Wow, Sonora Reyes has done it again. I absolutely loved The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School and so when I heard about her next book I couldn’t wait to read it. Let me tell you, this did not disappoint. Ari is a selectively mute, autistic main character who suffers at the hands of one of her classmates. She ends up being invited to a group of people who all essentially had their lives ruined by the same person, Luis Ortega.

This book covers such serious topics so well. It not only covers the topic of sexual assault, but it shows Ari struggling to come to terms with what happened to her and how the support of her newfound friends helped her feel strong enough to admit it. It also showed how people with disabilities are often targeted because of their disability and knowing they may not necessarily say no.

This book featured such a strong cast of characters and I loved every single one of Ari’s friends that she made. I also loved her parents and how supportive they were of her. I wasn’t a fan of her mom for a majority of the book but by the end I liked her since she really started to understand Ari’s need for boundaries and the unfortunate bonding of their shared experiences.

My only thing and the reason I rated this a 4.5 instead of a 5, is that I wish it was a tad bit longer. I wish we could’ve seen what happened after Ari recorded her last interaction with Luis instead of just being told about the end in the epilogue. I also wish we could have gotten to know Ed just a bit more. I loved his character but I definitely would have loved to see him meeting the rest of TLOSC.

As soon as I saw that this book had an autistic female MC, I knew I had to read it. And a queer autistic female MC who has a cat and likes to write? Ariana is pretty much my ideal protagonist.

This book did everything The Nowhere Girls (a similar book I read in high school around 2017/2018) didn't with its story about an autistic girl who'd been assaulted but didn't know if they could call it that at first. And just about autism in general. While The Nowhere Girls was all "I was a 'normal', pretty, outgoing girl with no signs of autism until a traumatic event and NOW I'm autistic," TLOSC doesn't use Ari's trauma as a starting point for her autism, instead showing that it's something she's always lived with, and she was taken advantage of BECAUSE she's autistic and not the other way around.
Ari was never infantilized by the author (she reads like an actual autistic 16-year-old and not a stereotyped view of autistic people) or portrayed as incapable of being productive. This book is more about what she can do than what she can't. She has plenty of struggles, but she also has good times. Yes, she doesn't talk unless she's comfortable enough with the people around her, but she has other forms of communication and the others in the Survival Club even provide them for her. She's very sensitive to touching (I related so much to this), so her love-interest, Shawni, always asks before she hugs her or holds her hand, and she does the same to Shawni in return. She dreams of being a journalist and wrote an article in the past that caused the school to amend their sexist dress code. She's interested in the kind of journalism that exposes injustices others consider unimportant or small-scale. She loves styling outfits because they make up for what she can't say in words. And she dances (with and without Shawni) even though she doesn't think she's very good at it. What's not to love about her?
The other Survival Club members were great characters in their own ways. Shawni (Shanaya), Angel, Jasmine and Nina. Without spoiling anything, the epilogue was one of my favorite scenes.




For fans of Moxie, The Nowhere Girls, and Off the Record.

4.5/5⁣⁣⠀
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I loved this book! I’ve been wanting to read it ever since I heard that it was coming out, as The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School is one of my absolute favourites). While The Luis Ortega Survival Club is very much different to the author’s debut, Sonora Reyes definitely did not disappoint. ⁣⁣⠀
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This book follows Ari, an autistic teen with selective mutism who is dealing with having been sexually assaulted at a party (off page) and is trying to figure out how to find strength to heal and stand up for herself.⁣⁣⠀
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The book has good pacing, and is pretty short, making it a quick read. I was hooked from the first few chapters, and really cared about the characters, which usually takes much longer time. I really liked Ari as the protagonist, as well as other members of the TLOSC, all of whom are very well written. The found family trope here is absolutely amazing too💜⁣⁣⠀
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The romance, while being very much a subplot, was really well done, and had me shipping the characters (which very rarely happens nowadays)!!⁣⁣⠀
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I found this book to be very inspiring, and all the themes are portrayed really well, at least to my knowledge. The only thing that I didn’t like as much is the way the situation with Ari’s parents was resolved, as it felt too rushed and unrealistic.⁣⁣⠀
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I definitely recommend this book!!⁣⁣⠀
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(Thanks to Balzer + Bray and the author for the digital review copy)⁣⁣⠀

Really good, about a group of teens who gather together to support each other and to take revenge on a popular boy who is a gaslighting, abusive sexual predator at their school, but in doing so must deal with the real ramifications of what he has done to them. A page turner. Sonora Reyes keeps hitting it out of the park and is clearly an author to watch!

