4⭐
Genre ~ middle grade
Series ~ Merci Suárez #3
Others in the series ~ Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Merci Suárez Can't Dance
Setting ~ Florida
Publication date ~ September 13, 2022
Est page Count ~ 353 (41 chapters)
Audio length ~ 7 hours 12 minutes
Narrator ~ Frankie Corzo
POV ~ single 1st

Merci is now 13 years old and in 8th grade. She's still hanging with her group of friends, which now includes Edna, who she previously did not get along with. Popular girl, Avery, is showing interest in her ~ will she leave her friends high and dry for popularity or stay true to herself?

It makes me so sad reading about Lola's Alzheimer's, which is still progressing realistically. He needs extra care now, more than Abuela can provide on her own and she's having a tough time coming to terms with the fact that she could use extra help. Your heart just breaks for her and the whole family really. I do wish her younger twin cousins would have matured a little more during the series.

Overall, this was a perfect conclusion to this trilogy. I wonder if we'll see Merci again in high school...

Series notes:
Best to go in order, so you are familiar with the whole Suarez family and Merci's friends.

Narration notes:
Frankie did a fine job, but she obviously does not sound like a 13 year old. I read the first 2 and listened to this one, reading was a better experience for me.

Merci Suárez is getting ready to start 8th grade. At home, she struggles with watching her Lolo go downhill with his Alzheimer’s. At school, she is happy to be on the soccer team and surprised when popular Avery Sanders starts talking to her. Will she have to choose between a new friendship with Avery and her longstanding friendship with Edna?

I didn’t realize when I got this book that it was the third book in a series, but it was easy to pick up without having read the first two books. This book rings true to many issues middle schoolers might face, and I highly recommend it to older elementary and middle school students! Frankie Corzo did a great job with the audiobook narration.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Great follow up to the first book. I like how Merci's feelings around another girl are explored, as many kids experience new feelings. She has a lot of responsibility regarding Lolo, which many kids will relate to. Great middle grade read!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a great middle grade read! really enjoyed it and would read more from this series!

My 9yo and I listened to this together and it provided a great platform for us to discuss issues of friendship, honesty, loyalty, family, and more.

This is the third book in the series, and Merci's grandfather Lolo worsens in his health in this book; Merci faces challenges with loyalty to friends as competing groups show interest in her; and her cousins' father reemerges. As Merci faces these challenges in the relationships that surround her, she makes mistakes and learns from them through the narration. Overall I enjoyed this!

Merci Suarez Plays it Cool is the third book in this series. In this book, Merci is starting eighth grade. She struggles with very normal middle school problems, namely feeling pulled between two friend groups.

This story also includes a beautiful extended family living together. Lolo is a dear grandparent to Merci and he is experiencing Alzheimer’s. The author does a great job writing about how this impacts the family and how it impacts Merci. I think this will be wonderful for many middle grades readers.

Overall this story is a slice of middle school and family life. I loved the normalization of being kind to all of your peers and standing up for yourself. I think this series is a great fit for middle grades readers.