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Second Generation Blues: A Graphic Novel
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Expected 29 Sep 26Almost American Girl meets Brownstone in Second Generation Blues, a poignant coming-of-age young adult graphic novel about a Cuban American teen as he struggles to choose between being the son his parents need him to be and living the life he wants.
Luis Menendez wants to be free from his immigrant Cuban-American parents’ expectations. Instead, he’s spending the summer delivering food for his family's faltering restaurant, sweating under the hot sun and the crushing weight of a future he didn’t choose.
At least there’s Yara. Confident, assertive, and basically Luis’s dream girl, she might be the only person who understands him. If only he had any free time to spend with her.
Amid the chaos, Luis starts carving out his own path. But when trying to be the son his parents need clashes with the life he wants, he’s forced to face the question he’s most afraid of answering: Is family loyalty worth sacrificing his own happiness?
Luis Menendez wants to be free from his immigrant Cuban-American parents’ expectations. Instead, he’s spending the summer delivering food for his family's faltering restaurant, sweating under the hot sun and the crushing weight of a future he didn’t choose.
At least there’s Yara. Confident, assertive, and basically Luis’s dream girl, she might be the only person who understands him. If only he had any free time to spend with her.
Amid the chaos, Luis starts carving out his own path. But when trying to be the son his parents need clashes with the life he wants, he’s forced to face the question he’s most afraid of answering: Is family loyalty worth sacrificing his own happiness?
- GenresGraphic Novels
256 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Julio Anta
15 books80 followersJulio Anta is the writer of many graphic novels including the Eisner Award-nominated Frontera, This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story, Home and Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States.
Julio was born and raised in Miami, Florida and currently resides in New York City.
Forthcoming work includes a slate of graphic novels for HarperAlley, Random House Graphic and First Second.
Julio was born and raised in Miami, Florida and currently resides in New York City.
Forthcoming work includes a slate of graphic novels for HarperAlley, Random House Graphic and First Second.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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July 8, 2026RTC on September 14th
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Luis Menendez spends most of his free time working at his parents' Havana Express restaurant with his Tio Pedro. Things aren't going well; his mother is meeting with new distributors and his father has had words with the landlord. When Luis makes suggestions to help the business, like signing up for online apps and having an internet presence, his father yells at him. Luis wants to be a music journalist, and has a lot of views on one of his posts about a street busker. A representative of Hype Media actually e mails and asks to see his work, and eventually offers him an internship. Even though he would really like the opportunity and thinks it would look good on college applications, Luis turns it down. He also starts dating a customer, Yara, on the sly. Her family roots are in Puerto Rico, but her father has done very well on the stock exchange. They've moved back to Queens for the Latine culture. Yara is understanding when Luis explains how angry his father gets when he does anything except work at the restaurant. After his father finds out about Yara and forbids Luis from hanging out with her, Luis decides to attend the Summer Sound Music Festival and accept the internship. His parents track his phone and find him, dragging him home. Yara isn't happy that Luis wasn't completely forthcoming with her, and Luis decides to just put his head down and do only what his father wants. When he learns that the landlord is close to evicting them, Luis works with his uncle to get the restaurant signed up on delivery apps. Business booms, but his father still isn't happy. Is there any way that Luis can meet his father's demands and save the business?
Strengths: I loved the illustration style of this; it made it seem much older than middle grade graphic novels. There's something about the characters being leaner and more angular instead of rounded that someone seems more "teen". This is an excellent "windows and mirrors" book; readers whose own family immigration stories happened generations ago will develop a new understanding for how difficult it was for their ancestors to come to a new country for a better life, and readers who may themselves have some from elsewhere will feel less alone if their parents are also demanding. As a Gen X'er the father's reactions seemed fairly normal. Why would Luis have fun when he could be working? It was interesting to see him balance his own desires while trying his best to make his father happy. I'll definitely purchase a copy.
Weaknesses: While this is absolutely appropriate for middle school readers, it does have a teen level of angst that elementary students might find repetitive.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like to learn about the tension over expectations in some immigrant families and enjoyed books like Yang's Front Desk, Chari's Karthik Delivers and Kuo's In the Beautiful Country. While Luis is in high school, I think this will have more appeal to middle school readers than this author's Frontera.
Luis Menendez spends most of his free time working at his parents' Havana Express restaurant with his Tio Pedro. Things aren't going well; his mother is meeting with new distributors and his father has had words with the landlord. When Luis makes suggestions to help the business, like signing up for online apps and having an internet presence, his father yells at him. Luis wants to be a music journalist, and has a lot of views on one of his posts about a street busker. A representative of Hype Media actually e mails and asks to see his work, and eventually offers him an internship. Even though he would really like the opportunity and thinks it would look good on college applications, Luis turns it down. He also starts dating a customer, Yara, on the sly. Her family roots are in Puerto Rico, but her father has done very well on the stock exchange. They've moved back to Queens for the Latine culture. Yara is understanding when Luis explains how angry his father gets when he does anything except work at the restaurant. After his father finds out about Yara and forbids Luis from hanging out with her, Luis decides to attend the Summer Sound Music Festival and accept the internship. His parents track his phone and find him, dragging him home. Yara isn't happy that Luis wasn't completely forthcoming with her, and Luis decides to just put his head down and do only what his father wants. When he learns that the landlord is close to evicting them, Luis works with his uncle to get the restaurant signed up on delivery apps. Business booms, but his father still isn't happy. Is there any way that Luis can meet his father's demands and save the business?