WOW! This book was everything. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from a YA novel about such a heavy topic, but I was absolutely blown away. The author did an amazing job of discussing heavy topics like rape, bullying, and the toxic environment girls and women live in. The main character, Ariana, is someone who has Autism, selective mutism, and is Latina and it was amazing to see these diagnoses openly discussed and in a real way by the author. The emotions I felt throughout this book were intense and raw. This book was heart-breaking, hopeful, and powerful all around. I hope every teenager and adult gets a chance to read The Luis Ortega Survival Club because it is well worth it. Easily a 5 star read and I would give even more if I could.

Having selective mutism, Ariana's world is her own and you get sucked into it from page one. When Luis takes advantage of her situation, everyone at school knows and becomes an easy target for other boys, spiralling everything.

She gets an anonymous note, who becomes one of her supporters, asking her to join a group to expose Luis as the predator he is.

The process of revenge-justice-healing is beautifully written and every victim gets their voice. Sonora Reyes has done it again with a book that's a complete punch to the gut but for completely different reasons that TLGTCS. So much emotions, so much rage. When you discover all the things Luis has done to so many girls and how he ruined the life of the guys who tried to stand up to him and defend the weaker, you just wanna scream.

I love when YA deals with so many deep and serious issues but check triggers because sometimes it's really hard.

Ariana's evolution, finding her people and her voice were great. The side romance is not innecessary because she needs to see she deserves love and that awful experience wasnt the best she was going to get. This is secondary and doesnt derail the plot from the revenge.

Luis is well constructed because i really wanted punch him in the face and sadly i know a few boys like that.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes is a book with a purpose. Trigger warnings include issues of bullying, slut shaming, rape culture, sexual harassment, and the aftermath of an off-page rape. Ariana Ruiz is the main character who has autism and selective mutism along with social anxiety. Upon reading the start of this book, I noticed that my stomach began to feel funny. My anxiety symptoms became more pronounced and I had to stop reading. I picked up the book on another day and these uncomfortable feelings had diminished. Rumors after the party began to spread around school. Ariana discovers a note in her locker from TLOSC that reads “me too”. Soon she becomes a part of TLOSC and becomes comfortable enough to share her story in order that Luis Ortega gets his comeuppance. I loved the support and friendship that TLOSC provided as well as a neurodivergent main character that I’ve never read before. Thanks to Sonora Reyes, NetGalley and Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author, Sonora Reyes, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book I liked but didn't manage to love.

"The Luis Ortega Survival Club" tells the story of Ariana - autistic, selectively mute, Latina, fashion icon, future investigative reporter -, and her newly found group of friends, as they try their best to take down Luis Ortega - the handsome, popular jock, who is a serial rapist and, in everyone's eyes, can do no wrong.

The theme is promising. The main character is exceptionally well-crafted, vibrant, funny, and full of life, but also scared, flawed, and deeply human. The cast of characters around Ariana is also a delight. One thing I absolutely loved about this book is how it puts neuro-divergency front and center, while also making it "normal", not something to be ashamed of. Everyone struggles with mental health at some point or another in their life, and the character arcs in this do a great job of showing that.

"The Luis Ortega Survival Club" is a book about sexual assault, harassment, and misogyny. It's about coming to terms with being a victim, and that - as a victim - it's never your fault. It's about friendship and mental health and finding our people. Finding the people who will accept us how we are, instead of trying to change us. Ariana's character development throughout this book is immense. She's barely the same person by the end of it. She grows and matures, is forced to face harsh realities, and above all: she learns that she is not alone. She is never alone.

For what I didn't like, let's do a speed round (I really do love Sonora Reyes' work, and this is definitely not meant to be mean to them!): the writing is juvenile, which is to be expected from young adult novels veered to younger audiences, but is just not my cup of tea; there are way too many outfit description and every single time it threw me off the zone; the ending feels too perfect, too American, too tied up. I do realize this is meant for teenagers, worry not, but it was just... 90% of the book is bad thing after bad thing, and then suddenly all is resolved, all is well, and it feels very forced. I also felt like the parental drama was too much, and it completely breaks the narrative flow.

