Shine on, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcárcel

Abstract

Reviewed by: Shine on, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcárcel Elizabeth Bush Balcárcel, Rebecca Shine on, Luz Véliz! Chronicle, 2022 [276p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781797209678 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781797217697 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-7 A torn ACL sidelines eleven-year-old Luz from her soccer team and isolates her from her coach father as well. She initially interprets his distance as disappointment that his soccer dreams have died with hers, but the real reason soon emerges—a daughter he didn’t know he had from a premarital relationship in Guatemala has lost her mother and is moving to his home in Texas. It’s a strained time for all concerned, but Luz reacts badly when Solana, a beautiful, gracious thirteen-year-old who makes friends easily, inadvertently intrudes upon social and familial territory Luz considers her own. Luz has found a path to move forward post-soccer, setting her sights on involvement in upper-level coding coursework and finding a willing mentor in her retired neighbor across the street. Unfortunately, Solana shares this interest, which first triggers a showdown of sorts between the two hermanas but ultimately puts them on course to a genuine sisterly relationship. Each girl’s motivation and emotional journey is fully credible, and the emerging backstory of Solana’s flight from Guatemala is wrenching. Balcárcel releases a confetti storm of feel-good subplot resolutions, but they do not detract from the core dynamic of a good family becoming even better as it widens its embrace. An author’s note on the inspiration for Solana’s story is included. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois