Good read, keeps reader engaged. The story is about the main character, who presents with symptoms of autism and selective mutism. She’s invited to a party where is she attacked by Luis. Later on she receives messages from someone who can relate and hence the plan to get revenge starts.

[ TW for sexual assault, bullying and slut shaming ]
Ariana Ruiz is a wallflower at her school. Autistic and selectively non-verbal, the introverted young girl doesn't really have many close friends or admirers. So when popular, handsome, flirty senior Luis Ortega starts singling her out, Ari feels special. And when he coerces her into having sex at a party, she doesn't refuse, although she doesn't consent either. It's just their secret, after all.
However, soon after, disturbing rumours start circulating at school, and Ari becomes the object of a targeted harassment campaign, with slut-shaming and bullying from her peers. Just as things start worsening, a hidden note in her locker leads her to an unlikely group of students– fellow victims, bent on taking revenge against their predator. But for justice to happen, Ari needs to face the devastating truth of what really happened that night between her and Luis Ortega.
So yes, this is a story that centres significantly on a rapist, and rape culture as perpetuated by those in power. It's a very heavy and disturbing read despite the bright pop colours on the cover. The first couple chapters are especially ROUGH, some serious triggers there. That being said, I loved this book. Reyes put so much love and thought into Ari's character– her neurodivergence, her identity crisis, her issues of going nonverbal, her panic attacks and PTSD. She is a symbol of bravery for those who make the enormous choice of stepping forward with their stories, even if it means reliving their own pain. Her entire arc was so powerful, from being completely alone to finding community, love and friendship with a group of survivors. Interesting also to see the effects of rape culture on different marginalized groups, through the usage of popular victim-shaming rhetoric. For example, the autistic girl is mocked as being unable to say no, the bisexual girl is "promiscuous" anyway, so on. Appreciated the narrative compassion for not just those who speak up, but those who choose privacy and non-confrontation, after being hurt by powerful abusers.
Was not a fan of the plotline involving Ari's parents, however, and also found it a little strange that the one desi coded character was written as the nerd with glasses and braces who loves robotics and hacking.
Good book, not perfect but impactful.

The minute that I saw this book and read the description on twitter I knew I had to read it and was very grateful to get the chance to read it. This book touches upon some serious and very heavy topics but in a way that I thought was well handled and realistic. I did appreciate that this book includes a warning from the author regarding the content within the book.

I really enjoyed the autism representation in this book and how this really shows that autism is a spectrum. I enjoyed the way in which her friends and community support the main character and show her that while she is different she can fit in. I thought it was great to see how the main character being autistic plays a role in how she is raped and how she is making sense of that night. I also thought it was great for the main character to see how Luis played other girls as well so that she didn't feel alone in processing her feelings.

This book was so amazing. It’s one of those that has a story that will stay with you for a long time. The topics it talks about are very important, especially for young people, but really for any age. It deals with some serious and hard themes like rape culture, slut shaming, sexual assault, etc., but the story is so much more than that. Yes, it explores trauma and how it manifests itself, but it also describes the importance of friendship, community, and healing.

The main character was great, she had a very distinct narrative voice, and I loved reading from her perspective. I can't say much about the autism rep because I'm not autistic myself, but I haven't read many books that had characters with selective mutism and I'm glad we have more stories like this. The friendships that Ari formed with the rest of the characters were amazing, I love seeing supportive friend groups. I really liked the way she was included and everyone made each other feel comfortable.

Family dynamics were also an important aspect of the book and I really liked the way it was approached. I really related to the dynamic that she had with her mom and reading about it was just, I don't know.

In general, all the relationships we see feel very well developed, as does the plot. The characters are well rounded and the story themes are very important and realistically portrayed. Just an honest and heartfelt story that I absolutely recommend.

CW: sexual harassment, SA, slut shaming, cheating, discussions of rape, bullying.

5 Stars

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is one of those books that is so important to have for young readers, but at many times was a difficult read due to serious topics. Reyes explores the way trauma manifests from sexual assault, the importance of consent, and the vital role community plays when taking power back from abusers. Ariana was a wonderful main character as we see her journey of revenge and healing. I enjoy getting a new perspective through Ariana’s autism as many stories don’t have autism representation, which we need more in future works. It was fun seeing Ariana find her friends through TLOSC with the purpose of getting revenge on Luis Ortega.

sonora reyes has definitely made their way up to my favorite authors list. i read their debut, the lesbiana's guide to catholic school earlier this year and absolutely loved it, and the luis ortega survival club was just as amazing.
tlosc follows ariana, an autistic girl who also has selective mutism. she wants to be seen by others, and so when a popular boy at school starts paying attention to her, she is happy, but then one night, at a party, he sexually assaults her, and then rumors about it start spreading around school, calling her a slut etc. other boys around school start to see ari as an easy target. and then ari finds a "me too" note on her locker prompting her to get in touch with a mystery person on tumblr, and so becomes friends with others, with whom she makes plans to get revenge on luis.
there are so many things to talk about with this book that i don't even know where to start.
the autism rep meant so much to me, as i'm sure it will to other autistic people, and especially to those that consider themselves self-diagnosed, just like me. though i'm not selectively mute, i also loved that rep! it also plays a very important part in the story, obviously. i was actually reading this at a time where i felt disconnected from my family & friends because i just felt like no one understood me because of what i think is my autism and being able to read about ari's struggles that so closely resembled my own, made me feel less alone.
it's pretty obvious who the love interest is going to be when you read the synopsis, and i loved the sapphic romance we got! i did kind of get frustrated at the start of the book where ari jumped to conclusions about who spread the rumor when it was so obvious to the reader that it wasn't who she thought it was (which to be fair, only happened up till around 30% in) but i also get that it was kind of necessary for the story-line to progress like it did.
i loved everyone from the rest of the survival club as well! their friendships were so amazing as well and they had some interesting and important conversations around certain topics.
the family struggle aspect of the plot was also super important. i loved the commentary on parents who do not "believe" in therapy and just trauma dump on their kids instead. i loved ari's dad and their relationship.
this also took me such a short time to read! i'd say i'm an average reader speed-wise, but i did not even realise how fast i was reading, and the book was super engaging throughout.
this story is so important and powerful, and i'm truly glad that i got to read it.

thank you to the publisher balzer + bray and netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
this e-arc's review on my blog, first page / late spring, will be in an "august 2023 wrap-up" post going up at the end of the month.

Sonora Reyes is a force in YA.

This book, like her first, are exactly what you want a YA novel to be. The characters are well developed, we see them grow, we feel what they feel and we are rooting for them, and all the people in our lives that they remind us of. While the plot is a heavy topic, Reyes writes it with care and honesty. It is both a necessary and good read.

After a traumatic and confusing first sexual experience, Ariana struggles with the aftermath: she’s labeled as a slut as rumors circulate, and she finds herself conflicted as she tries to sort through her feelings about what happened with cool boy Luis Ortega. As she grapples with the truth about that night, she finds community with several classmates; they come from different backgrounds but all have one common goal: take Luis Ortega down.

Can I even express how incredible this book is? I loved Sonora’s debut, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, but I think I loved this one even more! This compelling YA contemporary balances heavy themes like misogyny & rape culture with a thoughtful exploration of family and friendship, with a sweet queer romance woven in. This novel is about reclaiming your story and fighting for justice, but it also recognizes how finding joy, happiness, and your chosen people can be a form of resistance.

Ariana is a queer neurodivergent Latina girl, and there are numerous other queer & BIPOC characters in the supporting cast. This novel truly highlights the value of community as Ariana finds solidarity among classmates with shared experiences. I really appreciate that Reyes centers voices that are often left out of conversations around sexual violence. Reyes also portrays a complex mother-daughter relationship that will resonate with many readers. I also love that we get to see positive examples of boys/men who act as allies.

Ultimately, The Luis Ortega Survival Club is a powerful book about rape culture & justice, but it’s also a beautiful story of friendship and first love. Reyes brings new perspective and nuance to these topics, and I know that I’ll be recommending this one a lot at my library.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This book was powerful, raw, and so important.
Main character Ariana has autism who is fairly ignored by her peers regardless to the effort she makes to not be. So when popular Luis starts paying her attention, she's surprised and happy.
But that attention turns into something she didn't exactly want. While at a party, they have sex. The thing is - Ariana didn't want to. She did not say yes.... But before she can even think about what'ss happened, the rumors at school start getting spread about her. pouring salt into her wounds....
Not everyone believe the rumors thankfully, as evidenced by a note left in her locker from other victims of Luis. Victims all determined to expose Luis for the predator he really is.

The writing style was brilliant, and once I started reading, I could NOT stop. Such a great read.

This is one of those books that can be difficult to read but is also so important. I would definitely read the author’s warnings in the beginning of this book before starting this. This book is heavy and isn’t easy to read. It deals with a lot, there are some lighter moments but the majority of the time it’s difficult.

I’m not 100% sure I’m qualified to write a review for this. I’m not autistic and to my knowledge, don’t have a lot of in-person experience with anyone that is. The neurodivergent rep seemed good to me but someone who is on the spectrum might have other things to say.

Ariana (Ari) is self-diagnosed autistic (her parents don’t believe in therapy) and is also selectively mute. Because she doesn’t speak, she’s been mostly ignored by the other students at her school. She’s desperate for attention when Luis starts noticing her. Luis eventually date rapes Ari (it is not on page) and she’s later confused about how she’s supposed to feel about it and him.

She receives an anonymous letter saying there are others that want to get back at Louis for the wrong he’s done to them as well. This group and their relationships with Ari and each other was my favorite part of this book. The group is diverse and Luis doesn’t do the same thing to do all of them. It was interesting what they had in common and how he used it against them when he did do whatever it is he does to them. But each of them respected Ari and her boundaries. Some had different boundaries of their own and I thought it was cool how they learned to mesh with each other.

The romance was something else that I liked. It’s not at the forefront but it is sweet and important for Ari. This is Ari’s coming of age story and I liked how she accepted her feelings and how to deal with them given she’s not had much, if any, prior experience. I also liked how the other person found different ways to communicate with Ari since she doesn’t speak much.

My only complaint is Luis and how much time/space he took up. He’s lurking on every page it felt like and I wanted to be done with him. Whether it was the group talking about him, Ari thinking about him or him actually being present, I just felt his presence far too much. Which is silly seeing how his name is literally in the title, I know, be here we are.

This book blew me away and I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC from Harper Collins Children’s Books / Balzer+Bray via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book was amazing. I read Sonora Reyes' previous book and loved it but the writing and storyline is a great improvement on this book. This story was so heartfelt and covered very sensitive subject matter in such an amazing way. The diverse characters were all very heartfelt. Even "background" characters felt fairly fleshed out and had very distinct personalities. Reyes is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

i loved this book. i love ariana with my whole heart. she is not perfect, but her heart is in the right place. she is flawed and she makes mistakes, but she is brave and she is kind, and she wants to make a difference.
while this book deals with heavy subjects, Sonora Reyes does so masterfully. there is a balance between the heavy and the light, and there is a focus on the power of community to help us heal.
this book helped cement Reyes as one of my favourite authors, anything they write i will read, knowing it will heal parts of me that i didn't even know needed healing.

3.5

‘The Luis Ortega Survival Club’ is a well written novel following serious topics that are rarely covered. This is a powerful story that had me rooting for our main character Ari all throughout. There are many content warnings to be aware of when reading but they’re all written with sensitivity. I couldn’t fall asleep after starting this so I ended up staying up until 5 reading it. I picked this up because of how much I loved the authors prior novel and despite not liking this one as much, I still enjoyed it.

