Canto Contigo

In December of his senior year, Mexican 17-year-old Rafael “Rafie” Álvarez is riding high: he’s a star vocalist in his school’s mariachi band, made out with a fellow mariachi member from a different school, and led North Amistad High School’s Mariachi Alma de la Frontera to their 11th first-place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional. Eight months later, however, his family moves to San Antonio. Now attending a different school, Rafie auditions for Selena Quintanilla-Perez Academy’s Mariachi Todos Colores and is shafted into a secondary vocalist position—and the lead vocalist turns out to be transgender afromexicano Rey Chávez, the boy he hooked up with all those months ago. Beneath the fiery passion and desperate ambition of Rafie and Rey’s rivalry, however, Rafie contends with grief over his abuelo’s recent death and must decide if this persistent duel is worth pushing down his emotions and keeping a chance at healing—and romance—away at arm’s length. Positing that love and joy are life’s greatest experiences, Garza Villa (Ander & Santi Were Here) crafts an earnest story that is both a quiet exploration of grief and a fierce rivals-to-lovers romance that centers the intensity and importance of passion. Ages 13–up. Agent: Claire Draper, Bent Agency. (Apr.)