Reviews with content warning for Ableism - The Luis Ortega Survival Club

I absolutely loved TLOSC! This was such a powerful read; author Sonora Reyes very realistically depicts the complex range of thoughts and feelings following SA.
*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!

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cloreadsbooks1364's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

This YA contemporary fiction novel features Ari, who is r@ped by a popular, powerful boy called Luis Ortega. She is invited to join a group comprising of some of Luis's many victims, and they try to expose him as the piece of crap he is.

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

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al3xa's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

i really loved this book — was genuinely compelled to keep reading the whole way through! i also felt like the diverse representation (especially ari’s experience with autism and selective mutism) wasn’t tokenized at all, which felt really special.

my biggest issues with the book
were that some things didn’t feel totally realistic, but that is par for the course as an adult reading YA! in particular the fact that ari is in high school and has apparently never spoken in the classroom (except to her favorite teacher 1:1) but doesn’t have any diagnosis / accommodations, just suspected autism — i can’t imagine that happening in public schools fr.

i also thought the double romance / happy ending was a tiny bit unnecessary but very sweet,

and these characters certainly deserved a happy ending!!!

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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

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flairofclaire's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

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sadhbhprice's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

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girlreading's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

A heartwarming, devastating an d empowering story of friendship, neurodiversity, rape culture and the power of raising your voice and sharing your story.

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mezzythedragon's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Oof. An important read for everyone, not just for teens, though they definitely need this book. I like how Reyes captures abusers and their enablers, and how they manipulate their victims and their feelings towards them.

While I’m glad Luis got his in the end, I wish I had seen his punishment in real time. First he threatens Ari, and in the next chapter, the epilogue, he’s a registered sex offender. I would have liked to see him suffer.

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