Ixta, Carolina. Shut Up, This Is Serious. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 01/2024. 368pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-0-06-328786-0. GRADES 9–12. OUTSTANDING.
Belén and Leti are best friends who are finishing up high school in East Oakland. Leti is pregnant and her family are super strict and Catholic, unaccepting of her Black boyfriend or his gracious parents, and always finding a way to blame Belén for what they view as Leti’s lack of morality. Belén seems to be rudderless and unable to find a purpose in her life; she feels trapped, and tries to escape by dating an older guy, which is the first in a series of self-destructive decisions. Complicated family dynamics threaten to tear down both Belén and Leti, but the two eventually find solace and support with each other. Main characters are Latine, and the girls live in the Fruitvale neighborhood. This debut novel won the Pura Belpré Award for young adult fiction. Includes California-specific content.
Pauline Harris—San Francisco Public Library