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Stream
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Expected 2 Jun 26Two teens are sent to Mexico for the summer to unplug in this hilarious, richly drawn, and thought-provoking dual narrative, perfect for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay, The First State of Being, and Ultraviolet.Newly graduated 8th graders Celi and Elio don't know each other, but after a catfishing incident in their Oakland, California community goes viral, both sets of parents discover their recent screen overuse. Independently, they have the "brilliant" idea to ship the kids off to the same rancho in Mexico for two months, thinking it will help them detox from their devices and reconnect with themselves.In the middle of nowhere-without internet, electricity, or even running water-the two meet and bond over their miserable Celi is forced to spend her days helping in a primitive healing clinic with her eccentric tías while Elio carts sticks and logs to rehabilitate a river. But day by day, amidst the stark beauty and cultural richness of rural Mexico, with crushes blooming, Celi and Elio each shed a little of their online selves and begin to understand what it means to embrace nature, connect to culture, and cultivate authenticity.Featuring the main characters from Aida Salazar's award-winning novels Ultraviolet and The Moon Within, Stream crackles with humor, wisdom, and relatable themes. It speaks directly to teens and will make them feel seen.
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 2, 2026
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January 26, 2026STREAM is effectively built on such a great concept, and opens up tough topics on relationships, body image, exploitation online, environmentalism, technology addiction, even pornography, and addresses them (I think) quite well for the age demographic. Salazar also shows how sometimes we hide behind screens and addiction to avoid dealing with hurts or messy feelings. This story is a great reminder for all of us to embrace life beyond screens, to “know what it is to be real,” and “live in real life”. Also includes a great, age-appropriate romance for upper-MG readers. Salazar is thoughtful in nuance, reminding us to not just take care of ourselves but our communities, and the earth around us.
While I can’t personally get behind spiritual approaches in this book, I really loved learning about a culture I wasn’t familiar with, and seeing how Elio and Celi grow. I loved so much about this book, especially as Elio and Celi’s stories weave together, and what Salazar is reminding the next generation, especially when it comes to our relationship to technology and one another.
While I can’t personally get behind spiritual approaches in this book, I really loved learning about a culture I wasn’t familiar with, and seeing how Elio and Celi grow. I loved so much about this book, especially as Elio and Celi’s stories weave together, and what Salazar is reminding the next generation, especially when it comes to our relationship to technology and one another.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loooooooved Ultraviolet, so I was very excited to see an ARC for the follow-up book. I only vaguely remember "The Moon Within," which I know I read, but the details of which have faded somewhat. Regardless, I think it's a cool idea to have those two "standalones" come together into a single narrative.
I think where I struggled is that this book is trying to do a lot, and as a result, I didn't feel that it did any of it particularly well. The resolution happens in the last 10% of the book, in a pretty abrupt and unbelievable way. We spend a long time on the leadup to the trip to Mexico, and then a long time establishing that these kids are disconnected from their summer activities and from their families. The way these problems get "solved" is basically that the author tells us that they were solved, vs. any real in-depth changes.
I was also frustrated that Elio in particular was doing a lot of the same toxic things he was doing in Ultraviolet. I wish he'd maintained a little more of his growth, as this made it hard for me to root for the characters to get together.
While the messages about screen obsession are real and valid (and this book doesn't even TOUCH on AI psychosis, which, whoo, that's a whole thing), this book approaches the issue in a painfully didactic way. It read like an adult telling kids that screen addiction is bad vs. being explored organically through the characters their arcs. In the end, this felt like a book that an adult might assign to a kid, rather than a book a kid would read and connect with on their own.
There are a lot of good components in here: social media addiction, toxic body image issues, legacy and lineage, relationship to nature, community building, a little first-crush sweetness, and more. I'm not saying that's inherently too much, even for a novel-in-verse, but the delivery was a bit stilted and really came across as an adult talking down to kids rather than meeting them where they are. I, an entire adult, could be wrong, but I also know that kids can smell moralizing a mile away.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ARC. If your kid / student / etc. enjoyed either of the first two books, I would still recommend this. I just didn't feel that there was as much nuance in this one as there was in Ultraviolet.
I think where I struggled is that this book is trying to do a lot, and as a result, I didn't feel that it did any of it particularly well. The resolution happens in the last 10% of the book, in a pretty abrupt and unbelievable way. We spend a long time on the leadup to the trip to Mexico, and then a long time establishing that these kids are disconnected from their summer activities and from their families. The way these problems get "solved" is basically that the author tells us that they were solved, vs. any real in-depth changes.
I was also frustrated that Elio in particular was doing a lot of the same toxic things he was doing in Ultraviolet. I wish he'd maintained a little more of his growth, as this made it hard for me to root for the characters to get together.
While the messages about screen obsession are real and valid (and this book doesn't even TOUCH on AI psychosis, which, whoo, that's a whole thing), this book approaches the issue in a painfully didactic way. It read like an adult telling kids that screen addiction is bad vs. being explored organically through the characters their arcs. In the end, this felt like a book that an adult might assign to a kid, rather than a book a kid would read and connect with on their own.
There are a lot of good components in here: social media addiction, toxic body image issues, legacy and lineage, relationship to nature, community building, a little first-crush sweetness, and more. I'm not saying that's inherently too much, even for a novel-in-verse, but the delivery was a bit stilted and really came across as an adult talking down to kids rather than meeting them where they are. I, an entire adult, could be wrong, but I also know that kids can smell moralizing a mile away.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ARC. If your kid / student / etc. enjoyed either of the first two books, I would still recommend this. I just didn't feel that there was as much nuance in this one as there was in Ultraviolet.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.75 stars
Oh, I LOVED _Ultraviolet_, which was no surprise because I find that Salazar only generates bangers. This writer knows her way around a MG and YA verse novel, and _Stream_, while for me not quite as compelling as its predecessor, is still a power packed read.
Fans of _Ultraviolet_ will be thrilled to spend more time with Elio and his raging hormones in this book. This can be read as a standalone, but I enjoyed the first book so much, and it really sets up important details about Elio and his family that I think helped me better appreciate his development in _Stream_. Can you read this in isolation? Yes. Should you? Not if you can swing the alternative.
This time, Elio and Celi share perspectives, and since they are growing up, their mistakes and missteps are coming with more serious implications. Their parents think a summer with family in Mexico will do the kids good. Life is slower paced and entirely different than in their hometown of Oakland, where they are living that wild East Bay urban experience. The tone shifts as the setting does, and both characters begin to see themselves and the world very differently when the magic of technology is exposed for being not that magical after all.
While the characters are a little older and the themes are accordingly more grown up, too, these are still young characters learning and growing, and it's fulfilling to see them turning corners. I always look forward to Salazar's books and to recommending them to students, who also love them.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Oh, I LOVED _Ultraviolet_, which was no surprise because I find that Salazar only generates bangers. This writer knows her way around a MG and YA verse novel, and _Stream_, while for me not quite as compelling as its predecessor, is still a power packed read.
Fans of _Ultraviolet_ will be thrilled to spend more time with Elio and his raging hormones in this book. This can be read as a standalone, but I enjoyed the first book so much, and it really sets up important details about Elio and his family that I think helped me better appreciate his development in _Stream_. Can you read this in isolation? Yes. Should you? Not if you can swing the alternative.
This time, Elio and Celi share perspectives, and since they are growing up, their mistakes and missteps are coming with more serious implications. Their parents think a summer with family in Mexico will do the kids good. Life is slower paced and entirely different than in their hometown of Oakland, where they are living that wild East Bay urban experience. The tone shifts as the setting does, and both characters begin to see themselves and the world very differently when the magic of technology is exposed for being not that magical after all.
