The Chismosas Only Book Club

Kemp (Omega Morales and the Curse of El Cucuy) presents a thoughtful reflection on the trials, triumphs, and transformative power of friendship in this endearing, magical offering. Fourteen-year-old Cat believes that her family’s bookstore is guided by her great-great-great-grandmother’s spirit. While searching for the next book that she and her three best friends—Ana, Mari, and Sofia—will read for their book club, Cat relies on her ancestor’s help to choose a volume that will resonate with the whole group. Each teen faces new challenges as they enter high school: Ana struggles to balance academic and familial expectations while navigating a fledgling romance that sparks conflict with her mother; hot-tempered Cat contends with her parents’ fighting and her own heightened emotions after losing a coveted role in the school play; Mari copes with her mother’s recently diagnosed kidney disease through art; and as Sofia grapples with understanding her sexuality, her experimenting with spells and fortune-telling draws disapproval from her religious grandmother. As misunderstandings and hurt feelings fracture the girls’ friendship, they’re forced to confront whether their bond can survive the changes ahead. Alternating third-person narration relays nuanced portrayals of adolescent relationships. Mari’s chapters include b&w comics panels by Moreno (But I’m a Pumpkin!), while others are punctuated by text exchanges and excerpts of Sofia’s spells. A book list concludes. A Spanish-language edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 10–up. Author’s agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Adriana Dominguez, Aevitas Creative Management. (May)