The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes April Spisak Reyes, Sonora The Luis Ortega Survival Club. Balzer + Bray, 2023 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063060302 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063060326 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 9-12 Ari does not speak unless she is comfortable with someone, and fellow classmate Luis is far too handsome and favored in school for Ari to ever feel calm around him. Still, he seems to have taken an interest in her, and she enjoys his attention, but when he sexually assaults her at a party, Ari immediately feels violated and betrayed. She's in even worse shape once humiliating rumors start circulating about her, but the final blow is when she overhears that Luis knew she couldn't say no [End Page 302] and preyed on that. Ari is then, however, approached by others who have been hurt by Luis in various ways, and a revenge club is formed. Ari finds it disconcerting and yet comforting to be with others who have had similar assault experiences, and she also connects with someone else who identifies as neurodivergent (Ari is autistic) while experiencing her first non-toxic crush in Luis' ex-girlfriend. Reyes has an unerring eye for developing tough female protagonists who are wounded but not defeated, still figuring out their place in the world but certain when they find a person worth letting beyond her barriers. Ari's painful steps toward moving the blame off herself to where it rightfully belongs onto Luis are eloquently described in her first-person narration, and a series of positive events at the end of the novel provide a much-needed gentle landing. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois