This book wasn’t really for me, although I am excited for other sapphic non-men to read this! This book simply reminded me too much of how I used to change so much of myself when I was younger.
Yami and Bo’s relationship was so cute to me but there was times where their characters felt flat to me because I felt as if there was not enough development for me to feel anything. The issue with the depth of their relationship is that although the romance was more of a secondary storyline, a majority of the time there would be a bit of description between what happened between either Bo and Yami, or other characters, and it would not be very long or with much description and end abruptly.
I really loved Bo because her personality is so great and I love how she spoke on so much, her father is also really funny! Bo reminded me so much of myself, it was so nice to see a character that was not afraid to be themself. I really really liked Bo but I felt as if her character did not have as much depth as Cesar because he was the most detailed character. Cesar was definitely my favorite part because his character was very well-written and so complex yet so chistoso.
Yami’s character was very real and human, which I loved that Reyes included. Yami was very representative of a typical queer Mexican teenager, every time she spoke in Spanish or Spanglish it felt pretty fitting. There wasn’t very much talk on being an indigenous Mexican that I thought would be a given although the author wrote the cultural aspect in the book amazingly. I think that Bo’s ethnicity was handled with respect as well because the author challenged any of Bo’s thoughts on her culture as an adopted Chinese-American. I advise anyone wanting to read this book to listen to Chinese readers thoughts on Bo!
Overall, the book was super cute and very tense considering the frequent thought of homophobic parents.

A funny, real and raw YA contemporary with a swoon-worthy first romance that students will gobble up. Reyes writing voice is reminiscent of Julia in I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and it is highly likely the target audience will be drawn in by this authentic portrayal of Yoli as she navigates being at a rather conservative Catholic school as well as discovering her sexuality, family expectations, and boundaries in friendships.

If you want to read something that is about finding community and hope. That contains a cute nerdy love interest, witty, funny, commentary, and a vibe that tells you to live like the world is yours. This book is for you.
I want to give so many spoilers to best describe how phenomenal and singular this book was for me. Don’t worry, I won’t. First off I loved the unique combination of humor and hardship. Let's be real, Yami is a Latina closeted queer girl who goes to catholic school. There are entitled Karens that deserve an uppercut every time they open their mouths. Having the chapter titles be witty and allowing internal comedic retorts dampened the blow. It also allowed my heart to survive and to savor the revenge they were served.

I adored this book. It truly has my whole heart. I love that this tells a unique story (of a queer teenager from an Indigenous Mexican family who is struggling with a crush and whether she can safely come out). I loved the story itself, and the characters. Sonora Reyes beautifully describes the challenges of being a queer teenager whose parents are Catholic and appear to be homophobic. She also delves into issues such as having a father who was deported (and staying in touch with him and missing him), and (for Bo), being an Asian adoptee into a white family who is supportive of her being queer, but doesn't quite know how to behave in terms of letting her embrace her culture. I loved the romance to pieces. I loved the friendships. And I adored Yami's relationship with her brother, who is also coming to terms with his sexuality. This also delves into important issues such as racism towards one of the only students of color in their school and how Yami handles that. Absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year and one of my favorite YA reads in recent memory.

I will admit, the badass title drew me in to this book, but the content definitely lived up to it!! It's a great, snarky read, though it also deals with strict parents, poverty, homophobia, and lots of trauma (it's by no means a BREEZY read). It's a fabulous YA contemporary that doesn't wallow in pain but keeps an even balance between the fun and the intense.

What a debut! The author has such a great command of their craft--Yami's voice is vivid, the character arc resonating throughout the read, with great details sprinkled throughout and emotional moments that stick out to me. Would highly recommend this to everyone and ordered it as soon as I finished!

This was a solid YA read with some important discussions about sexuality. At times it felt a bit silly and Yamilet could be a bit much (and a bit dense) but I enjoyed the small bit of romance and the overarching message.

I really enjoyed this YA novel and thought that it did a really good job developing complicated characters who struggle and navigate a true high school experience. You want to root for them and watch them grow and I loved that.

really good, just didn't think the main character was particularly well developed :/ otherwise i liked this! and the title is unmatched for real

2022 is truly a banner year for debut YA -- I absolutely adored THE LESBIANA'S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL and would've gladly read another couple hundred pages. Yamilet is a charmingly frustrating protagonist: her determination (and complete inability, ha) to 'play straight' at her new Catholic school while also keeping her younger brother Cesar out of trouble provides just the right amount of intrigue to what could have been a run-of-the-mill 'New Kid' or 'Coming Out' novel. Instead, Reyes piles on the surprises and keeps the reader guessing, with even the most tertiary of characters getting lovely story arcs and development. I particularly loved the familial relationships depicted in the novel, as well as Yami's sharp assessments of race, gender, class, and sexuality. I can't think of a teen in my life who wouldn't benefit from reading this fabulous novel--or who wouldn't love it!

Content Warning: homophobia,suicide attempt, biphobia, religious bullshit all around
My main complaint is that the author's note should be at the front or at least some type of small warning of these contents. If I had known about these suicide mentions ahead of time I would've been able to pace shit better and scrolled past some stuff ; this book shouldn't be read while you're sick and on your period and tired and slightly depressed as I was while reading it. Im also going to complain that the cliffhanger of Ceaser's relationship at the end made me a bit upset ; he went through so much that I would've liked to see him so happy!! He seemed like he needs a sequel to see if he ever fully accepts himself and possibly dates or at least is able to say he loves himself. Otherwise very well written and beautiful ; a story of a mother's love.

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School is, at turns, hilarious and heartbreaking as MC Yamilet Flores struggles to appear very, very NOT GAY at a conservative, predominantly white, Catholic school in Arizona, where her her single mother is working overtime to send her and her brother after bullying incidents at their previous school. The problem: Bo, an out-and-proud queer classmate with whom Yami is instantly smitten. Wearing Pride pins and rainbow Vans — and boldly standing up to homophobic teachers and administrators — Bo is a shining example of what Yami could be if only her community and her own parents didn’t make her feel so ashamed. When the strain of concealing a hidden identity take a tragic toll on her younger brother, Yami is forced to be true to herself or live in the shadows forever. Author Sonora Reyes perfectly captures the anxiety, fear, and exhilaration that come with exposing your vulnerability in order to live an authentic life. A captivating and brutally honest debut. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this. It was funny, cute, heartwarming... I loved the characters, and how real it felt.

Sometimes books about kids in high school can feel overly flat and simplistic, like the author is dumbing down their analysis of the experience they are portraying. Thankfully, there was none of that here... high school felt like real, complicated, heartbreaking and joyful real life, just like it felt many years ago back when I was in high school.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

This one hit hard - and I mean HARD - for me, but in the best way possible.

Tensions between religion and sexuality within a family and surprise queer siblings are both within my persona; experience, and Reyes' added examination of racism and themes of belonging were just so good. The character voice of Yami was excellent and I loved how her struggles were shown so boldly, especially the pressure to "behave" for the white girls at the Catholic school who tried to coopt her into their friendship group. This is a stand-out queer YA that I expect to be on many lists and is probably one of my favorite reads of the year so far (I know, I know, it's only February, but I don't expect Guide to Catholic School to be bumped off the list.)

Trigger warnings for racism, homophobia (including a pre-story forced outing and parental rejection), and a suicidal character.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Great ground breaking read! 5⭐

A beautiful story about a sister and a brother struggling through upheavals and revelations and finding strength in each other. While featuring a romance for the main character (and some nice secondary character romances, as well), the central relationship of this novel is the one between the Flores siblings, and their love for each other is so powerful. Though they're at the brink of disaster in many ways, these kids are tenacious in the face of levels of adversity that no children should have to deal with—but lots of LGBTQIA children, in fact, do.

Love, love, love. Yamilet is the perfect storm of super relatable yet complex emotions:

-Utter embarrassment after being rejected by her straight best friend
-Mama-bear levels of protectiveness for her younger brother;
-Guilt tripped and emotionally manipulated by a well-meaning mother
-Nostalgia and pain over her father, who was deported when she was 10 but still in contact
-Terror at being outed and disowned by said superconservative mother, and therefore obsessed with having financial backup plans in case she were to get kicked out of the house
-Exhaustion from micro aggressions and blatant racism as one of the few POC at her school
-oh, and a burning crush on an out-and-proud classmate while trying to remain in the closet!!!

…and all of that in just the first few chapters!

The Lesbiana’s Guide is far more than a teen romance. It is nuanced and intersectional and near impossible to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review..

I wanted to like this book but I had to DNF 60% in because it was so repetitive and boring.

A novel full of heart, humor, and hope, this debut will make you laugh out loud one moment and cry the next. A must-read book of 2022.

Such a good book. Sonora Reyes captures the family dynamics of many young adults and addresses issues like sexuality, depression, suicide, deportation, homophobia, and fitting in a wonderful story. The reader easily gets lost in this story of growing up.