I'll be honest - I was interested in this book because of the cute cover. In fact, I first thought that this was a graphic novel. It wasn't, but it was a sweet story about young women tackling stifling expectations and navigating the complexities of relationships. I had already read Dark and Deepest Red (McLemore) and We Set the Dark on Fire (Mejia), so I was excited to read a collaboration between both of them.

The first thing I want to highlight is the representation in this book - it's really diverse. Latinx, trans, and queer people all play roles in the novel, and come off as realistic and sincere, which can be hard to do. There are difficult and upsetting things that happen in the story (bullying, homophobia), this is not about suffering - it's about triumph and the ways in which we overcome. There's a bit of . . . fantasy? magical realism? sprinkled in that makes it extra delightful.

I'd recommend this for fans of either author, Francesca Lia Block, and heartwarming queer stories.

I loved loved loved this book! First of all the fact that we have such a diverse cast and the characters aren't charicatures is so wonderful to read. I never felt like any of the characters identities were there to boost diversity or didn't fit with their character. I loved that each person was a PERSON and not just their labels. I loved the fact that characters grew within their "labels" and explored who they were. And I LOVED Lita as a character. That touch of magical realism (which I know McLemore excells at but I hadn't read any Mejia yet) really just made the story even more down to earth, especially when Lita struggled with very real human issues. 

I highly recommend this book and I think it did a wonderful job of speaking to the moment and also just giving a voice and some representation in a totally normalizing way. Beautiful work!

Interesting premise. Likable/hated characters. Cool plot. I would recommend this story to others. Some spots I found that didn't hold my attention, but overall, I still liked it.

The story takes place in Meteor, New Mexico, a town that received it’s name thanks to a meteorite that crashed in the desert. In this town, there are two events that give the people a needed boost in tourism: the cornhole tournament and the Miss Meteor pageant. This year, for the 50th Miss Meteor pageant and with the need to keep the cornhole tournament cup in the town, everyone is looking forward, for one thing or another, to the next drew weeks.

We follow Lita, a girl made of stardust, and Chicky, her ex-best friend and school’s outcast, as they decide to join the Miss Meteor pageant. Each of them have their reasons: Lita wants to do something she’s always wanted to do before the sky takes her back. Chicky wants to get back at the people who have hurt her, her family and friends.

I don’t even know how to say how much I loved this book. It touched very important topics while giving us a sweet story about friendship, family, love, and self-confidence.

Miss Meteor is a beautifully written story about learning to accept yourself and showing the world who you are, who you love, and what you believe. I need EVERYONE to read this. The story is amazing, the writing is amazing, the characters are amazing… everything is amazing! It’s the first book that has made me feel like this in a while and I’m so glad I got to read it.

It's so rare to see a book like this! Big kudos to Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore for coming up with this concept and delivering it with such quality. Loved the setting, the sprinkles of humor, and the great depictions of characters we almost never see on the page. This one has also been added to many of my students' TBR stacks--and frankly, it's been bumped to the top of many of them.

I’ve read and loved every book by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia (minus Paola Santiago which is on my TBR), so I was prepared to love this book, which is their first collaboration together, and I did.

I’m not from a small town, but the narrow-mindedness of Meteor reminded me of my own childhood spent in majority white cities at a majority white schools. Lita and Chicky’s status as misfits definitely resonated with my experiences from when I was a teen. While I was not subjected to the slurs that they were, I was made to feel lesser, like an alien for my race and my gender nonconformity. People can be cruel.

One of the things I love the most about this book is the themes woven into it. Both Lita and Chicky struggle to defend themselves and feel confident in their skin at the beginning, and as the story progresses, they grow so much. In particular, I thought it was cool that they were each able to reclaim something that had formerly been weaponized against them, taking ownership of the pain and transforming it into something affirming. The ending felt so triumphant, and I’m so proud of these two girls.

