Reyes, Sonora. Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, The. Balzer & Bray, 05/2022. 386pp. Fiction. Grades 7-Adult. $18.99. 978-0-06-306023-4. Outstanding.
Yamilet (Yami) and her younger brother Cesar are about to start a new school year at Slayton, a Catholic school in a wealthy Phoenix neighborhood. After getting into too many fights, Cesar leaves public school and gets into Slayton on a scholarship. Yami chooses to follow Cesar to protect him and avoid the aftermath of being outed by her former best friend and crush, Bianca. Though Yami knows she’s a lesbian, she keeps it a secret from her family and friends until Cesar begins to struggle with his orientation as well. Yami, a brown-skinned, dark-haired indigenous Mexican, faces racial aggressions from the popular white girls at her new school. Yami’s voice is powerfully authentic, fierce, and funny. While most of the characters are Mexican, other characters include the out-and-proud lesbian Bo, who is Chinese and struggles with her cultural identity because she was adopted by a straight white couple. Brown-skinned, dark-haired David is Indigenous and lives on the nearby reservation, and Cesar’s friend Jamal is described as being Black. What makes this coming-of-age/coming-out story unique is the focus on Yami’s internal struggle with the Catholic faith: while she was born Catholic, her personal beliefs and values don’t align with what she’s being taught at Slayton which, along with self-identifying as a lesbian, causes most of the internal conflict in the story. The author includes a content warning at the beginning of the book for tough subjects, including racism, homophobia (internalized and external), immigration, and attempted suicide. An excellent read-alike for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Angie Thomas. Solia Martinez-Jacobs—Bret Harte Middle School