Iveliz Explains It All

by Andrea Beatriz Arango, Alyssa Bermudez (Illustrator)

How do you speak up when it feels like no one is listening? One girl takes on seventh grade while facing mental health challenges, and must find her voice to advocate for the help and understanding she deserves.

Listen up:
The end of elementary school?
Worst time of my life.
And the start of middle school?
I just wasn't quite right.
But this year?
YO VOY A MI.

Seventh grade is going to be Iveliz's year. She's going to make a new friend, help her abuela Mimi get settled after moving from Puerto Rico, and she is not going to get into any more trouble at school . . .

Except is that what happens? Of course not. Because no matter how hard Iveliz tries, sometimes people say things that just make her so mad. And worse, Mimi keeps saying Iveliz's medicine is unnecessary--even though it helps Iveliz feel less sad. But how do you explain your feelings to others when you're not even sure what's going on yourself?

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Mental Health, Realistic Fiction, Novel In Verse, Fiction, Young Adult

272 pages, Library Binding

First published September 13, 2022

About the author

Andrea Beatriz Arango is the author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she first became a teacher. She then spent a decade in the United States working in public schools and nonprofits. When she’s not busy writing about middle schoolers and their families, you can find her hoping to spot manatees at the beach. Andrea lives in Puerto Rico with her family and two dogs.

Reviews

[Andrea Beatriz Arango · Rating 5 out of 5]

IVELIZ is finally out in the world! I love this baby with all my heart and can't wait for it to find its readers. Thank you so much for everyone who has championed her right from the start. Los quiero mucho <3

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not okay,
and sometimes
I wish people wouldn’t believe me
when I say I am. I wish they would ask, just one more time,
and I wish they wouldn’t tiptoe around me
like I’m a poem,
so I could show them that I’m a real girl, accidentally cracked

I am continually glad books like these exist and can potentially help people feel they are not alone and it's okay to ask for help.

I didn't know the words for what I was feeling as a kid and into my adulthood.. I knew about anxiety and depression but it was even longer till I knew it could be applied to me.
And then so many things made sense.


This is a beautiful book and I cannot recommend it enough. I saw myself in Iveliz and it made me feel seen.


YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I SEE YOU.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the cover. A book in verse. Tells the story of a girl with mental health issues. However, I would have preferred it much more with a proper novel for this one.

Felt like something was missing.

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well and unfortunately, I must admit that I was forced to just cursively flip through Andrea Beatriz Arango's 2022 and then 2023 Newbery Honour winning middle grade novel in verse Iveliz Explains it All. And indeed, said extremely rapid skimming became a total and absolute necessity for me not in any way because I was or am having textual issues with the thematics and the contents of Iveliz Explains it All (or indeed with Arango's writing style, with Iveliz Explains it All being a novel in verse, being penned in first person free verse poetry, even though this type of fiction is not generally a personal favourite, that I would usually much rather be reading fiction as prose) but absolutely and totally solely because the extremely tiny font size encountered in Iveliz Explains it All has made reading much much too difficult and even quite painful for my ageing eyes (and yes, even with reading glasses), that on-the-suface browsing has actually been the only way to get through Andrea Beatriz Arango's text (and Iveliz' first person narration) without running the risk of developing migraines, with me only perusing the Spanish language incursions of Iveliz Explains it All in-depth (and this mostly due to linguistic interest) and with me also feeling so annoyed and so hugely frustrated with the tiny font size of Iveliz Explains it All (and with my eyestrain) that this indeed is an automatic one star reduction for and from me (and equally so a huge "shame on Penguin Random House" and that in my not so humble opinion, the absolutely minuscule print size making Iveliz Explains it All not really suitable for anyone with vision issues, for anyone needing reading glasses).