Strengths: I loved the illustration style of this; it made it seem much older than middle grade graphic novels. There's something about the characters being leaner and more angular instead of rounded that someone seems more "teen". This is an excellent "windows and mirrors" book; readers whose own family immigration stories happened generations ago will develop a new understanding for how difficult it was for their ancestors to come to a new country for a better life, and readers who may themselves have some from elsewhere will feel less alone if their parents are also demanding. As a Gen X'er the father's reactions seemed fairly normal. Why would Luis have fun when he could be working? It was interesting to see him balance his own desires while trying his best to make his father happy. I'll definitely purchase a copy.
Weaknesses: While this is absolutely appropriate for middle school readers, it does have a teen level of angst that elementary students might find repetitive.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like to learn about the tension over expectations in some immigrant families and enjoyed books like Yang's Front Desk, Chari's Karthik Delivers and Kuo's In the Beautiful Country. While Luis is in high school, I think this will have more appeal to middle school readers than this author's Frontera.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Second Generation Blues is a heartfelt graphic novel about Luis balancing his own dreams and his familial responsibilities. Luis' tension with his father is one of the main arcs throughout the graphic novel. I can feel Luis' frustration with his family, in particular his father, and I am sure many readers would strongly relate to him. I would have liked to see more dimension from his father to show the complicated reality his father faces and why he pushes his son so hard. The relationship Luis has with his Tio was lovely to see. The art style is beautiful and it complements the story well.
I hope there are more stories that follow Luis and his family because the ending felt pretty abrupt and there were many plot points that I would like to see more of. I would definitely pick up a sequel to this book where we see Luis balancing his dream internship while also supporting his family.
Second Generation Blues is a heartfelt graphic novel about Luis balancing his own dreams and his familial responsibilities. Luis' tension with his father is one of the main arcs throughout the graphic novel. I can feel Luis' frustration with his family, in particular his father, and I am sure many readers would strongly relate to him. I would have liked to see more dimension from his father to show the complicated reality his father faces and why he pushes his son so hard. The relationship Luis has with his Tio was lovely to see. The art style is beautiful and it complements the story well.
I hope there are more stories that follow Luis and his family because the ending felt pretty abrupt and there were many plot points that I would like to see more of. I would definitely pick up a sequel to this book where we see Luis balancing his dream internship while also supporting his family.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A YA coming-of-age graphic novel releasing soon from Julio Anta and Red Dryer.
🇨🇺
Luis Menendez is caught between honoring his Cuban American family's sacrifices and pursuing the life he wants for himself. As he spends the summer helping keep the family restaurant afloat, new friendships, first love, and growing independence force him to decide what kind of future he's willing to fight for.
🧑🏽🍳
This graphic novel beautifully captures the push and pull between family expectations and personal dreams. Luis's story feels authentic, especially for anyone who has struggled to balance cultural identity, responsibility, and independence. The artwork complements the emotional journey perfectly, making this a heartfelt coming-of-age story that will resonate with many teens, particularly children of immigrants. Fans of Almost American Girl and How To Say Goodbye in Cuban will love this title releasing September 29!
CW: classism, anxiety, immigration
🇨🇺
Luis Menendez is caught between honoring his Cuban American family's sacrifices and pursuing the life he wants for himself. As he spends the summer helping keep the family restaurant afloat, new friendships, first love, and growing independence force him to decide what kind of future he's willing to fight for.
🧑🏽🍳
This graphic novel beautifully captures the push and pull between family expectations and personal dreams. Luis's story feels authentic, especially for anyone who has struggled to balance cultural identity, responsibility, and independence. The artwork complements the emotional journey perfectly, making this a heartfelt coming-of-age story that will resonate with many teens, particularly children of immigrants. Fans of Almost American Girl and How To Say Goodbye in Cuban will love this title releasing September 29!
CW: classism, anxiety, immigration
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Amazing read!! The storyline is a simple read but gosh i understand so much what luis gone through. Sometimes our parents can be very strict with our lives. It could be good or not. Luis is a very responsible child. He stills helps even when his parents doesnt show their appreciation. I love what this book trying to show cuz im sure there someone out there goes through this stuff with their parents. Love this book!!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance~
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance~
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!
A sweetly told little story of generational struggles of immigrants who try, each in their own way, to make places for themselves with what they love. The art does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting when folks aren't doing their best to communicate!
A sweetly told little story of generational struggles of immigrants who try, each in their own way, to make places for themselves with what they love. The art does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting when folks aren't doing their best to communicate!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Being 1st generation, I could really relate to this struggle. I could see the various situations and conversations, and I thought, that sounds like my family. The artwork in this book was beautiful. The only fault I could see was the ending seemed rushed, and it seemed like there were simple solutions to complex issues. The situations are relatable and the text is age appropriate.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews