Raquel Reyes Saves the Wedding (Girl of the Year 2026)

Raquel Reyes #1

by Angela Cervantes, Fatima Anaya (Illustrator)

Fun family adventures at the beach and in an old mansion feature wild dolphins, a hundred-year-old diary, a pickleball tournament, and a wedding! Read all about American Girl's 2026 Girl of the Year, Raquel, in this all-new original novel!

Raquel is excited about a big family reunion and wedding. She's looking forward to reuniting with her cousin Sloan. But instead of being as close as sisters, Sloan is moody and standoffish. What's troubling her. Raquel wants to earn her cousin's trust, but how? A dolphin discovery, an ancestor's diary, and a pickleball tournament bring the girls closer. Sloan admits that a letter from her birthmother has left her wondering where she belongs. Raquel assures her that family isn't just about history or blood—it's about love, loyalty, and showing up for one another.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary, Childrens, Juvenile, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Angela Cervantes is the award-winning author of several popular children's novels including Lety Out Loud, which won the Pura Belpré Honor Award in 2020.

Her other novels include The Cursed Moon, which won Florida's Sunshine State Young Readers Award. Angela's other middle grade novels include the Frida Kahlo-inspired mystery, Me, Frida and The Secret of the Peacock Ring; Allie, First At Last; and Gaby, Lost and Found.

Her latest children’s novel is Anomalies 53: Into the Shadows which is book 1 of a two-book series published by Harper Collins.

Additionally, Angela authored the junior novelization for Disney/Pixar's animated-film, Coco and Disney's animated film, Encanto. She also collaborated with American Girl Dolls for the novel Maritza: Lead With Your Heart.

Angela’s short stories have been featured in Chicken Soup for The Latino Soul and the Young Adult anthology Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America.

Angela is a daughter of a retired elementary-school teacher who instilled in her a love for reading and storytelling. Angela writes from her home in Kansas City. When she's not writing, Angela enjoys reading, running, gazing up at clouds, and taking advantage of Taco Tuesdays.

To learn more about Angela and her books, visit her website at angelacervantes.com.

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a life-long AG stan, I knew I needed to read this, and I'm so glad I did because it was dang cute. the nods and mentions of Samantha were perfect (though I'm not sure why Nellie and the girls weren't even mentioned? with the adoption storyline? hello?) and I like Raquel and her sweet family a lot. very fun for this fangirl, I had a great time.

[Virgil · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're hoping for this to be a sequel to The Diary of Raquel Reyes (the book the doll is sold with) then you're going to be largely disappointed. The first half of this book is the exact same story that is covered in the diary, with the plot only diverging at the end of the diary's plot when the family reunion in Mount Bedford ends. While I really liked the diary version of this story, I found the proper novel more on the okay side. The lack of acknowledgement for Nellie O'Malley is far more jarring in this version of the story than the dairy (where it was already a large question mark hanging over the narrative) and the "saves the wedding" theme taken from Samantha's short story is lackluster in execution.

Another unfortunate part of this book is the fact it will absolutely become dated, and in other ways, already is. While American Girl's Girl of the Year collections are known for being a time capsule of sorts, they're stuff supposed to have stories that will be able to resonate with children who pick this up from their school's library in a decades time, just like the historical stories. But this book clings to different elements that will not stand the test of time. Raquel is a DJ and, surprisingly, it isn't a major offender on this front. The music she mentions playing are mostly Mexican classics... with a lot of Taylor Swift thrown in. Namely Shake It Off and a nebulous "latest hit" which conjures the image of Raquel playing The Fate of Ophelia. The true major contributor to this is the large role that pickleball, of all sports, plays in the plotline. A choice I am utterly baffled by, though that might be because the only pickleball players I have ever heard of are my stepfather's white, middle-aged co-workers. But even if there is a large population of little girls playing pickleball that I'm unaware of, I can't imagine that a current "trendy" sport will still be relevant enough for future readers to find any interest in that part of the plot. While I hope that this book is able to stand the test of time, I doubt it.

[Sierra Reyelts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute! Definitely a return to classic American Girl. It gave me the warm fuzzies & inspired me to make the world a better place - something I remember feeling reading other AG books growing up.
I was a bit nervous about the Samantha nostalgia-bait but it was actually pretty well done. I wonder if it will inspire readers to be curious about their own family history and traditions. I'd love a sequel where Raquel learns more about the family history of her Mexican side!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marine biology and Samantha Parkington… here's how you repackage '90s nostalgia for kids of 2026.

We meet Raquel at home in Kansas City, but most of the book takes place in New York, where her mother's family is gathering for a family reunion and a wedding. There's some dolphin rescuing and a minor family conflict to resolve, but we're all really here to see Raquel discover her family history. Samantha girlies will spot every item that once appeared in a Pleasant Company catalog.

Samantha's backstory takes a fair amount of explaining, so it makes sense that they would simplify where they can and skip the Nellie of it all. And yet, they give us a present-day story that involves adoption, so why not bring Nellie into it?

If the title makes you think of the short story "Samantha Saves the Wedding," well, it should. But at least Raquel has been reading Samantha's diary, so when some plot elements are replayed, it's because she's been inspired by her great-great grandmother.


More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha

Nellie's Promise

Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection

The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower

The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

[Savannah Lorenc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well laid out! I still don't understand why the entirety of the journal was rewritten and added to this book. We don't get to new content until about halfway through. I don't fully understand why AG has gone in the direction of duplicating the journals within the chapter book.

[Jack Miner · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Yeah yeah I read this because Samantha was the doll I had as a kid, I am not immune to nostalgia bait.

I didn't think I'd like this to begin with due to some pretty annoying tense switching at first and the VERY abrupt switching between topics in an attempt to get everything set up quickly. I don't think the book needs to be longer, per se--I'm sure AG has some pretty strict requirements on authors regarding length, among other things--but I do think the information could have been introduced at different times and in a different way that would have been as (or more) comprehensible for the intended audience of second-graders. That being said, I do think it found its stride and ended up tying together the things it rushed to establish at first. While I predicted the adoption storyline pretty quickly (not a bad thing), it was genuinely surprising and impactful to get the story about Sloan's birth mom reaching out to her, and I think the way her behavior manifested prior to that reveal was pretty realistic and a little heartrending. There was development of side characters that I didn't expect, even if it was necessarily a little rushed. The characters were mostly enjoyable, even if I found myself wishing that some of their personalities were distinguished more--they essentially all talk the same way. Basically, I liked the characters and like that everything worked out for them, and isn't that what you're looking for out of a Girl of the Year book?

As far as what we're all here for, the Samantha content: yes, I enjoyed seeing my girl, I enjoyed the multiple references to her actual accessories even while knowing that they were essentially merch plugs ("I had that as a kid!"), I enjoyed the way her diary entries were written and got excited to read them every time. I was a bit surprised by the lack of references to Nelly, but the entries that were present were clearly there for a reason, so I can't really complain.

In other things that are not problems with the book itself as much as problems with reading AG for the first time in over 15 years as a 28-year-old: really kind of jarring to see an American Girl, even a modern-day girl of the year, use terms like "legit" and "deejay goals." Of course she would be taking a selfie, because the kids of today are taking selfies and it's perfectly normal to them; I was just personally thrown off. However I did love the introduction of the antagonistic girliepop pickleball team with their Barbie-pink pickleballs. I wish I could be them.

[Hannah]

This reeeeeeally should have been in third person. It had the feeling of having been written that way and then forcibly rewritten into first but with a lot of awkward narrative lines that work better in a third person voice than pretending to be a ten-year-old. I also felt like there was waaaaaay too much going on for something as short as this was, and I'm sorry, but do children even play pickleball? I've never met anyone under 50 who plays it and never met anyone under 35 who even expressed an interest in it.

Having read the journal, I also don't understand the point of these miniseries being basically an abridged journal when you buy the doll and then the full novel later, but then again, I don't understand most choices Mattel makes with Pleasant's brand, and I'm convinced now that I'm on an actual blacklist with them.

Anyway.

I was mad at the way adoption was handled in the journal and I don't love it here either, and again, it's because American Girl has a policy of mostly choosing cultural accuracy consultants who aren't actually cultural insiders (I know this for a fact because someone there who once hired me to do a sensitivity edit on an American Girl project then told me that they were no longer going anywhere but to a white woman's DEI company for those consults in the future, so suuuure, Jan). I don't believe for a second that any of the ways Sloan responds and reacts and talks about her adoption were Cervantes' choice, I think they were dictated by the woman from the adoption organization that is anti-adoptee and pro-Quiverfull white saviorism, pro-adoptive parent, because that's who they chose as an adoption consultant instead of an actual fucking adopted person.

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok i preordered this with my adult money and haven’t shut up about it and how i just knew we’d find out more about nellie and other important figures to samantha. i guess not. which as an adoptee i appreciate them bringing in an advisor but without more on this story they just left out a huge connection to adoption in the family which would make the connection with sloan more rich. i’m not sure if we’re supposed to make comparatives on our own but it felt missing. i liked the raiding of the attic and really do like raquel overall but this did leave me wanting more and finishing the book like “where’s the rest of ye”.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you PRHAudio for the gifted copy.
 
We can either feel paralyzed by so much need around us and do nothing or decide to do good where we can.
 
I credit American Girl books as one reason I love historical fiction. They made learning about the past fun and relatable with girls my age living through real events. My favorite (and the only doll I owned) was Samantha. When I saw the new girl of the year was related to Samantha, I was excited to see how they incorporated the older dolls into the doll of today. Raquel Reyes Saves the Wedding follows Raquel as she goes from Kansas City to New York for a cousin’s wedding. Spoiler: they stay in Samantha’s old house and Raquel finds Samantha’s diary, letters, and some childhood items (her hat, her teddy bear and pram, etc). Harper works with a dolphin rescue and teaches Raquel and her cousin, Sloane about dolphin rescues. The two end up saving a mother and calf and then decide to raise money to help the dolphin rescue. Raquel also must help out when Harper’s veil goes missing.
 
The audio was enjoyable and would make a great car playlist if you have elementary school kids. I felt like the storyline was relatable – Raquel likes to DJ, learns how to play pickleball, navigates her family relationships, etc. The storyline regarding Sloane’s birth mother wanting contact and how Sloane is still a part of her adoptive family, while not super detailed was a nice reminder that families are made all different ways.
 
There was enough tie-in to the past books for older American Girl fans to find this enjoyable. I only wish, I got to see the illustrations!

[Angela Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved that they finally made a girl of the year doll that is a descendant of the original historical characters and I really hope that they keep creating characters that are descendants of the original historical characters

[Jessica Olenski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story! I like how Samantha was interwoven into Raquel's story. There are three different plots going on, which feels unique, but a little awkward. I wish Nellie had been in the story somehow... maybe Raquel seeing a photo of her and Samantha reminds her of her and Sloan! I still enjoyed seeing Raquel's world, though! (and learning about pickleball!)

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raquel Reyes is eager to make her Djing debut at Paleta-Palooza, her family's annual summer celebration at their Paleta shop in Kansas City. She's proud of her Mexican heritage and helping people feel inspired to dance to the beat of her favorite songs from Taylor Swift to her Abuela's Mexican cumbias! A few days later, Raquel, her parents, little brother Sol and their new dog Luzita head to the east coast for a family reunion. At the seaside on Long Island Sound, Raquel will be reunited with her mom's family, including her cousin Sloan, only a year older than Raquel. They will also be celebrating Raquel's older cousin Harper's wedding. A Marine Biologist, Harper has planned a celebration by the sea that will also include special family heirlooms from Grandma Meg's family home in Mount Bedford, New York. Raquel has a great time exploring the attic and is thrilled to discover the diary of a girl her own age, Samantha, who lived long ago. Samantha was Grandma Meg's grandmother and Grandma Meg knew her well! When Samantha was 9, she lived in Grandma Meg's house in Mount Bedford. Samantha and Raquel have a lot in common and when Raquel points out to Sloan how much she has in common with Samantha, Sloane is less excited. Something weird is going on with her. When Luzita runs off, Sloan and Raquel discover two stranded dolphins on the shore. They know to call Harper and wait for help but as a crowd gathers, an adult thinks he's the expert in charge. Can they save the dolphins? When Harper's wedding plans start to unravel, Raquel comes up with a plan to save the wedding and give Harper and Jordan the best gift of all. It involves learning something new and facing her fears. Can Raquel save the wedding?

Oof. This book is long and the story is a hot mess. It reads like the author had originally planned two stories: one about Raquel's family reunion/DJ/saving the dolphins and one with the wedding but then was told to make it one book AND shoehorn Samantha in there somehow. There's also a weird subplot about Raquel's cousin which would have been a good tie-in to Nellie but alas, Nellie is erased from the story!

There's just enough Samantha information to know what she did with her life in the near future and as an adult but not so much you can't still imagine her future. What information is there tracks with her character but also lacks an understanding of her place in society. [spoiler]Samantha is Raquel's great-great grandmother. Samantha stood up and gave a speech for women's suffrage and GrandMary started to come around. Samantha became a teacher and started a school for girls.[/spoiler] I was hoping for all the storylines to come together and say Samantha adopted an orphan and paid for the girl to go to her school where Nellie was the teacher. That orphan girl would be Grandma Meg's mother. I also thought perhaps Sloan would turn out to be the descendant of Nellie but there's ZERO mention of Nellie in the story. That was disappointing. What I found weird about the Samantha tie-in is that she apparently left all her toys and clothes in her trunk in the attic in Mount Bedford when she moved to NYC and no one has bothered to look IN the trunk at all. She left her toys! Having a 9 year old's clothes and all her toys carefully preserved liked that implies the child died in childhood. It was creepy. Apparently Lydia/Aunt Cornelia's wedding veil is lying around in an unmarked box in the attic too. And NO ONE has bothered to go through any of the boxes in the attic and label them or divide the family heirlooms or sell things? My grandmother inherited everything, labeled it the best she could and my mom took everything and now it's all in our basement and attic somewhere.

One other thing I found weird and creepy about Samantha's family is apparently they don't dance? Raquel's mom never danced before she married Raquel's dad. So apparently only Mexican people dance? My mom is not from Samantha's world but her family is very proper and while my grandparents never danced swing dances or listened to pop music, they danced ballroom dancing and certainly at college my grandmother would have probably had the option of going to dances and maybe a USO Club. She wasn't that kind of gal. There could have been clarification like Mom had never danced a Cumbia or other Latin dance before she married the dad but they danced to music at weddings and family reunions. Mom could say in Grandma Meg's day and her ancestors' times, dancing meant ballroom dancing and Grandma Meg had a cotillion. THAT would make sense for Samantha's family.

I felt a little lost in Raquel's Mexican culture. The music she plays is largely unfamiliar and I don't know what a Cumbia is. A glossary and explanation in the back would have been nice for kids who don't know. I like how in touch with her dad's culture she is, her Abuela Rosie lives with the family and they run a paleta shop. I relate to that aspect of Raquel's life. I grew up closer to my dad's Italian family and his family used to have an Italian restaurant. Another thing the book needs is a recipe for paletas!

I liked the save the dolphins plot but dolphins and pickleball belong in Florida and not Long Island Sound. I've never seen or heard of dolphins this far north but the woman featured in the back of the book works on Cape Cod so warmer ocean temperatures mean new sea creatures showing up. My oldest niece would have gone crazy for that part of the plot when she was little. She wanted to be a "dolphin doctor" like the woman profiled in the back of the book.

Raquel is a nice girl. She's VERY mature for 9. She's kind and patient with her cousin Sloan even when she doesn't understand Sloan's behavior. She waits for Sloan to come to her. Raquel is cute with their dog, Luzita, who is Raquel's DJ sidekick. Luzita is adorable and while loud noises scare her, the loud noise of music makes her wag her tail and not run away. Raquel has self-doubts, fears and isn't perfect at everything she does which is nice. Her story does have sort of a fairy tale ending but they worked for it. Sloan has a lot of worries which I get. She won't confide in Raquel at first and sticks with her parents. She seems to dismiss Samantha because Samantha isn't her biological 2xs great-grandmother but they have a lot in common because they're both 10 year old American girls. That was the whole point of the collections in the first place. How things have changed but remain the same. Sloan's fears seem to make sense to a child but that plot didn't fit the story, especially without Nellie.

Harper is a fun big cousin with a cool job. I can absolutely see myself coming up with the idea to give her a special wedding gift. The adults are largely two-dimensional. Raquel's dad is nice and gives her good advice. She seems closer to her dad than her mom. Cousin Liam is a teenager and described as always on his phone, yet somehow he's a champion pickleball player. Before you ask what kid plays pickleball, on the Food Network's Kids Baking Championship this season, one kid IS a champion pickleball player!

The back of the book features an overview of Samantha and a summary of her stories. There's also the real life American Girl (this time an adult) segment with Dr. Sarah Sharpe, a marine wildlife veterinarian on Cape Cod.

Grade: I don't know! C? Not one of my favorite GOTY stories.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute, if you're looking for a more in depth story, I would say read this one over the diary one. I do wish there was more Samantha and I wish they mentioned Nellie as she was an important part to Samantha's story but it's still a sweet book, perfect for young kids with a sweet message.

[Emily Myhren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m hoping for more Girls of the Year who connect to the historical characters.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 year old and I loved reading this one together. I have been a fan of Samantha for years and it was very nostalgic to see how her posterity and some of their adventures.

[Jessica Kuznicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Nellie erasure is why this book rates so low for me. I like the ideas of this book but it was poorly executed.

[Danielle T · Rating 3 out of 5]

well... I did buy Samantha Saves the Wedding from a used book store so I guess I'll be rereading that sooner than I thought (a short story that originally appeared in AG magazine, and BabbityKate notes some continuity changes for when Gard and Cornelia actually get married but I digress...!)

Ok. I'm going to say this is maybe a 3.5, but because Mattel owns it I'm rounding down because... I get that this year is the 40th anniversary of American Girl, so it makes sense to cash in on nostalgia bait for all time fan favorite Samantha Parkington by making Girl of the Year her great-great-granddaughter. I'm just baffled that adoption plays a role in Raquel's story (she isn't, but a cousin is and has Feelings about it) and Nellie and the O'Malley girls aren't mentioned at all??? like "oh, Samantha was adopted by her Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia" sure but Changes for Samantha: A Winter Story exists?????

It is nice to see that Samantha has so many descendants though, as Raquel's maternal side counts 4 aunts/uncles and a bunch of cousins including one who is getting married at the Mount Bedford house. We really lean on that Girl of the Year status by having very 2026 things like pickleball and wanting to be a DJ, and the cousin getting married is a marine biologist so that's neat. The girls go through old trunks at the Mount Bedford house and pull out all of Samantha's clothes and it's like, ok, yes, I do remember poring over those catalogs AG even though we couldn't afford any of them so... that's nice. Raquel is Mexican American on her dad's side, and that also feels like an overlooked demographic for AG stories (her family owns a palateria in Kansas City! She plays Taylor Swift in her DJ sets!! by the way it is 2026!!!)

Sincerely hoping that Samantha: The Next Chapter remembers her adoptive Irish siblings exist, at least (and I'm curious about continuity because clearly, Samantha has at least one kid if she's got descendants, but Grandma Meg called her Samantha Parkington so maybe she kept her name??? idk)

[Kaitlyn]

I was so excited when I found out the Girl of the Year
was going to be a descendant of Samantha! Dear America always gave us a “what happens next” once the story ends, but American Girl always left it ambiguous. I think in some ways, this story made me both glad to tie up some loose ends but also wishing they hadn’t been.

I thought Raquel was a sweet kid and enjoyed seeing her discover Samantha through fresh eyes. This is my “old man yells at a cloud moment”, but I also liked that even though she’s a modern girl, we see her doing regular kid things—they even make fun of her cousin who just sits on his phone all the time.

This book felt like an echo of a few other AG stories. Intentionally, I know it ties back to the mini-book, Samantha Saves the Wedding (a pretty deep cut). This was a cute way to tie Raquel and Samantha’s thoughtfulness/resourcefulness together. I also got a bit of previous GOTY from this though—both Kailey and Jess’s stories about conservation and resilience. I’m pretty sure Kailey had little dolphins in her collection, too.

I was deeply confused by the total erasure of Nellie and her sisters. I get Samantha was also adopted, but we don’t hear about these girls whatsoever. Samantha’s speech against child labor is mentioned at the end of the book, but nothing about her friend Nellie, who opened her eyes to that plight. I think the inclusion of Nellie would have made another plot point in this book tie together a little better.

As a first foray into continuing the stories of the historical dolls, I think it’s a good effort.

[Tova · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been at least a decade since I aged out of American Girl as a brand, but those stories and those dolls (especially the historical ones) were integral to who I am today, so this was really nostalgic. Raquel being Samantha Parkington's great-granddaughter probably helped, but I think even without that, I would have felt that sense of nostalgia. This story weaves together so many different things: family, adoption, cousin relationships, dolphins, marine conservation, pickleball, family history, and paletas, but it works, and I am very satisfied with this tale. I actually learned something about pickleball as a lifelong Washingtonian, that might be shocking, but I didn't know anything about our state sport...I am not a sporty person. I liked how Samantha's tale was woven into Raquel's, and I wouldn't be mad if they did this with other historical figures, because it's so much better than having Courtney, the 1980s historical character, have her own Molly doll or there being dolls that are worried about Y2K. My one question is, what about Nellie and her sisters, didn't Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia adopt them? Honestly, this is making me want to do a deep dive into more of the AG stories, because this was lovely! If you see me reading more AG books, mind your business!

Thank you to Libro FM and Penguin Random House for the Advanced Listening Copy

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle grade realistic fiction. I picked up this book because it said it was a modern day tale of Samantha Parkington's descendants. Samantha was my my American Girl doll, so obviously I was intrigued. This is a story about her great-great granddaughter, Raquel and her family. Raquel's older cousin Harper is getting married at Samantha's house, which is still in the family. Harper is a marine biologist who specializes in dolphin rescue, so when Raquel and her cousin Sloan come across a beached dolphin, they know to wait for the dolphin rescue team to help. Meanwhile, the girls go through some of the old things in the house, including a journal of Samantha's where she talks about being a suffragette. The story is fairly simple, with the family working together on the wedding and a pickleball tournament that some of them are in going on as well. I liked the multi-generational feel with grandparents, cousins, and then the family history with the house.

I appreciated the back matter, which reminded me of the back of the classic American Girl historical books. There were pictures from the original Samantha books, historical photos of her time, and an interview with a real life female marine biologist.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in a new American Girl series featuring the Girl of the Year 2026: Raquel Reyes.
💍
Raquel is thrilled for a big family reunion and wedding, but reconnecting with her cousin Sloan isn’t as easy as she hoped. When a surprising letter from Sloan’s birthmother brings up big questions about belonging, the girls find unexpected ways to grow closer through wild dolphin encounters, a century-old diary, and a lively pickleball tournament. Set against beach adventures and an old mansion, this heartwarming story celebrates family, identity, and the bonds we choose.
👰🏽‍♀️
I love Angela Cervantes’ ability to connect with readers in her solo novels and this new chapter book adventure featuring a Latina American Girl doll was no exception. We are rooting for Raquel throughout the entire story and including a descendent of the American Girl dolls made it very nostalgic. This is a great addition to any elementary library.

CW: adoption (theme)

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed to see that the first half of the book was the exact same story featured in Raquel's diary book. The second half delivered much more Samantha Parkington nostalgia, even echoing 'Samantha Saves the Wedding', but... where were the mentions of Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny? Diary entries from Samantha in 1906 mention her cousins, but not her adopted sisters? This was not only disappointing but also a missed opportunity with Sloan's storyline.

Continuity questions and even the relation to Samantha aside, I thought this was a cute story and the first Girl of the Year concept in a long time that didn't feel completely recycled. I would love to see at least one more book added to the series.

[RebekahAshleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I heard that Raquel, the 2026 Girl of the Year, was related to Samantha Parkington I knew I had to read her books! Raquel is the great great granddaughter of Samantha. In this book Raquel and her family travel to the East Coast for a family reunion and for her cousin’s wedding. Her cousin is getting married at Mount Bedford! I loved seeing all the connections to Samantha, including Raquel finding Samantha’s diary! I was a bit disappointed though that Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny weren’t mentioned at all. Raquel’s cousin Sloan is adopted and I thought it would’ve been a cool connection for Sloan and Raquel to find out that Samantha had adopted sisters.
It was an enjoyable book overall! I hope American Girl does more connections like this in more of their books.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raquel is excited to visit her mom's family for her cousin Harper's wedding, and ends up discovering things that belonged to her great-great grandmother Samantha Parkington at their family's home in Mount Bedford. As an OG AG fan from the 80s, I was excited to learn more about Samantha's future, and to have the clothes and furniture I remember so well be described. It's a sweet story, I like Raquel and her cousin Sloan, and I hope we learn more about Sam in the second book.

It's interesting how the dolls have become popular with younger kids, but the book are much more complex and long now than they were originally.

[Magen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Girls of the Year and Girl of the Year stories! A lot of lovely nostalgia with the Samantha connection but Raquel stands on her own as a fully formed character. I love her so much! While I know AG doesn't do that anymore, I fully wish she'd gotten the 6-book classic treatment, the storylines were there and would have been so good.

I will say I think not having Nellie in this book in any way was a miss. Especially connecting Sloan's adoption story with Nellie's and how important she was to Samantha's sense of justice on behalf of children. Very much a missed opportunity.

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Kanani, Samantha, and all the AGs whose dogs have trope-ily run away or gone missing did it first—and they did it better.

The book feels incredibly derivative with the only attempts to modernize (Taylor Swift references, DJing, and pickleball) feeling like silly trends that don’t interest me personally.

I also feel that references to the AG world work better when the world exists in the book (for example with Courtney Moore and Nicki Hoffman). It makes the characters more relatable and also doesn’t implicitly kill the historical characters.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute to take a look into the lives of Samantha’s family so many years later. Raquel and her cousins were likable characters and I loved the nods to Samantha’s diary and her clothes and accessories left behind at the Mount Bedford house.

The only piece I think was missing was the mention of Nelly and her sisters as part of the adoption story and theme. That would have added one more tie to the original stories.

[Antonia Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raquel Reyes Saves the Wedding is a fun, heartfelt story about family, responsibility, and finding confidence under pressure. As the 2026 Girl of the Year, Raquel shines with determination and warmth, showing that even when things go wrong, teamwork and kindness can make things right.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better new American Girls books! Nice diversity, the usual family drama and fundraising with a satisfying ending. Not much in the way of history, but a little about family traditions, blended families, and adoption. Nice illustrations.

[Rebekah · Rating 1 out of 5]

American Girl seems determined to retcon Nellie from Samantha’s story. Even when adoption is a major point in the story, Nellie just…poof. Vanishes.

Raquel itself is odd. It’s in first person and it’s choppy, with a lot of breaks in the fourth wall.