Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters

Over the summer—which 15-year-old Camila Núñez spends with her maternal Cuban American family in Miami—Camila meets her cousin’s friend Sonia. Camila and Sonia soon pursue a romantic relationship, the emotionally tumultuous nature and dissolution of which take a toll on anxious Camila. Back home in North Carolina, Camila’s best friend performs a tarot reading that fills Camila with foreboding. Her anxiety comes to a head upon meeting nonbinary, self-assured Devon; as she attempts to start a romance with them, Camila realizes she must reckon with her past with Sonia, as well as insecurities about her body. She also notices growing tension between her parents that leaves Camila worried that her negative tarot reading will come to fruition. Eschewing stereotypical depictions of religion, prejudice, and their effects on one’s identity, Pérez utilizes compassionate and empathetic prose to explore sexuality, the Cuban diaspora, anxiety, and self-esteem as Camila grows and matures over the course of a year in this introspective debut. Ages 14–up. Agent: Elizabeth Copps, Copps Literary. (Mar.)

Correction: This text of this review has been updated for accuracy.