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A review by nataliem22
Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity by Angela Velez
5.0
This young adult novel is one for the books. Angela Velez's debut, Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity, covers more ground than just the distance between Baltimore and San Fransisco. It dives deep into familial expectations, the meaning of sisterhood, and the development of self-love. Lulu and Milagro demand to be heard, and their story isn't one that will soon be forgotten. A must read for all avid young adult fiction fans!
Angela Velez grew up in Baltimore, Maryland under the watchful eye of her Peruvian immigrant parents. She earned her bachelor of arts from Columbia University and her master of fine arts from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was a K. Leroy Irvis Fellow. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her pile of books, three plastic flamingos, and one wobbly disco ball. Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.angelavelez.com. You can also find Angela on Instagram and Twitter.
Overachiever Luz "Lulu" Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school's cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can't fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste. Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own spring break plans (Operation Don't Die a Virgin) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she'd never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is. One a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara's secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood.
I actually was luck enough to attend a small talk Angela Velez did with my Latinx Childhoods class last fall! In the class, Velez read a small excerpt from Milagro's first chapter, and we dissected the sort of ways in which young adults use food and lunchtime and the high school setting to create meaning out of their lives. Just this one small section convinced me to buy Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity when it came out, and I'm so glad I did! This novel tackles some incredibly difficult themes, in such a fun, bubbly, and meaningful way. This book feels more true to the adolescent experience because Velez dives deep into what it truly means to be an adolescent: by examining what's really important to two totally different girls, and how they can stem from the same (or different) insecurities and fears. It turns out that Lulu and Milagro might not be so different after all, and that their searches for clarity have all just been one big hunt for the truth. This novel is beautifully constructed to reflect the young adult experience, with just as much heart and voice and youth as young adults everywhere have.
Speaking of voice, Lulu and Milagro are such wonderfully big characters! Their voices are so unique and vast, and even though I am totally a Lulu, I found myself relating (heartbreakingly so) to Milagro as well. It is literally impossible to not get invested in both of their journeys towards truth and self-love. One of the most powerful aspects of this novel is the way Lulu and Milagro go through separate journeys, and come to very powerful and decisive conclusions, without compromising who they are. It's incredible to see them only come even further into their own, even it doing so takes them down paths they never would have considered before. And that's what growing up is, after all, right? Velez nails that. Velez embraces the heart and truth of adolescence, which is evident in Lulu's and Milagro's voices, and which makes the story itself all the more true.
Another one of my favorite aspects of the novel was the elusive older sister who goes to school in Iowa City. Her name and her presence is often felt in how Lulu and Milagro act towards one another and to their Mami, but we don't actually see a lot of her on the page. This is fascinating, because it speaks to how people can be ghosts in our lives, and haunt our everyday interactions, even when the person is still living. Lulu and Milagro suffer under their own expectations of themselves, but also under the expectations they think and know their mother has, because of how Clara has seemingly succeeded at life. Clara's character is a sort of a lynchpin how each character understands the other—and when that understanding gets confused or miscommunicated, let the hijinks commence! While Clara's story is certainly important to Lulu's and Milagro's journey, it was also certainly a great choice to have two main characters (and for those characters to be Lulu and Milagro, rather than another combination) because it tells the most true story about adolescence, and especially about what it is like to be a younger sibling who is always pressured by the success of the elder.
Sisterhood is something I hold very near and dear to my heart, so it is so important to me that there's a young adult novel out there that focuses on that as its exclusive theme. Rather than try to tell stories that are "exceptional" (kids with cancer, genius kids who do amazing things at a young age, that kind of thing), Velez grounds her novel and her characters in the real, and the achievable. It's what makes this novel about sisterhood so genuine and exciting. The differing personalities that contribute to a sisterhood, and that contribute to a life, are beyond important to see in young adult literature. While young adult romance novels are fun, there's always the sense that the relationship won't last—but sisters are forever. Getting to see that in print is very special to me, especially since me and my own sister have grown a lot closer over the years. The real meaning of sisterhood is finding your way back to one another on the way to figuring out who you are—not only are sisters forever, but they're inseparable from the other's identity in a way that makes all sides stronger. Velez writing that down and documenting it in Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity is just one of the many reasons this novel will remain important to young adult literature for years to come.
Whatever Angela Velez writes next, I want to read it! You can find her online at www.angelavelez.com, or on Instagram and Twitter.
*This review can also be found on my blog, toreadornottoreadnm.blogspot.com*
Angela Velez grew up in Baltimore, Maryland under the watchful eye of her Peruvian immigrant parents. She earned her bachelor of arts from Columbia University and her master of fine arts from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was a K. Leroy Irvis Fellow. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her pile of books, three plastic flamingos, and one wobbly disco ball. Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.angelavelez.com. You can also find Angela on Instagram and Twitter.
Overachiever Luz "Lulu" Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school's cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can't fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste. Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own spring break plans (Operation Don't Die a Virgin) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she'd never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is. One a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara's secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood.
I actually was luck enough to attend a small talk Angela Velez did with my Latinx Childhoods class last fall! In the class, Velez read a small excerpt from Milagro's first chapter, and we dissected the sort of ways in which young adults use food and lunchtime and the high school setting to create meaning out of their lives. Just this one small section convinced me to buy Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity when it came out, and I'm so glad I did! This novel tackles some incredibly difficult themes, in such a fun, bubbly, and meaningful way. This book feels more true to the adolescent experience because Velez dives deep into what it truly means to be an adolescent: by examining what's really important to two totally different girls, and how they can stem from the same (or different) insecurities and fears. It turns out that Lulu and Milagro might not be so different after all, and that their searches for clarity have all just been one big hunt for the truth. This novel is beautifully constructed to reflect the young adult experience, with just as much heart and voice and youth as young adults everywhere have.
Speaking of voice, Lulu and Milagro are such wonderfully big characters! Their voices are so unique and vast, and even though I am totally a Lulu, I found myself relating (heartbreakingly so) to Milagro as well. It is literally impossible to not get invested in both of their journeys towards truth and self-love. One of the most powerful aspects of this novel is the way Lulu and Milagro go through separate journeys, and come to very powerful and decisive conclusions, without compromising who they are. It's incredible to see them only come even further into their own, even it doing so takes them down paths they never would have considered before. And that's what growing up is, after all, right? Velez nails that. Velez embraces the heart and truth of adolescence, which is evident in Lulu's and Milagro's voices, and which makes the story itself all the more true.
Another one of my favorite aspects of the novel was the elusive older sister who goes to school in Iowa City. Her name and her presence is often felt in how Lulu and Milagro act towards one another and to their Mami, but we don't actually see a lot of her on the page. This is fascinating, because it speaks to how people can be ghosts in our lives, and haunt our everyday interactions, even when the person is still living. Lulu and Milagro suffer under their own expectations of themselves, but also under the expectations they think and know their mother has, because of how Clara has seemingly succeeded at life. Clara's character is a sort of a lynchpin how each character understands the other—and when that understanding gets confused or miscommunicated, let the hijinks commence! While Clara's story is certainly important to Lulu's and Milagro's journey, it was also certainly a great choice to have two main characters (and for those characters to be Lulu and Milagro, rather than another combination) because it tells the most true story about adolescence, and especially about what it is like to be a younger sibling who is always pressured by the success of the elder.
Sisterhood is something I hold very near and dear to my heart, so it is so important to me that there's a young adult novel out there that focuses on that as its exclusive theme. Rather than try to tell stories that are "exceptional" (kids with cancer, genius kids who do amazing things at a young age, that kind of thing), Velez grounds her novel and her characters in the real, and the achievable. It's what makes this novel about sisterhood so genuine and exciting. The differing personalities that contribute to a sisterhood, and that contribute to a life, are beyond important to see in young adult literature. While young adult romance novels are fun, there's always the sense that the relationship won't last—but sisters are forever. Getting to see that in print is very special to me, especially since me and my own sister have grown a lot closer over the years. The real meaning of sisterhood is finding your way back to one another on the way to figuring out who you are—not only are sisters forever, but they're inseparable from the other's identity in a way that makes all sides stronger. Velez writing that down and documenting it in Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity is just one of the many reasons this novel will remain important to young adult literature for years to come.
Whatever Angela Velez writes next, I want to read it! You can find her online at www.angelavelez.com, or on Instagram and Twitter.
*This review can also be found on my blog, toreadornottoreadnm.blogspot.com*