I read.
I love a young adult book that tackles big issues and I was really pleased to see grief played such a central part in the story. It certainly motivates a lot of Rafael’s ambition and anger, so it’s apparent that the Garza Villa really considered the impact of his grandfather’s death. Rey is also trans, which I love to see, because quite simply: representation matters. The author does a tremendous job of guiding Rafael through the pain of his loss, the angst of his feelings for Rey and, his growth as a character. He makes several mistakes throughout the book that make you want to scold him, a hallmark of adolescence, but the journey is well worth it.
I think that what I love most about this author is the way they handle big emotions with their male protagonists. Rafael is dealing with so much, between the death of his grandfather and his parent’s decision to move, that it was quite easy to sympathize with him. Like most teenage protagonists, if you take away these factors, Rafael comes across as quite unlikeable. Garza Villa sort of captures all of this turmoil through the teenage lens quite perfectly. It also allowed his character the proper room to grow and heal throughout the story. The dynamic between Rafael and Rey was also very well-written. Their chemistry was off the charts and I really felt that every scene between them had a special charge that made we want to root for their friendship and potentially more as I read.
I love a young adult book that tackles big issues and I was really pleased to see grief played such a central part in the story. It certainly motivates a lot of Rafael’s ambition and anger, so it’s apparent that the Garza Villa really considered the impact of his grandfather’s death. Rey is also trans, which I love to see, because quite simply: representation matters. The author does a tremendous job of guiding Rafael through the pain of his loss, the angst of his feelings for Rey and, his growth as a character. He makes several mistakes throughout the book that make you want to scold him, a hallmark of adolescence, but the journey is well worth it.