The Luis Ortega Survival Club
Sonora Reyes
From the bestselling author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School comes a story in the vein of John Tucker Must Die but tackling serious topics. It’s a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing. Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers, despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen. Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no. Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.
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0 0Content Warnings: Abusive relationships, Rape, Sexual Harassment, Anxiety, Very unstable family dynamics, Flashbacks/Outbursts, Parental mistreatment
Thank you to Sonora Reyes for a copy of an eARC via Netgalley!
It's not like she can say no
This is not the lightest of books. It’s heavy, it’s honest and it’s emotional.
This is a book about rape culture, sexual assult/harassment, about being neurodiverse in a very neurotypical world, about ableism. And it all comes together in an emotional, raw, revenge/anger filled ball of pages and words.
Trying to make a synopsis of this plot I don’t think will give it any kind of justice. The book opens on Ariana leaving a house party right after she just had sex with her boyfriend/someone she loves. Sounds like a regular house party, until you are met with Ari’s inner monologue and her questioning about what happened, why, and what she feels about it. Did she really want that to happen? Doesn’t she love him though? She didn’t say no…. But well, she can’t. Ari has selective mutism, so even if she wants to talk, often she physically will be unable to talk.
All of the characters I felt were great, they each had their own story, passions and drives through the book. None of them felt overly flat at all, but I honestly wish the book was longer just so I could spend more time with them all! Nina was my favourite though if I’ll be honest :3 Those who’ve read the book fully know *the* chapter where my choice was finalised with them haha. Loved that so much omg
The autism and queer rep, I love it so much. I read Hell Followed With Us last month and that was my first proper autism rep book I’ve ever read, so going into this I’d already started feeling all the “wow I had no idea this was part of me like this” and “I’m being seen” feelings but hoooo damn this book brought in new waves on that. And yes, cats are 100% autism buddies, they really do just understand us
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