A review by warlocksarecool21
The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, but I still think it was a solid book. The content itself was strong and important, I just didn’t always vibe with the writing style, which I was surprised about considering how much I liked their other book. I feel like I wasn’t as invested with certain things bc the writing felt so direct. I’m thinking that might be because it was told from Ari’s voice, so that would make sense, but it didn’t always grab me. I also felt like I didn’t really get to know Ari’s friends as much as I wanted to. 
 I did really enjoy Ari’s relationship with Shawni, and I liked how understanding she was of Ari and her needs. 

I thought the core message was really impactful, that victims of assault aren’t alone and that speaking up is powerful. It made me really happy that there was positive autistic rep in this book. While I didn’t relate to every trait that Ari had, having that representation as someone who is probably undiagnosed autistic was really nice to read. I don’t think I ever put into words the issues I had about people touching me and some of the things I do to stim until I saw them in this book. Ari’s development throughout the story was really strong, and I liked how empowered she was at the end. 
Even though this wasn’t a 5-star read for me, I’m glad it exists and I think for anyone who thinks their voice doesn’t matter, or won’t do anything, this will be a powerful read. 
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