While the characters are a little older and the themes are accordingly more grown up, too, these are still young characters learning and growing, and it's fulfilling to see them turning corners. I always look forward to Salazar's books and to recommending them to students, who also love them.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC provided by the publisher
After Elio (from ULTRAVIOLET) is spending too much time gaming, and Celi (from THE MOON WITHIN) has social media accounts her parents doesn't know about. After a classmate runs into trouble on social media, the community is concerned about the effect that too much screen time is having on kids. Elio's parents decide that instead of going to Hawaii with a friend, he will go to visit family in Mexico and work on an environmental project in the arroyo. Celi also stays with relatives, and learns about herbal medicine from her aunt. Celi is at first entranced by Alfredo, with whom she dances at a party, but realizes that while he is very attractive, the two don't have much in common. She finds Elio fun to be around, and the two start spending a lot of time together. Elio realizes that the outdoor work, while hard, is much more fulfilling than gaming all day, and Celi comes to terms with her body and after feeling bad that she doesn't live up to the expectations on social media. After a summer away, the two return to Oakland with a new perspective on real life.
This novel in verse shows both characters perspectives. Elio's verses are left justified, while Celie's are right justified. It's alarming that both spent so much time on screens, but it was good that their parents stepped in to put a stop to it. The body positivity will be appreciated by young readers, but it did get a little boring to hear Celi complaining about her panza all of the time. Readers who have read about these characters before may be interested in their continued story.
After Elio (from ULTRAVIOLET) is spending too much time gaming, and Celi (from THE MOON WITHIN) has social media accounts her parents doesn't know about. After a classmate runs into trouble on social media, the community is concerned about the effect that too much screen time is having on kids. Elio's parents decide that instead of going to Hawaii with a friend, he will go to visit family in Mexico and work on an environmental project in the arroyo. Celi also stays with relatives, and learns about herbal medicine from her aunt. Celi is at first entranced by Alfredo, with whom she dances at a party, but realizes that while he is very attractive, the two don't have much in common. She finds Elio fun to be around, and the two start spending a lot of time together. Elio realizes that the outdoor work, while hard, is much more fulfilling than gaming all day, and Celi comes to terms with her body and after feeling bad that she doesn't live up to the expectations on social media. After a summer away, the two return to Oakland with a new perspective on real life.
This novel in verse shows both characters perspectives. Elio's verses are left justified, while Celie's are right justified. It's alarming that both spent so much time on screens, but it was good that their parents stepped in to put a stop to it. The body positivity will be appreciated by young readers, but it did get a little boring to hear Celi complaining about her panza all of the time. Readers who have read about these characters before may be interested in their continued story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Salazar's verse novels always hit this sweetness in character and story that always leave readers walking away lessons and an opportunity to reflect. She rolls in a necessary reflection on social media and phone use with heritage and coming of age without being heavy-handed.
The two main characters Elio and Celi are growing up with technology in Oakland, California. Elio loves his gaming systems and Celi is obsessed with social media influencing but their sole focus has a reckoning when parents start questioning their kids' use after a kid at the school is catfished and it almost ends disastrously. Elio and Celi's parents decide that a break from technology and a visit to extended family in Mexico for a few months is just what's needed. Celi's family are healers and herbalists. Elio's family are ranchers. They are learning about hard work and more and end up bumping into one another far away from home.
Salazar confronts topics in her books that other authors would consider taboo-- sex, periods, social media. She incorporates them with respect and understanding, simply a part of the landscape of the story. And her characters are three dimensional because of it. A major winner for Salazar-- again. As I've always adored Ultraviolet especially.
The two main characters Elio and Celi are growing up with technology in Oakland, California. Elio loves his gaming systems and Celi is obsessed with social media influencing but their sole focus has a reckoning when parents start questioning their kids' use after a kid at the school is catfished and it almost ends disastrously. Elio and Celi's parents decide that a break from technology and a visit to extended family in Mexico for a few months is just what's needed. Celi's family are healers and herbalists. Elio's family are ranchers. They are learning about hard work and more and end up bumping into one another far away from home.
Salazar confronts topics in her books that other authors would consider taboo-- sex, periods, social media. She incorporates them with respect and understanding, simply a part of the landscape of the story. And her characters are three dimensional because of it. A major winner for Salazar-- again. As I've always adored Ultraviolet especially.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Written in verse, Stream is a novel in two voices serving as a combined sequel for Elio’s (Ultraviolet) and Celi’s (The Moon Within) stories from prior books. Elio and Celi are disconnected from the real world in different ways: Elio is addicted to online gaming, while Celi is chasing the unattainable status of social media influencer. When an awful catfishing incident happens to a fellow classmate, parents begin to take a closer look at their kids' online habits. As a result, Elio and Celi are both sent to unplug in the tiny off-grid Mexican village of Atoyec during the summer after their 8th grade year.