However, even though I thus (and for very obvious reasons) have not physically been able (and also hugely unwilling) to read Iveliz Explains it All in and with any kind of depth, with any detail, my quick textual thumbing through certainly (and gloriously) shows how Arango's text (and as such equally so main protagonist Iveliz' first person and twelve year old voice) does descriptively, emotionally and evocatively capture ALL of the angst and all of the awkwardness of being a middle school student and also intersects this with the realities of young teenagers living with and struggling through mental health issues (anxiety, grief, loss, family dysfunction, PTSD, with in Iveliz Explains it All Iveliz struggling in particular due to the death of her father, her Puerto Rican grandmother’s, her abuela's worsening Alzheimer affliction and also typical but still always horridly painful school-themed friendship and bullying scenarios, not to mention Iveliz' teachers as well as her mother and her abuela not really understanding Iveliz as well as often not even believing her struggles being realistic and bona fide mental health concerns). And Iveliz Explains it All exploring Iveliz's worries, perspectives and challenges through her poetry journal with both honesty and vulnerability, Andrea Beatriz Arango also demonstrates how Iveliz has a very clear and justified sense of right and wrong, but often wrestles and struggles with how to speak up about the wrongs and the unfairnesses that she is experiencing from school bullies and of course also within her own family (and indeed, for me, this is one aspect of Iveliz Explains it All which is totally kindred spirit like and as such of course also hugely personally relatable to and for not only my inner teenager but also to and for older adult me, who still remembers that middle school and family dynamics during my childhood and early teenagerhood would often get pretty traumatic and were at best also and in fact rather annoyingly, rather hugely uncomfortable). So indeed, readers of Iveliz Explains it All, they take a textual journey with Iveliz, with the main protagonist and diarist, slowly but surely learning positive coping strategies regarding how to deal with anger, how to embrace forgiveness of oneself and of others, how to face and come to terms with bullying and how to hopefully successfully fight against and surmount bullying as well as toxic and anxiety inducing family dynamics, family dysfuctnion (and that even my on-the-surface and skimming perusal of Iveliz Explains it All has been very much emotionally rewarding, and that the online mental health resources Andrea Beatriz Arango provides on page 266 of Iveliz Explains it All are indeed hugely hugely personally appreciated).

And finally, Iveliz Explains it All also deftly unravels the cultural tensions that sometimes exist between the elder and younger generations of especially immigrant families, with Iveliz (through Arango's text) being empowered and moving towards healing her anxiety, her depression, with a combination of mental health services and medication, even though her grandmother and also her mother often rather callously and even somewhat cruelly minimise Iveliz' genuine need for both (and yet another kindred spirit and "aha" type of moment for me, since my German Canadian family could equally never even remotely understand that my clumsiness, that my inabilities regarding mathematics and my issues with making and keeping friends were symptoms of dyspraxia and not I being deliberately lazy and dramatically ridiculous), and yes, that only reading Iveliz Explains it All quickly and cursively by necessity has still been a five star reading experience for me (but yes and as already mentioned in my first paragraph, the tiny and hurting my eyes font size of Iveliz Explains it All does make me lower my rating to only four stars and that said four stars is actually pretty generous on my part, for the tiny lettering in Iveliz Explains it All does indeed hugely and truly make me furious).

[Alejo Alvarez || babblewithale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll need to write a full review later, but this one broke me, y’all

I’m just a puddle of tears✌️😎, ✌️😭🕶️🤏

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that this was a good book, just not the one for me. I had a hard time getting through it and can't help but wonder if it would have been more enjoyable as a prose novel (still written like a diary) instead of a novel-in-verse.

What I liked:

- The layout, formatting and lined paper that made the book really feel like a journal
- Beautiful representation of Puerto Rican culture and traditions
- And the Spanish language (I was armed with Google Translate by my side)
- Realistic portrayal and valuable insight into mental illnesses
- And what it's like to live with someone who has Alzheimer's
- Exploring stigma around therapy, medication and mental illness
- Themes of grief and fractured family dynamics

What I didn't:

- All the characters annoyed me, including Iveliz
- Iveliz has a crappy support system
- But she was a lousy friend herself

I get that everyone was going through a lot, even Iveliz's mum (who didn't seem understanding at all), and that it's all part of the plot + character development. Unfortunately, it made me dislike everyone so I wasn't emotionally invested and instead felt a huge disconnect. I'm definitely in the minority though and would still recommend this to those looking for a powerful OwnVoices novel.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful debut middle grade novel in verse featuring Iveliz, a Puerto-Rican American young girl dealing with heavy things!! The mental health rep in this book was amazing!!

