A review by sel_28
The Girl, The Ring, and the Baseball Bat by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

First off, I want to thank NetGalley and Levine Querido for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t think I’ve read magical realism before, but I had a good time reading it! There are three alternating POVs: Rosie, Caro and Zeke. Each one had a very distinct voice, and I was invested in each one. I felt like I could relate so much to Rosie with how hard she worked in school, and I could understand her desire to attend the other school, thinking it would give her better opportunities. The book had great commentary on how these institutions treat students of color, as well as showing how there are other pathways that a student can take, as well as a different way of looking at future plans. Zeke had a different way of looking at his future than Rosie. His journey was more focused on his grief and feelings of love. The two are very different, but they complement each other. Right away, Zeke could sense that Rosie was going to be important in his life, and I’ve always believed that soulmates don’t have to be platonic, so they are soulmates to me. Caro was grappling with realizing who her father really is and that her mother’s past is very different from how she made it seem. While Rosie was also shocked by what they learned about their mother, it really affected Caro since she has more of a strained relationship with her mother. Each one had a talisman that helped them navigate the problems going on in their lives, but it also got them into interesting situations.

I was very invested in learning more about their mother’s past, and I felt like more could’ve been explained. I do feel like the book could’ve been longer so we could also see how everything went down with the school and the principal. I like the ending the characters each got, but I just wish we could’ve seen more of it.

I’m not from Jersey City, but I am from NJ, so it was also cool reading a book that takes place there! And while I’m a little past my teen years now, the way the characters were written felt very accurate!

Overall, I give the book 4 stars and am looking forward to more of Camille Gomera-Tavarez’s work!