I had high hopes for Stream after enjoying Ultraviolet, but this one missed the mark for me. The 'social media/technology is bad' theme felt less like a poetic exploration and more like harping on a trend for the duration of the book. While Elio and Celi have some great moments of depth, their relationship felt incredibly hasty by the final chapters. Most importantly, the ending lacked credibility; it’s hard to buy into a plot where eighth graders are single-handedly saving a village from a natural disaster and performing emergency medical rescues. It just didn't feel like an authentic representation of being fourteen.
I had high hopes for Stream after enjoying Ultraviolet, but this one missed the mark for me. The 'social media/technology is bad' theme felt less like a poetic exploration and more like harping on a trend for the duration of the book. While Elio and Celi have some great moments of depth, their relationship felt incredibly hasty by the final chapters. Most importantly, the ending lacked credibility; it’s hard to buy into a plot where eighth graders are single-handedly saving a village from a natural disaster and performing emergency medical rescues. It just didn't feel like an authentic representation of being fourteen.
April 24, 2026
Celi and Elio meet when they're sent to Mexico for the summer, where both of their families are hoping they can connect with the world around them instead of online. Stream brilliantly blends their two narratives together into one wonderful coming of age story.
Review of advance copy
My starred review of Stream in Booklist:
After a classmate’s catfishing incident comes to light, the parents of these eighth-grade graduates squash their summer plans. Instead of her scheduled trip to Hawaii with gender-fluid friend Mar, Papi and Mima send Celi to her Tia Luci to “touch ground” and connect with her Mexican side at their modest rancho, apprenticing as an herbalist and healer in the family tradition. Meanwhile, Elio and his gamer friend Paco are sent off-grid nearby—no internet, electricity, or running water—staying with Paco’s uncle while working on a river project with Brother’s Rising. This standalone conclusion to the verse novel trio of The Moon Within (2019), Celi’s story, and Ultraviolet (2024), Elio’s story, weaves together a dual narrative of relatable storylines, including coming-of-age emotions, screen addiction, feminism, environmentalism, and connecting with family and cultures. A blossoming romance befitting middle-grade audiences develops organically, including typical awkwardness and even a potential love triangle. Poetic devices including anaphora, imagery, contrapuntal, and free verse draw the reader into Celi and Elio’s worlds, painting beautiful scenes and narratives with rhythmic poems and humor—a perfect conclusion to Salazar’s collection. Hand this vivid verse novel to readers of David Bowles’ They Call Me Güero (2018) and They Call Her Fregona (2022) or Margarita Engle’s Wings in the Wild (2023) and Island Creatures (2025).
—Lisa Krok
After a classmate’s catfishing incident comes to light, the parents of these eighth-grade graduates squash their summer plans. Instead of her scheduled trip to Hawaii with gender-fluid friend Mar, Papi and Mima send Celi to her Tia Luci to “touch ground” and connect with her Mexican side at their modest rancho, apprenticing as an herbalist and healer in the family tradition. Meanwhile, Elio and his gamer friend Paco are sent off-grid nearby—no internet, electricity, or running water—staying with Paco’s uncle while working on a river project with Brother’s Rising. This standalone conclusion to the verse novel trio of The Moon Within (2019), Celi’s story, and Ultraviolet (2024), Elio’s story, weaves together a dual narrative of relatable storylines, including coming-of-age emotions, screen addiction, feminism, environmentalism, and connecting with family and cultures. A blossoming romance befitting middle-grade audiences develops organically, including typical awkwardness and even a potential love triangle. Poetic devices including anaphora, imagery, contrapuntal, and free verse draw the reader into Celi and Elio’s worlds, painting beautiful scenes and narratives with rhythmic poems and humor—a perfect conclusion to Salazar’s collection. Hand this vivid verse novel to readers of David Bowles’ They Call Me Güero (2018) and They Call Her Fregona (2022) or Margarita Engle’s Wings in the Wild (2023) and Island Creatures (2025).
—Lisa Krok
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