Iveliz has PTSD from her father's tragic death, suffers from panic attacks and has a hard time controlling her emotions. She's on medication and sees a therapist and talks openly about all of these things in her journal in a spoken word/verse style.

Additionally she starts seeing the ghost of her father, feels responsible for his death and also has to help her mother when her grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's moves in with them. One of my favourite parts of the book is Iveliz’s friendship with Amir. I loved how supportive a friend he was and how real and rocky their relationship was!

Highly recommended for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Mahogany L. Browne or Lisa Fipps's Starfish and sure to be amazing on audio with all the Spanish verses but the drawings interspersed throughout the book will make you want to consume both formats. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!

Favourite lines:

“I am not okay,
and sometimes,
I wish people wouldn’t believe me
when I say I am.
I wish they would ask, just one more time,
and I wish they wouldn’t tiptoe around me,
like I’m a poem,
so I could show them that I’m a real girl,
accidentally cracked.”

⚠️CW: self-harm, suicidal ideation, negative self-talk,
death of a parent, Alzheimer's, PTSD, therapy, medication

[Shella · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing. I love poignant novel in verse books. With the exception of a couple of pages in the last part of the book, the verse was flat. I was never prompted to reread or stop and contemplate like I have been in every other novel in verse book that I have read. It felt like a chore to read and took me over a week. That never has happened to me with a novel in verse book. It was difficult to relate and connect to the main character. For many students that don't read or speak Spanish, this will be a heavy lift. In order to really follow what is going on, knowing some Spanish is important. The inferences needed to follow the story will be difficult for younger readers or those with no Spanish speaking/reading background. Even though the content is appropriate- the way that it is written is geared more for the very top of the Newbery age group. It is a more appropriate YA book. Canyon's Edge deals with some of the same themes and is a much richer book in terms of the verse. There were so many other great title choices this year for Newbery recognition. I am rather disappointed with most of the Newbery 2023 selections.

[Wilmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iveliz Explains It All or as I like to call it the first book in years to have me sobbing into my pillow at 3 am. Also known as the book preteen Wilmarie needed to understand that they were not alone.
TW: mention of mental illness--
I've written and rewritten this review more times than I can tell because I can't find the words to describe just how much this book means to me, just how much I needed this book to heal. You see, I have struggled with anxiety and depression since before I even knew what those things were. Before I even knew the word "bipolar". I remember confusing anxiety with being nervous or excited because I didn't have someone sit me down and explain to me what anxiety was. I felt so much and was taught to just shove it deep inside. That's why Wilmarie became an expert at acting as if nothing happened. Fast forward to when I was 20 all the shoving inside became so much and Wilmarie exploded. That being said, at 25 I still relate to Iveliz. I relate to the feeling of no one truly understanding you, to being expected to act as the perfect child, or in my case, adult when you feel like you're drowning in your thoughts and feelings. My inner child needed this book to realize she's not alone, to realize that it was okay to feel that way. My current adult self needed the reminder that it is okay to feel your feelings and to open up and ask for help. I wish I could put this book in the hand of every person I know and tell them this me, this is how I feel. I am so thankful to Andrea for writing this story because even if I didn't relate to every single aspect of Ive's story, the way I saw myself in it, I just know many kids (and adults) will be able to see themselves in it. Her beautiful and gripping writing made me live this story as if it was me who was going through it all, and THAT takes real talent. I am definitely looking forward to seeing her future works because I just know that a brilliant future as a writer awaits her. Now go pre-order it and/or request it at your library and join Iveliz in her journey.
Iveliz Explains It All comes out on September 13, 2022, 💙💙💙
A BIG thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Andrea for the chance to read this earc.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Newbery Club and for Emotional Health theme, both in the Children's Books group.
---
Sometimes it's difficult to understand the Spanish words, but mostly I can get them from context, and from what little I've picked up over the years. It's an exercise in empathy for me, of course, too; I'm reminded what it must be like to be a person learning English, or learning to master reading independently.

There's no reason the font should be small & difficult, though. Is there a large print of this available?

The content, however, is of course the most challenging. I just cannot imagine what it would be like to be in this girl's shoes. She is so brave, working so hard on her goals, yet life + other people are obstructing her at every turn.

I hope that we learn more about her mother's point of view because at the moment I don't have a lot of sympathy for her. And I hope that when our girl gets more help (or better help? I'm not sure what's going to happen) that she is given full credit for how hard she's working. And that she is encouraged to be true to herself and to worry less about being 'normal' according to others' definitions of it.

I'm sure it's too much to expect that the mean girls & bullies get disciplined. :sigh:
---
Further along. I am so peeved at everyone getting Iveliz into trouble all the time. Ok, so she shouldn't hit people. But, people who grab her journal out of her hands and read it aloud to each other?! That's ok why??

And so what if she still talks to her dead father? Doesn't matter whether you call it a ghost or a hallucination... it's part of her healing process and it. is. just. fine.
---
Done. The ending is ok. Iveliz realizes, with the help of the shrink, that she needs to focus her efforts on not fighting the depression (as it gets labeled) but on talking to people, loving them, and letting them love her. And getting new meds (which is something everyone needs to know about; the first ones tried are not the only ones to try). She also realizes, on a more heartfelt level instead of just an intellectual level, that Mami is grieving, too, and that being a friend to Amir means listening to his own concerns, etc.

I sure do wish everyone who needed help had access to a professional like this "Dr. Turnip."

I think it's an important book, but I don't feel as if it's got everything quite right. As one who has struggled with d., and known others who have, this just, well, wouldn't have helped. I, personally, can give it only three stars. It might work better for you, or for your loved ones.

I definitely appreciate many little bits. Like the reminder that Puerto Rican people are U.S. citizens.

Ah, Amir, you are a most wonderful friend and person. I hope you grow up to have a successful and joyful life sharing your wisdom, patience, and compassion with others.

I still wish Mami had been more clearly supportive, a better listener, more willing to give our girl what she kept trying to say she needed. And I still wish the school were more supportive - the bullies did not, as I predicted, ever get disciplined. And I do hope that our girl learns to believe people when they say they are trying to help, instead of getting knotted up in her own mind.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that middle grade children, YA, and adults alike can all enjoy. Iveliz's character leaps off the page with heart and emotion as we see through her diary passages the ways in which this young girl deals with PTSD, depression, medication, fitting in, and the pressures to excel in a family undergoing pain but willful enough to persevere and make a better life in a new place.

Seeing how so many of these themes and issues affect and play out within a young girl was eye opening and heartbreaking. Seeing how Iveliz internalizes so much of her pain and how she fights the stigma of her own mental health and treatment with her family was hard to read, but I think, so important because it's a reality for so many that is often ignored. Seeing Iveliz good days and bad, and how she comes to grips with her diagnosis was refreshing, providing an unglamorized view into mental health and raising awareness. It's not enough just to get a diagnosis or go on medication for treatment - it's an ongoing commitment and especially in younger people, requires the support of a network and advocates.

Despite the heavy themes introduced, there's a lot of hope and power and the ending ultimately leaves us on a high note, feeling all the boundless opportunity and future Iveliz can seize for herself. Definitely pick this one up for yourself, a nieces or nephews, kiddos of your own, or cousins.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is a deliberate misnomer, as Iveliz Margarita Snow Medina doesn’t explain much to anyone. Not to her Mami, not to her teachers, not to her Mimi (grandmother), recently relocated from Puerto Rico to Baltimore because of her worsening dementia, not usually to her bestie Amir and definitely not to her psychiatrist, whom she dubs Dr. Turnip. Only in her journal does Iveliz express her inner turmoil through poems.

Iveliz hopes to make a fresh start in seventh grade, and readers gradually learn that she is suffering from a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder, which triggers her anger and misery. I won’t reveal any more so as not to spoil this powerful novel, but I will reveal that I read the entire book in one sitting and that I broke down in tears at one point. Here’s one middle-grade novel that adults should read — especially anyone working with depressed tweens and teens. I can’t wait to read more from author Andrea Beatriz Arango!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

[livie⸆⸉ ౨ৎ • hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing!! go read it. the poetry is so sad at some parts and i could really feel like i related to iveliz. it’s a great story and can really help you if you’re going through something to help you to reach out and seek help. :)

[swiftie &#x1f497;&#x1f497;&#x1f92d;&#x1f485; jinu wife!!:) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* I love how the author talked to therapist to make therapy scenes more realistic

[Tiffany]

This is a difficult book for me to rate. There are elements that are so well done, but it's an extremely heavy book. We follow Iveliz, a young girl who is suffering from severe anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD. We don't find out until about halfway through the book what happened to cause her PTSD, but it's clear that she doesn't feel like she is allowed to outwardly process all of the weight she is carrying. At the beginning of her book, she is starting 7th grade and her grandmother who is suffering from dementia comes from Puerto Rico to live with them. All of these changes shake Iveliz up even more and cause her to face all of the things she's been stuffing deep down inside. This book is written in free verse, as Iveliz is writing her poetry in her journal (though it mostly feels more like journal entries than poetry, in my opinion).

This is one of those books that I'm not really sure who it's written for. It feels so heavy for the age range it's intended for (middle grade). It involves pretty frank discussion of suicidal ideations and self-harm in ways that are very intense. While Iveliz is struggling with good reason, for most of the book she comes across as very angsty (like YA level angst) and selfish. She even outright says that she doesn't care about what her only friend is going through, because he should realize that she's going through too much to even try to actually listen to what he has to say. Iveliz is not getting the help that she desperately needs (not because it's unavailable, but because she won't let herself ask for it) and so she truly is incapable of being there for anyone else. I feel the deep hurt she is experiencing. But because we don't even know what caused this for so much of the book, it made it a lot harder to buy into her behavior or feel bad for her. Also, I can't understand why her mom is so distant and not supportive, given that she knows exactly what happened.

It also has entire conversations that are written in Spanish. It feels really authentic that a Puerto Rican family would slip in and out of English and Spanish, but as I am not a Spanish speaker, it made it difficult for me to follow at times. I think that a lot of middle graders in the US are not bilingual and that is an aspect that might make it hard for them. I wish there had been English translations at the bottom of the page or something like that.

So again, I'm not sure who this was written for. It was nominated for the Newberry, but I have a hard time seeing middle grade kids relating to or enjoying this book. For kids who have not experienced this level of anxiety, I think it might be confusing or very heavy (especially with the suicide and self-harm), rather than educational. For kids who are struggling to this level, will this book feel like they're being represented? Or will it feel triggering? Overall, it feels more like a YA book, both in tone and topic.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Alzheimer’s Disease & dementia
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Panic attacks
Self-harm ideation
Suicidal ideation
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a parent recounted

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best middle grade I’ve ever read. Made me cry and everything 🥹

