Iveliz is a poet, and this is her notebook. It was begun as a place to process her depression, anger, grief, and, perhaps most of all, loneliness following the sudden death of her father. Arango’s debut novel in verse begins a few years after the tragedy, at a time when the expectation is for Iveliz to be “better.” At school she is failing classes and easily provoked into behaving in ways that get her suspended; her friendships are faltering; and her primary comfort – visits from her father – make her feel even worse, because she knows he isn’t really there. Into the midst of this difficult time her mother brings her grandmother to live with them in the US from her native Puerto Rico, a grandmother who doesn’t understand or support Iveliz’s use of medications or therapy to manage her feelings, and whose own symptoms of Alzheimer’s are making daily life an ever-increasing challenge.

Arango deftly creates believable characters and emotions though Iveliz’s spare, honest poems. Readers are pulled through her journey – the misunderstandings, the confusion, and the heartbreak, and brought to the brink of a new tragedy before Iveliz gathers the courage to take her words from the page, and begin speaking them aloud. Mental health takes center stage, and there is honest talk about medications, talk therapy, and, briefly, self-harm. Iveliz mixes some Spanish in with her English poems, either speech from her mother/grandmother, or in expressions. Non Spanish speakers will be able to gather what they need from context, and this use of language adds to the richness of the storytelling. The story ends on a hopeful note, and I think this is one to recommend to any kids who have experienced any mental health issues, needed any kind of therapy or long term medication to manage a condition, or just need to be reminded that they aren’t alone even when they have trouble existing in the often confusing world around them.

The layout of the book is made to look like a notebook – lined paper, handwriting-like font, illustrative doodles; this format underscores the feeling that Iveliz is a relatable friend.

Recommend for Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library