Heartbreak Symphony

February 1, 2022
A story of surviving grief with the help of community. Full of music from the start, this novel follows two Chicane teens in San Antonio, Texas, who are navigating loss and self-doubt. Aar�n's mother died eight months ago and now he has an imaginary robot following him around. Not just any imaginary robot, though, but one that represents La Maquina, the public persona of Xavier L�pez, a musician Aar�n is strongly attached to--and someone missing for nearly a year who he can't accept is possibly dead. Mia has grown up with domestic violence at the center of her world. She and her brothers create family bonds through invented rituals so they won't focus on the parents who are gone: first, their mother who abandoned them, and soon after, their father, who was consumed by alcoholism until he passed away. Aar�n and Mia come together with a pact to not give up on auditioning for scholarships to a prestigious music school, but their community may need their alliance for more. As the book threads together commentary on race, mental health, and undocumented immigration, the two main characters join protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on their neighborhood. The text is vibrant, with Spanish words and poetry effortlessly woven throughout; unfortunately, the chemistry between Aar�n and Mia does not fully satisfy, affecting readers' connection to them and the story. A bold premise written in beautiful prose but faltering in characterization. (Fiction. 14-18)

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February 21, 2022
Kemp (Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet) delivers a lyrical standalone about pursuing one’s dreams despite impossible odds through Chicane teens Aarón and Mia, virtual strangers bound together by two things: a passion for music, and grief after having each lost a parent. Both seek entrance and a scholarship to the Acadia School of Music, but each finds auditioning insurmountable against their own trauma—six months after Mia’s mother left their family, “an alcoholic chokehold... squeezed the life out of” her father; cancer, meanwhile, has recently caused the death of Aarón’s mother. While Mia navigates self-doubt, and her mother’s legacy of abandonment and domestic abuse, Aarón copes by hallucinating a giant talking robot, the stage persona of his favorite musician, who has long been reported missing. As their San Antonio neighborhood, Monte Vista, crumbles under ICE raids, gentrification, and police brutality, the two navigate their realities not only for the sake of themselves and their futures, but for the culture and soul of their community. An unfocused narrative that details Aarón’s experiences more fully than Mia’s does little to take away from the impact of seeing two teenagers and their loved ones attempt to heal from grief, and descriptions of music are sufficiently vivid to lift melodies right off the page. Ages 14–up. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House.

Starred review from April 29, 2022

Gr 9 Up-A novel that takes on grief, trauma, first love, and the restorative power of music and community. Aar�n's mom recently died from cancer. Mia's mother abandoned her family; her father, consumed by his heartbreak, died from alcoholism. Both families haven't been able to recover from their losses, but DJ Aaron and trumpeter Mia hope to escape their trauma with a spot at a fancy school that is offering music scholarships to kids in their San Antonio, TX, neighborhood. In alternating chapters, we see how each teen struggles to fight their demons and change their destinies. He is hallucinating, seeing and hearing his music idol in the form of a robot. She freezes each time she steps on the stage to audition, glued to the spot by her self-doubt. Together they take steps toward healing, joining forces to protest the recent ICE raids in their town. Initially, it's difficult to discern between the two points of view, but Kemp eventually hits her stride. The excellent characterization isn't limited to the protagonists. From the local bus driver and neighborhood librarian to Mia's and Aar�n's siblings, each secondary character is also well developed. Kemp eloquently captures how the warmth and strength of a community of mentors can impact a young person's life. Dreams aren't realized by the efforts of one person; they are achieved through the support of many working in concert. Readers will empathize with Mia's imposter syndrome, and Aar�n's conflicts with his father and twin brother are portrayed with nuance. Even their town, Monte Vista, is fully realized, having its own complex identity. Most characters are of Chicanx and Latinx heritage. This story will be resounding in readers' hearts long after they've turned the last page. VERDICT With the lyricism of Benjamin Alire S�enz's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's works, this novel is recommended for all collections.-Shelley M. Diaz

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Starred review from April 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Aar�n Medrano and Mia Villanueva are teenagers who are trying desperately to navigate a world where grief is persistent. Both of them have lost parents, and they turn to music as a way to heal their wounds. Aar�n is constantly haunted by a corporeal form of his grief--a robot no one else can see--and Mia struggles with the imperfections of her music and her ongoing stage fright. After a failed audition, Aar�n and Mia come together to explore the reality and complexity behind their shared and collective grief. The story centers around the two narrators, but it also touches on the ambiguity of sanctuary cities, the cultural destruction that comes with gentrification, and the generational trauma that can live within Latinx families. Kemp's latest novel is a multilayered symphony in itself, keeping the reader's emotions heightened from the first sentence until the finale, during which readers will be left breathless in wonder. Kemp effortlessly creates beautifully flawed characters who are impossible to forget. It's through Aar�n and Mia that we experience the multifaceted experience of growing up Latinx in America. This story is not a story of despair or of longing; rather, this is a story of community and culture, and of creating spaces for healing and acceptance.

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