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant, sad midddle grade / lower YA novel written in verse about a 7th grader with Puerto Rican ancestry dealing with PTSD and living with her grandmother who has Alzheimer’s. It was heavier than I anticipated but I think a lot of my middle school students can relate to her - especially my Latinx students due to the way the Mom & Abuela (grandmother) viewed meds & the lack of a support system in spite of therapy talks. I didn’t expect this to be as heavy as it was but I liked reading it nonetheless. Some reviewers were grumbling about the Spanish & not being able to “connect” with Iveliz. Iveliz, in my opinion, is acting like a 12/13 year old. A lot of them can have tunnel vision and don’t realize their behaviors can be problematic. It’s how Iveliz grows as a person. Not to mention, imagine the kids who go to a foreign country not knowing the main language yet they are given content with the foreign language. This would be great for an ESOL / Spanish speaking student. Here’s the thing - this book was not written for an entire audience in mind. It’s written for the kids who are dealing with trauma and to know they aren’t alone. There are a lot of kids that take medicine for all things of mental illnesses and seeing that on page I know will make a younger tween/teen feel seen. It’s for the student that won’t feel alone and maybe want to write in a journal to put their thoughts on paper when they can’t talk to their parents / grandparents because they have archaic mindsets they were taught growing up.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iveliz Explains It All is a novel told in the first person by Ive. She writes it in a style that she calls a poem "but it's all random thoughts and no rhyme." She mixes Spanish phrases and sentences into her journal as she tells of how she is determined to do better in middle school. But Iveliz has mental health issues and she does not seem to be getting sufficient support to help her overcome them: not from her mother, not from the school counselor, and seemingly, not from her therapist. But she finally realizes:

I am not okay,
and sometimes
I wish people wouldn't believe me
when I say I am.
I wish they would ask, just one more time,
and I wish they wouldn't tiptoe around me
like I'm a poem,
so I could show them that I'm a real girl,
accidentally cracked.

At this point, her therapist works with her to talk out her feelings and moods and not just write about them in her journal. This becomes a turning point for Iveliz as she begins to face her issues, admitting that she is depressed, anxious, angry, and scared.

Iveliz Explains It All is a coming of age novel with an unusual twist. At the back of the book, the author lists some resources for kids and teens to reach out to if they need help. Not an easy book to read . . . and not just because it's bilingual. I'm curious whether this award-winning novel will actually appeal to children.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. It's depressing and sad, and as a mom I just wanted to love on this girl. Probably would have given 5 stars, but some of the conversational Spanish was hard to understand. It wasn't always clear in context what the meaning was, leaving me to skip passages without understanding.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I loved this book and think it would be an amazing resource for teens going through a tough time or who have friends who are going through a tough time. Iveliz is a seventh-grade Puerto Rican girl who is having a really rough time navigating middle school while struggling with her own mental health challenges. She is dealing with past trauma which you can figure out pretty quickly based on context clues, but on top of this is her grandmother with Alzheimer's coming to live with her.

The story is told through her writings in her true journal about everything she's going through and you learn about what she feels she can or can't tell those who care about her. She is completely honest in her journal and you can feel the frustration, pain, sadness, anger, despair--all her feelings as she navigates the day-to-day.

This book does a great job of addressing what many adolescents experience, but in particular, it shows how much harder middle school may be for someone who is dealing with a mental health crisis, especially when a teen is a person of color and a target of racist bullies. This is a story about finding your voice when you struggle and learning who can and should be in your circle of trust. But ultimately it shows that you can't and shouldn't have to do it alone and that there are people who can be trusted to be let into your inner circle.

This book had me sobbing for her and the only thing that would have been better would have been a glossary at the end (or maybe footnotes?) that translated some of the words that seemed to be more Puerto Rican phrases than straight Spanish. I'm currently teaching myself Spanish on Duolingo and while I was happily able to make out most of it, there were a few phrases I couldn't figure out, and looking it up didn't help. That said, from the context I was able to figure out what she wanted to say. But I think having a glossary at the end would have been helpful.

That said, this story was poignantly and beautifully told in verse with much compassion for someone in Iveliz' shoes. First and foremost it is a book with amazing mental health rep, but it also addresses racism, friendship, and family relationships. I highly recommend this one for any middle school library.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is being published in 3 days on September 13, so look for it in a store near you!

[Alison Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I have ever more strongly wished for good things for a fictional character before in my entire reading life.

