Alondra

Dramatist Femia transforms her award-winning play ALLOND(R)A into a character-driven debut novel about an introverted, bisexual teen learning to leave her comfort zone. The most interesting thing that Puerto Rican 17-year-old Alonda Rivera has planned for the summer is watching a group of teenagers practice wrestling in the playground outside her Coney Island apartment building. Upon gathering enough courage to talk to the teens, she falls in love with amateur wrestling, which grants her a fearlessness in the ring that encourages her to deviate from her routine. She also begins a relationship with charismatic King, who is Black and the group’s de facto leader. Even as their relationship progresses, however, Alonda experiences increasingly frequent romantic feelings toward girls. When she starts developing an attraction to another group member, Black artist Lexi, Alonda aims to apply her newfound bravery to sorting out matters of the heart. A slight plot and uneven pacing leads to lowered stakes and urgency, but Alonda’s determination to explore a bold new side of herself, and her gradual self-acceptance of her bisexuality, are immediately endearing, amounting to a sweetly introspective read. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)