I do wish we could have seen more of the main cast of characters, aside from Ariana.

For all of these reasons, I'm giving - with much sorrow - 3.5 stars to "The Luis Ortega Survival Club" by Sonora Reyes.

Once again, I'd like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity. A special thanks to the author, who went out of their way to find neurodivergent, queer, and/or Latinx ARC reviewers.

For better or worse, if you want to know what life in high school was like for me, this book is a great place to start. I saw so much of my Autistic, traumatized self in Ariana. I felt so many emotions as the story went on; joy, excitement, mourning, an overwhelming kind of empathy and I am so glad to have had the chance to read this. I loved watching Ariana bond with the club. I don't think I'd ever genuinely squealed at a book, but that happened Often when Ariana and Shawni were together. And I'm an absolute sucker for a good "I am Spartacus" scene. Overall, I couldn't recommend this book more.

A strong community and vengeful justice keep this trauma narrative hopeful and triumphant. Reyes sensitively portrays the challenges of navigate high school, social groups, and family with a disability that others don't understand (or in some cases, believe in) and how this affects Ari's self-actualization. Ari's sensory sensitivities and post-traumatic stress symptoms also read as authentic, although the emphasis is not either autism or PTSD but on community building after trauma. Ari and several other characters are queer or nonbinary, and romantic threads enter in the second half. This novel will appeal to fans of high-concept YA contemporary novels, such as DANGEROUS PLAY or DOES MY BODY OFFEND YOU.

i was so excited to receive this arc after absolutely falling in love with this authors writing in the lesbiana’s guide to catholic school. this was a lot heavier than the lesbiana’s guide but it’s so important. this lovely book goes to show that we are never truly alone when we’re going through tough times. it was so nice seeing these friendships form between the characters over something so dark. would recommend this to everyone.

After falling in love with Sonora Reyes’ 2022 debut YA Sapphic romance, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, I was honored when I was selected by Reyes themself to read an Advanced Reader Copy of The Luis Ortega Survival Club!

What enamored me in Reyes’ debut–their penchant for calling out institutions who justify and/or cover up the bad things that happen to (queer) people–fortifies the backbone of this novel (and protagonist) as well: Ariana not only desires to become a journalist who “Exposes the Mierda [Shit],” as her favorite website does, but she also becomes a victim of said mierda. While the Catholic church was at the center of their debut novel, The Luis Ortega Survival Club tackles rape culture and men’s uncanny ability to not only get away with it but be believed in the face of a mountain of evidence that points to their guilt.

One of this novel’s central preoccupations, which helps to illuminate the perpetuation of rape culture, is (not) talking: Ariana has selective mutism; her parents opt to only talk to each other pleasantly in front of her despite their shit-show of a marriage; Ariana cannot voice the truth of what happened between her and Luis at the party (in fact, she can’t even admit to herself that she was raped until late in the novel); Ariana’s mother’s inability to share with her daughter her own experience of sexual assault; etc. Even when Ariana receives a “me too” note in her locker with the name of a Tumblr account, whose owner purports to have undergone the same slut shaming that Ariana is experiencing now, she still hesitates to speak out for being tricked or further slandered.

While it could be said that the staples of YA fiction are the preoccupation with adolescent sensitivity, self-discovery, and self-presentation anxiety, Reyes’ writing sets itself apart from the rest through the author’s dedication to portraying adolescence both realistically (they do not shy away from the (sometimes harsh) realities of being adolescent and queer and autistic and Mexican and having a “specialized” body and a victim of sexual assault) and optimistically. Growing up, I remember so much of the YA fiction I read being woefully pessimistic or limited in its scope of hopefulness: the world would suck, but at least the character had one singular friend by the end. In Reyes’ work, there is always a unit of newfound, true friends or rejuvenated family connections that can cling to one another and forge their way forward.

If Sonora Reyes’ work is any indication of the future of (specifically autistic and queer) American youth and their welfare, we should be both hopeful and heartbroken. While we’re continually making strides forward despite (perhaps in spite of) the divided political climate, we still have a ton of work ahead of us.

content warnings (provided by author): bullying, slut shaming, rape culture, sexual harassment, rape (off-page)

we start this book with ariana, our mc, driving home from a party, where she just had sex with the guy she’s liked for a long time, luis. but she’s very confused with the whole situation, because while she didn’t say no, she also didn’t say yes. but before she can even process what happened, she starts getting slut shamed and sexually harassed online and at school. she then finds a group of other people luis has wronged in various ways and together, they decide to enact revenge.

first i just wanna say it’s sooo cool that ari is autistic + has selective mutism since that’s what i did my capstone project on (the intersection of autism and selective mutism)! while i’m not all-knowing about these conditions, i thought that they were represented so well in ariana. and i loved how ariana wasn’t magically cured of her selective mutism by the end of the book, though it was very nice to see her feel more comfortable with her group and begin talking in front of them.

i also think this book explored the topics at hand so well. ariana has trouble coming to terms with what happened to her and has this internal battle between what luis did to her and the attraction she still felt toward him. also, she has a complicated relationship with her mom, which really made me emotional with how it played out.

overall, this was an amazing book that i will not soon forget. i recommend to anyone comfortable with the content.

If you love vigilante justice, authentic queer and neurodivergent characters, or simply a YA book that is /not/ plotted around a dance/musical/recital/big game, this is a great one to pick up.

First of all, I love Ari's character--it is so rare that we see a non- or semi-nonverbal character, so seeing the representation of an autistic girl with selective mutism was quite a treat. Her character was so thoughtfully done and it's just so clear this was written by someone who is neurodivergent themself. I loved being in Ari's head and watching her grapple with and eventually come to terms with what has happened to her. Along the way, the friendships she forms through the survival club are so important. As an autistic person, making friends can be hard regardless, but there's an added barrier as a non-speaking person. I loved how everyone in Ari's newfound friend group works to make her feel welcome and included and accommodated--not as a "special treat," but because they welcome her for who she is.

While this book deals with some heavy topics, I want to point out that there are no graphic depictions on page of sexual violence, which I appreciated. The group forms because they know they won't be believed--abusers have a way of manipulating their way out of consequences. Instead, the group aims to take on their own forms of revenge and serve vigilante justice. As a fan of that concept, I was a fan of this book and seeing plans hatched and executed. At the same time, this book is very short and much of it is focused on this mission for justice: on the group's hatred of Luis and what to do about it. I do wish we had gotten a bit more character work, as aside from Ariana and Shawni, I didn't feel like I really /knew/ any of the other members of the group.

Alongside the group's quest for revenge and Ari's internal struggles, she's also dealing with conflict at home. Her mom uses Ari as her therapist, while her dad is never home, avoiding Ari's mother after she was caught cheating. This plotline felt a bit out of place given the rest of the book and was almost conveniently resolved. Ari's mother does apologize for how she has been treating Ari and vows to act more like a mother and less like a friend, but we never actually see that promise in action, which is really where things fell flat for me. In a book about a manipulator who lies and denies, I needed some real action behind Ari's mother's words to make her promise believable.

That said, I really liked this book overall. It's an important book about consent, sexual violence and coercion, and friendship. Topics were written about thoughtfully and there are many times in which I teared up reading this book. While I don't think it's perfect, I definitely think this hits the emotions in a way that will impact a lot of teens and young adults.

Thank you Sonora Reyes for hosting a giveaway for your eARC! Going into this book I already knew I would relate to Ari as a queer, autistic girl who has been selectively mute a majority of my life. The subject material of this novel was very heavy (definitely look at content warnings before reading!) but necessary and handled well.

This book played with my emotions! My hopes kept getting up just to be let down when TLOSC failed their task and again when I thought Ari was going to figure out Shawni’s feelings toward her. I was yelling at my screen like come on it’s right in front of you! Then again I’m pretty sure I’d be the same way if somebody ever liked me.

By the end of this story I was crying, laughing, and cheering. Most stories like this that happen in real life don’t have a happy ending but I’m glad TLOSC got one :).

This book was an incredible follow up after reading The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. Reyes’ voice was so recognizable.

I was instantly hooked by Ariana and the way she took in the world. Being on the spectrum, selectively mute, she struggled with relationships, and was vulnerable to certain types of people.

Reyes did an amazing job exploring some deep topics using a Young Adult voice and scenarios to do so. They were able to capture the difficulty faced by a lot of young girls, with a villain like Luis Ortega or insert some guy that is a predator.

I was enraptured and couldn’t get to the ending fast enough. I loved to see the characters grow and support each other, building new bonds out of bad situations.
I loved it.

Representation: selectively mute MC, Afro-Latin MC.

If, like me, you're coming into this after falling head over heels with their debut The lesbiana's guide to catholic school please take note that is a lot more serious in tone because of the subject matter being tackled. I still found it as *enjoyable* to get through and loved the representation of having a selectively mute MC who is accepted by those around them and accommodated without having to point it out. It showed that accessibility though not something built into the sytem is something we can do for one another as a community.

The parents were MESSY and it was handled in a way that was believable. My favourite element were the good father-daughter relationships because it's always nice to see.

CW: bullying, slutshaming, rape culture, sexual harassment, biphobia, panic attacks.

It’s like getting a do-over of high school but this time knowing what to do. like being able to picture a better ending than how things worked out. like someone else saw how things were and I’m not the only one angry about it anymore. i adored it so much

this book means so much to me in every aspect. the discovery of neurodivergence, and the normalization of self-identification in that regard. the relationships were sweet and the effort put in to accommodating each other was so important. the trauma and the time it took to acknowledge it were so real. I wish I had had this book earlier, but I am so glad I got to read it now.

What a powerful sophomore novel to follow up the outstanding Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School. Here, Reyes confronts some of the heaviest topics teens--and society--face, and does it with so much heart and tenderness that they allow us to actually look it all in the face. In less deft hands, this story would have been too devastating or triggering to read. But for Reyes, while the trauma is a catalyst, they manage to avoid every possible pitfall in a story such as this (like leaning on the trauma as a plot device for character-building).

I was struck and moved by the portrayal of friendship creation on the page. So often we see friendships that already exist, or we see romantic interest development, but here we're able to see a group of teens who, when the book begins, are largely alone, and by the end are truly bonded--and not just because of shared trauma, but because of true investment in and care for one another. I really loved watching these relationships blossom.

I also appreciated the access this story gave me to the perspective of an autistic, selectively mute protagonist. Ari was so lovingly drawn and so thoughtfully shared. Hearing the story from her perspective was illuminating and helped to put me inside the complexity of each social situation and discussion. I loved her dearly and could not put the book down as I watched her bloom over the course of the book.

I wish that a story like this--facing rape, exploring consent, exposing bullying, highlighting privilege, asking who is believed, and showing how the carceral punishment system fails society--were not so relevant, but as it is, it's urgently needed. Each of the topics the book explores is also relevant in adult society, but by exploring it through high school kids--where these patterns, roles, and dynamics begin to calcify--we're able to see both the impact society's failings has on younger generations, and how confusing and overwhelming it is for teens.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
👩‍💻📝🐈⌚👭🏽

Multiple content warnings, but first and foremost this book is about the aftermath of r*ape.

Rep: Autistic Bisexual Latina FMC, Bisexual Afro-Latina LI(f), non-binary side character, Black side character, multiple other Latinx side characters, multiple neurodivergent side characters

This book broke my heart. From page one you are sucked into the world of Ariana Ruiz and her struggle of what just happened to her. Ariana has autism and selective mutism, so someone she thought was friendly and caring towards her, had sex with her without asking, or even consulting her about it, she is confused about what happened. To make matters worse, the whole school finds out about it not long afterwards and her world spirals around her.

In comes a group of people who also has been hurt by the same boy, Luis Ortega, and TLOSC club has formed. This group of kids band together and vow to get Luis back. Friendships are formed, and confusing feelings start to show and everything comes out in the open.

With everything happening in Ari's world, you just cannot help but love her and want to protect her and wish her all the best.

Sonora's portrayal of sexual assault victims is raw and so well-written. The fact this book is about getting revenge and taking back power is so critical in a world where girls Ari's age, and/or are neurodivergent get taken advantage of.

Thank you, Sonora Reyes and Netgalley for a copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.