Dang, this book really delivers a one-two punch right into your soul. But I am so glad it exists, because while we do have more MG books these days that delve into mental health issues, it's not often done this deeply or is more like one element in a larger story. Here it is the story, and for kids around Iveliz's age who are also struggling as much as she is, I think this could be a bit of a lifesaver. They would see they're not the only one dealing with this sort of thing and that it is okay to ask for help and it is okay to do better one day and worse the next, and maybe even use some of her tools to help their own lives. Middle school was when my own mental health struggles first started appearing, though I certainly didn't go through anything as traumatic as Iveliz did. Back then (you know, a few years after the Mayflower landed) there were very few books aimed at that demographic that took on these topics with such care and detail. I'm sure this one would have been a big help for me at that age.

I also appreciated that the story doesn't end with her being "all better" or anything, and that it's more about Iveliz having learned how to better manage things and live with and through them, rather than magically making them disappear entirely. I liked seeing her figure out how to use her words with her mom and her friends and her therapist, and realizing that doing so will make things a little easier for her even if in the moment it's hard to do.

While most of the time, the verse structure was done very nicely and actually was verse rather than just a normal paragraph where someone hit the enter key a bunch of extra times, there were times that I wished we got a little more background or detail. I also thought it got a little repetitive at times, though that may have been by design. But overall I think this is a very valuable story and the author handled a difficult subject with great care.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iveliz Explains it All

I Picked Up This Book Because: The author is visiting my school.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: CC Public Library
Dates Read: 3/28/23
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Raquel Merediz

The Characters:

Iveliz :
Amir, Mimi (grandma), Mom, Akiko

The Story:


Writing: Fantastic. I was amazed at the amount of information the author could fit into a verse.
Forward Motion: It’s fast paced.
Overall Interest: I had a hard time putting this one down.
Length of Reading Time: Listened to it in a day so good.
Re-read-ability: If I had a good reason to I would but it’s not likely.

The Random Thoughts:

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verdict: A relatable and powerfully touching story about a young girl dealing with grief and mental health issues.

Why is it that principals
love giving second chances?
- first line

This book deals with mental health, grief, and teen friendship issues realistically and compassionately. Iveliz writes down her feelings and experiences in a poetry journal. She is dealing with severe trauma and feelings of guilt. She talks about how her Puerto Rican grandmother (suffering from Alzheimer's) criticizes her for taking medication and how that makes her feel. This is a powerful book and will help readers who are going through similar experiences. Readers who have no experience with similar issues will finish with a better understanding of people who do. This book is highly recommended for school libraries.

[Emily Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5, rounded up)

I had the opportunity to meet the author of this book in person and ask a few questions, so to say I was excited to dive in to her debut would be an understatement! Arango writes with such nuance with so few words, and I really admire how she painted the sometimes stigmatized area of mental health, therapy, and medicine - especially for Middle School age kids. The portrayal of all the family dynamics. The hurt, misunderstanding, but ultimately love shared between the grandmother, mother, and Iveliz was also very realistic. I'm excited to see what this author will write next!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Iveliz is just beginning 7th grade. She’s dealing with a lot; PTSD from a tragic accident, fear about her grandmother’s dementia, and depression and suicidal thoughts. With the help of her mother, friends, therapy, medication, and her poetry, Iveliz finds a way to work through it all.

This is heavy, but hopeful in the end.

There is Spanish sprinkled throughout and the audiobook was helpful with pronunciation.

Newbery Honor - 2023

[Angela Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sometimes we think we’re okay, we think we’ve moved on, but then our hearts crack open months or even years later and it’s important to stop, be kind to ourselves, and ask for help— ask for love."

[Grace Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebook; a young Hoosier book for middle school read it to be able to talk about it with student in the library; this book was powerful and I loved what it says about mental health and the challenges the main character faces were realistic. It is written in verse so it was a very quick read.
Favorite quotes
“I am not okay, and sometime I wish people wouldn’t believe me when I say I am. I wish they would ask, just one more time, and I wish they wouldn’t tiptoe around me like a poem”
Medicine is weird in the everybody takes it no problem for a headache or a cold but if someone needs it for their sadness Chaos erupts”
“It’s just sometimes I get so deep in my head it’s hard to find my way out.”

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent middle grade book that beautifully address grief, anxiety, depression, dementia and so much more.