Our main character, Ariana, has (undiagnosed) autism and selective mutism which is something I haven’t seen in books. I’m really glad it’s getting a portrayal in this one! This does factor into the whole premise of the novel because of how it plays into the assault at the start of the book. There are many things in this novel that make it a difficult read but there are also some lighter stuff to enjoy as well. At its core there’s sapphic romance, friendship, and a hopeful tone.

a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing

a heartfelt novel.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this review copy

This book is a powerful narrative about the important topics of consent and exploration of sexuality. Wow. Just wow. I had a constant ache in my soul for Ari and her friends. This was a masterful handling of trauma representation, and I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

Another great book by this author with another cast of likeable characters! Hope she continues to write!!

The Luis Ortega Survival Club was the revenge story I didn't know was missing from my tbr until I had it. It offers the most real and honest perspective I've read of high schoolers dealing with sexual assault and realizing, maybe for some of them for the first times in their life, that the people they've grown up thinking will protect them sometimes won't and that it can be hard to get people to care about justice, even when they should. It is honest in the character's admittance to placing blame on the wrong people, probably because it feels like the less painful option for them in the moment, and it discovered the complicated web of problems that can be created by trying to find justice in an unjust system.

Above all, I loved the community the friends built within themselves as they plotted their plans to revenge, and the point it drove home that we're never alone. I was excited to read this following the incredible The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, and I'll definitely be sure to check out any more books by Sonora Reyes.

**Thank you so much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Sonora Reyes does it again with another amazing YA. The unique and relatable characters had full and meaningful arcs and the important message of the story is never heavy handed or condescending. This is a vital story about standing up for yourself that should be in every high school library.

The Luis Ortegal Survival Club is a story about lot of things. It's a story about revenge, about hurt, about sexual assault. It's about being frustrated with a world that refuses to see you how you want to be seen — as who you really are. But most of all, it's a story about understanding yourself and finding the people who are willing to try to understand you.

TLOSC follows Ariana Ruiz after going to a party with Luis, the only boy who has really paid her any attention at school. Ari is nonverbal most of the time, so when Luis initiates something more with her, Ari can't say 'no.' But before Ari can process what just happened, rumors start spreading all over the school about what Ari and Luis did at the party. Then Ari gets a note in her locker and she starts to wonder whether she's really alone in what Luis did to her.

This book, as you can probably tell, deals with some heavy topics. Please, for your own safety, check the trigger warnings (listed at the end) before reading. This is not a book you want to go into blind.

TLOSC cemented Sonora Reyes as a favorite author for me. I loved The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, and their sophomore novel pulled through. I love how they wrote this story with a canonically autistic and sapphic girl. Without making the story about these facets of identity, they still authentically showed how these aspects of living impact how we ultimately go through life.

Ari wasn't perfect; there were moments she did things that she ultimately regretted, times when she didn't consider the implications of what she was doing. But this recognition of how life can be — imperfect and often blindsided — brought realism to the story.

I really appreciated the care and thought Sonora put into all the conversations surrounding sexual assault, as well as consent. While at a couple points the dialogue around it felt a bit scripted, it was always validating and spoken about with the utmost care and attention. I am very glad this wasn't a book that just focused on Ari's anger, or her need for revenge. Instead, it gave these aspects the weight they deserve, and also explored Ari's processing of her trauma and the ways she can heal from it.

TLOSC is a heartfelt story, one I'm so glad exists. It was not an easy read, but it was easy to fall into and empathize with. I hope this story reaches those who are struggling with the unfairness of the world. I hope they read this story and know that it's possible for them to heal, to have their revenge, and best of all, to love again.

Trigger Warnings: bullying, rape (aftermath, not on-page), sexual assault (a slap on the butt), sexual harassment, gaslighting, ableism

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is such an important book. Please read the trigger warnings before reading this one, there were so many moments I just wished I could hug one of these characters. Sonora did a fantastic job of bringing a group of mistreated young women in to grieve, grow, and support one another during such a hurtful time. This book was so delicate and advocative, I had never felt as proud of a group of fictional characters before.