The other supporting characters, especially Junior and Cole (who is a trans boy) were also well developed and had their own journeys that were intertwined with those of Lita and Chicky. The four of them had an interesting dynamic, and I loved how friendship was at the center of the book, not only between Lita and Chicky but also between Lita and Cole and between Chicky and Junior. The intimacy between them was poignant and served as a solid basis for their respective romantic arcs, which were less about falling in love than realizing and/or articulating that they were in love.

Chicky’s sisters were so much fun and provided a lot of comedic relief in the story with their bickering and wit. As former participants and runners-up in the pageant, they served as Lita’s Fab Five (or rather Fab Three?), providing equal parts fashion consultation and moral support. You couldn’t find a better crew.

I also liked the way the setting was developed, with the tourist attractions and space theme. It gave the town a unique character while also providing context for the magical realism elements of the story. The way Lita’s starry origins and impending return to the sky/cosmos reinforced the themes about belonging and identity was poetic, to say the least. In other words, Anna-Marie McLemore’s signature style shines through in Lita’s narrative.

Last but not least, I really liked Cole’s character. He’s out and has been out for a while prior to the start of the book, so his arc isn’t about coming out or seeking validation for his gender. While he does face some trans-antagonism, his story is more about the relationship he has with his sister who is toxic and verbally abusive toward people like Lita and Chicky. He is a person with problems not unlike the problems of cis people. He’s athletic and articulate and astute. I’m sure everyone will love him.

In short, Miss Meteor is a heartfelt, triumphant coming of age story dedicated to all the people who felt like they don’t/didn’t belong.

What a sweet, magical story! Told from the perspectives of ex best friends Chicky and Lita, we learn that secrets that become to heavy tear friendships apart. And that sometimes, those secrets can bring friendships back together. A beauty pageant and a desire to beat the milk toast girls who always win bring Chicky and Lita back to speaking terms. First? Magical realism. Who doesn’t love star stuff and the desert? I’m steadfast in my belief that growing up in the desert must be magical. This story and the 4 friends who find themselves and their truths is for sure going to make my students happy!

Miss Meteor is a delightful celebration of the different and a triumphant against anyone with hate in their heart.

I really admired this book. It's more than just proving yourself to your community, pushing the public definition of beauty. There's plenty of exploration of beauty pageants. Even more so, it's about accepting yourself. It's casting aside your old traumas, accepting truths about yourself, and becoming strong enough to present those truths to the world. I like, too, that some of the "villains' are complex. We see their motivations, see them as people who can become more likeable. There is some weirdness, (the protagonist being "from the stars" and the school's obsession with cornhole) but it doesn't really become overwhelming.

I fell in love with the characters in this one. Its very interesting to see this type of inclusivity now. It's deff. gonna take a lot of people to get used to it, but it is what it is. Its time for the world to love every person.

I wasn’t sure how this book was going to be but it was everything and more. I wish there was books like this when i was growing up - as i am a Latinx reader and felt i was constantly reading white straight stories but even at 30 i am loving the representation. This story was good and can’t wait to let my daughter read it next. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc.

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore

Miss Meteor is about two girls who were best friends. One of those girls was literally made from stardust, caused by the meteor after which the town was named. Lita is about to turn back into stardust and endeavors to make the most of the time she has left. Chicky, her former best friend, wants to prove that girls who look like them can compete alongside Barbie clones in the town’s all-important beauty pageant. 

The book goes back and forth between perspectives (Chicky and Lita), each author writing one of the characters. I appreciate this as it gives the reader further insight into the characters and events in the book. We get to witness the struggles each girl faces in the keeping of their respective secrets. These aren’t secrets to the reader, but to each other as well as the other people with whom they interact. 

These authors created realistic characters with whom the reader empathizes. Teenagers identify with the complicated nature of identity, friendships, and hardships. Adults remember this time in their lives and empathize with these concepts. Readers of any age easily become emotionally invested. 

This book contains queer characters! One of the main characters is pansexual. I’ve only ever seen this type of queer person in one other book. As a pansexual myself, I greatly appreciate this addition. Miss Meteor also includes a transgender character. Aspects of the book cover these topics due to the importance with regard to character identity. The authors notably do not use queer bodies as plot points. I appreciate this as well. 

This is a well-executed plot that incorporates magical realism alongside contemporary realism. I would consider this book an easy read. One gets absorbed into the story, invested in the characters, and intrigued by the plot.

Miss Meteor was a gorgeous, magical book that I'll be recommending to teens at my library again and again! Lita is a girl born from the stars and brought to earth on a meteor, but she knows the stars will take her back soon. Chicky is her ex-best friend--both are outcasts in different ways. Before she returns to the stars, Lita wants to win Miss Meteor, the beauty pageant their small town is known for. Chicky agrees to help her for old times' sake.

This was a fun story about an underdog trying to win a beauty pageant--think Dumplin' but queer and magical. Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore are two of my favorite authors and the pairing worked so well. Their voices balance each other perfectly and I adored both Chicky and Lita. They each have a romantic plotline going on, and Chicky is struggling to figure out her own sexuality. Miss Meteor touches on what it means to be a brown girl today, and what it means to be "alien." 

I adored all the characters: Lita, Chicky, Chicky's big family, Bruja Lupe, Cole, Junior. This book was full of sad moments, sweet moments, swoony moments, and even laugh-out-loud moments. I loved it and hope that Tehlor and Anna-Marie do more books together!

In terms of diversity: the two lead characters are Latinx (#OwnVoices), one is questioning and eventually identifies as pansexual. There is also a trans guy supporting character. 

My only complaint is re: the marketing of this book. The synopsis and marketing made me think this would be a friends-to-lovers story between Lita and Chicky, which it is not. I've noticed other reviewers also expressing that that's what they thought this book would be about. It did have friends-to-lovers romances in it, but not between the two girls. I still loved it, but found myself a bit confused while I was reading it because of this.

I adored this book! It’s absolutely wonderful. I tore through it in less than a day because I couldn’t get it out of my head. A beautiful story with compelling and realistic characters drives the plot. read this book now!

Hi everyone! A couple of weeks ago I got Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore, a.k.a. my first eARC courtesy of HarperTeen Publishing and NetGalley so thank you to both for this opportunity.

All of the following opinions are my own.

Summary

Miss Meteor is a YA magical realism/contemporary novel with elements of romance and LGBTQ+ themes. 

In small town of Meteor (some say it’s called Meteorite. It’s the town’s oldest debate), New Mexico, it’s the week of the Fiftieth Annual Meteor Regional Pageant and Talent Competition, or Miss Meteor Pageant, for short. Lita Perez has dreamt of participating in the pageant since she was a child, and she’s running out of time; she’s a star and the sky wants to claim her back. The problem is: every winner in the pageant’s history has fit into the white, tall, blonde type, while Lita is brown, small, and chubby. She enlists the help of her estranged friends, Chicky Quintanilla, a self-proclaimed tomboy, and her four older sisters. Along the way, both Chicky and Lita find out that in rekindling their friendship, they can both find a way to fully be themselves.

Plot
The plot of Miss Meteor is well-rounded and has a bit of everything. There was comedy, there were heartfelt moments, there were moments where I held my breath waiting for an outcome, but most importantly, there were moments that let both Chicky and Lita (literally) shine and come into their own. I often read books where certain scenes feel like a “talking heads” scenario and they keep running circles around the points, but that was never the case for Miss Meteor. Every scene revealed crucial information that pushed the plot forward. Each of the girls’ secrets are revealed to the reader early on in the plot but not to any of the other characters so as a reader, seeing that slow progression of both friends piecing clues together was so satisfying.

Characters

What I actually loved most about this book were the characters. I could see pieces of myself and the people I’ve surrounded myself with in Lita, Chicky, Junior, Cole, the Quintanilla sisters, and Bruja Lupe. The dynamic between Lita and Chicky was so well written that I could feel the history between the two of them before they had ever shared a conversation. The belief in each other was genuine and I think having alternating POV chapters between the two really allowed for me, as the reader, to get to know them and their distinct personalities thoroughly. I’ve come to miss them.

And Cole. My dear sweet Cole. I love that boy so much. It was my first time reading a book with a trans boy where his plot did not revolve around being trans or transitioning. His growth was seen in other aspects of his personality that if I were to get into, they’d be spoilers. Just trust me on this one.

I want to point out that the town of Meteor/Meteorite itself felt like a character on its own. I could vividly picture Bruja Lupe’s house, Selena’s diner (a place I so badly wish was real), the Meteor Meteorite Museum, the pageant dressing rooms, the cornhole championship, the Party That Changes Everything, and, my favorite, the spot of desert where Lita’s cacti live.

Overall

I enjoyed reading Miss Meteor so, so much! I kept thinking about how I wish I could travel back in time and give this book to my 16-year-old self because I think she needed it. I’d mostly recommend this to the 14-17-year-old demographic, but I believe everyone, regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, etc., will be able to see parts of themselves in this book. Miss Meteor is a celebration of expression, identity, Latinx culture, queerness, and friendship. Don’t miss out on this one!

When I saw this arc on NetGalley, I had to request it. Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore are amazing writers on their own, but have now proven to be a powerhouse when combined. From the description, it would be easy to cast off this book as another fluffy contemporary in the recent release of an abundance of YA LGBTQIA+ coming of of age/coming out novels. But, if you think that's all this book is going to cover, you're in for a surprise. Set in the rural New Mexico town of Meteor/Meteorite, Miss Meteor tells the story of Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez. The two used to be best friends, but grew apart years before the story begins because of the personal secrets they kept from one another. Now, the two come together again to battle the systematic racism of their town by throwing Lita in the running for Miss Meteor. With the help of Chicky's three older sisters and two unlikely friends from school, the team sets out to shake up the establishment! In addition to being a social commentary on systematic racism, this book has realistic and relatable LGBTQIA+ representation, realistic friends to lovers romances, healthy friendship building, confidence boosting body positively, and all the feels.

Lita and Chicky are childhood friends who have lost their friendship but reunite to win the local Miss Meteor pageant. It is a heartwarming story with a beautiful message about finding yourself and accepting that what makes you different is not a weakness. The Quintanilla sisters are such a delight. If you have sisters, you will recognize a lot of the dynamics of this group. The queer representation is beautiful. I just have so many wonderful things to say.

This book is not what you think it is.  Yes, there is romance. Yes, there is a beauty contest. Yes, there is LGBTQ+ representation.  But that isn't the story. 

Lita wants to win Miss Meteor so that she doesn't fade away to the star dust that created her.

Cole is trans but that isn't even important to the story, other than he is.

Junior is an artist. 

And Lita and Chicky were best friends. And then they weren't, and now they need to be again.

And yes, the beauty pageant consumes most of the book, but so do the two voices of girls looking for something that they are not sure of.  Do they want love? Do they want friendship? 

I love the voices of the characters who trade off telling their story. I love the way the story zigs and zags.  

Great fun, and very insightful.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I was given a free e-arc from the publisher through Hear Our Voices in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review. All opinions are my own.

What I Liked

Lita: Lita was such a refreshing character to read about. She is unapologetic about who she is in all of her quirkiness, even if that means people making fun of her or ignoring her altogether. Despite how people treat her, she never ceases to be kind and caring. I also liked how her body image as a plus-size girl is not a a big point of issue. She does mention how it affects how people see her, but it isn't something she seems to be super focused on. Proud plus-size girl rep is so wonderful and reading about her experience in the Miss Meteor pageant was a lot of fun.

Chicky: I really identified with Chicky, which is probably why she ended up being one of my favorite characters. Despite the fact that so many people in her small town are so dismissive of her, and even though she isolates herself, she remains as much of herself as she feels she can be. I enjoyed seeing her development as she goes from someone who runs away from others to keep herself protected to someone who is proud of who she is, especially in regard to her pansexuality, and is willing to stand up for herself and those she loves.

Cole: I found Cole to be such an interesting character. He is a trans boy with a sister who is a bully to all those who are different from her, with the exception of her brother. Despite homophobic comments she makes to others like Chicky, she usually avoids making any comments to allude to her brother's trans identity. This ends up being more of a way to try to hide Cole's identity than being respectful of him. Cole is the darling of Meteor, which she wants to protect. The town's support of him is conditional on him not being "too out there" with his identity and continuing to be their sports star, and he knows this.

He is initially not very outspoken about how awful his sister and friends are, but as the story goes on, we begin to see him make comments that make people question the things that they say and the way that they act. It's unfortunate that he has to constantly educate and correct people, but I truly appreciated him as a character and the perspective he brought to the story.

The sister relationships: I personally don't have any sisters, so I always love reading about sister relationships. Their banter was so much fun and I found myself laughing at their interactions many times throughout the book.

The friendships: I loved all of the friendships in this story, specifically that of Chicky and Lita. Despite the time that has passed since they stopped being best friends, they have always longed for one another's friendship. They are exactly what the other needs and they each provide a safe space to reveal who they are. Not only do they uphold one another, but they come to extend that to both Cole and Junior as well.

What I Didn't Like

There was honestly nothing that I didn't particularly like about this book. I wasn't aware that it included magical realism elements until I started the book, but I don't think that took anything away from my experience (since I don't typically love magical realism in books). Obviously, it should just be a given to me now that any book by Anna-Marie McLemore will have magical realism!

Final Thoughts

The second that I saw this beautiful cover, I knew I had to read Miss Meteor. The dark hair, the thick eyebrows, the jalapeño cupcake! Yes! Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and it did not disappoint. I found myself reading late into the night because I wanted to see where the story would go next, which hasn't happened in awhile. The atmosphere of this book definitely lent to how excited I was to keep flipping the pages.

I think as a teenager, a book like this would have been so valuable to me. Although I grew up in a pretty big city with a predominantly Latinx community, going to a school with all but a few Latinx kids, I still identified with Chicky and Lita's struggles in finding who they are and who they want to be within their communities. This is such a beautiful story about friendship, self-acceptance, and family that I would recommend, especially if you are looking for a book with Mexican-American and LGBTQ characters.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and Hear Our Voices Tours on Instagram for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez used to be best friends, but too many secrets, and trauma made them grow apart. Now they have a uniting cause: Get Lita into the Miss Meteor pageant and win. Which is easier said than done, as the predicted winner Kendra Kendall has a family history of winning the Miss Meteor pageant. But with all the Quintanilla sisters on board, they might just have a chance at seeing Lita be victorious.

There’s something about seeing the word pansexual in a book. And that feeling ultimately transcends words. Especially when there’s also the true definitely of what it means. It was described so beautifully and I felt every word in my heart. This book was incredible and I can not recommend it enough. It’s the perfect read for Latinx Heritage month too!

Living the past history and the hopeful rekindling of Lita and Chicky's friendship was so beautiful. There were several hard conversations and emotions between these two, but I loved every minute of this friendship. There's such a strong found family vibe throughout this entire novel: from Lita being adopted by all the Quintanilla's to prepare her for Miss Meteor, to Bruja Lupe being her adopted mother, and to Chicky, Lita, Junior and Cole becoming true friends.

While this story does not focus on Cole coming out as trans, we see so much of the trauma and pain that comes from dealing with inherent and implied transphobia. Cole is on a male sports team, but is still barred entrance from the men's locker room. Cole also has to work through being related to Kendra, the main school bully, and who would most certainly have turned her eyes to him had they not been related.

This tackled so many important topics including transphobia, homophobia, and racism, thought that's certainly not all that it covered. I loved this book so much and I wish there was a sequel!