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standardchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Ableism, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape
cats_and_rabbits's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
*spoiler alert*
Protagonist & narrator Ari is autistic, has selective mutism, and experiences isolation from her peers until she is contacted by an anonymous individual who is part of a club of students who have been assaulted and wronged by the same person. Ari forms community with other members of the club as they process their traumas and carry out different approaches for getting justice.
Author Reyes crafts healthy models of consensual, neurodiversity-affirming friendships and relationships among characters, making this an important read for teens and adults of all ages. There is a wlw romance, a nonbinary character, and a neuro-inclusive pride celebration.
I wish this book could be a series on television!
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Infidelity, and Dysphoria
cloreadsbooks1364's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The Luis Ortega Survival Club
By Sonora Reyes
4.75/5⭐️
Our protagonist, Ari, is autistic with selective mutism. This results in her social life being nonexistent, until she meets the other Club members. I found her to be a very relatable protagonist, and thought that the autism rep was very good. It took her most of the book to realise that what her article about Luis required was her own experience, but I feel like she knew internally that she'd have to tell her story eventually to have any chance of succeeding in ensuring that Luis wouldn't harm any more girls. I felt sorry for how her mother treated her like a therapist, and was very glad when everything turned out well for Ari.
Shawni, the creator of the club and the love interest of Ari, was a great character, though maybe she lacked a smidge of development? I liked how she made sure there was always paper and a pen on hand so that Ari could communicate with the group!
Jasmine, Nina, and Angel (the other group members) were also very lovable. We learnt the least about Nina, which is unfortunate as I really enjoyed their friendly nature.
Jasmine seemed to be a very loyal friend, and I liked how she and Angel stuck by each other no matter what.
The pacing was perfect, I actually read this book in a single day and never got tired of it.
The ending was so happy it felt unrealistic, but I still consider it to be perfect as this is a story about hope, about naming and shaming predators, taking back control, and untwisting the narrative.
Queer rep:
Queer protagonist (unlabelled)
Bi side character
Nonbinary side character
TWs: r@pe (off-page), bullying, sexual assault, sexual harassment, infidelity, abelism, gaslighting, biphobia
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Bullying, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
kays_reading_journal's review against another edition
4.25
It says aftermath not on page, but I felt like the memories were pretty graphic. I’d also add PTSD.
I really did enjoy this book. I loved the main character and the found family and all.
It just felt a bit too short despite being a pretty average length. I wish that we had gotten to spend a bit more time with Ari’s parents, and some of the ending felt a bit rushed.
(I still really enjoyed this book! It’s just easier to write about negatives than positives)
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Biphobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity
imstephtacular's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Graphic: Ableism and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Abandonment
sadhbhprice's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
luckyonesoph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
crysbooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity and Rape
danaslitlist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I didn't love this as much as I loved The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. Mainly because I felt as that this book is a bit too long for the amount of material inside, some moments felt too drawn out or repetitive. And while I can’t blame the characters for thinking like teenagers, because they are teens, some of the plot points really had me going “did you really think that would work?”. But those are just minor flaws in an otherwise wonderful book and I wasn’t disappointed in this sophomore novel from Sonora Reyes.
Graphic: Ableism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail