I’m always on the search for new queer Latinx books so I was looking forward to this story. I read the author’s first book, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, and loved it. Highly recommend that one if you have not read. Unfortunately, The Survival Club is nowhere near as good. It’s the story of a group of teenagers at a high school who plot to gain justice against a fellow student, Luis Ortega, a serial predator and rapist.

Firstly, my favorite aspect and the strongest part of the book is the portrayal of the main character, Ariana. She is neurodivergent and also has selective mutism. Her character is vibrant, her choices are real and sometimes flawed but it is a solid depiction. I kept thinking, what a really interesting character.

I think the initial idea of a story giving voice and power to the people who have suffered under Luis was a good idea, but the execution does not work. The non-stop focus on the group’s hatred of Luis prevents any other storylines and it becomes tedious. Some of the group’s actions taken against Luis also do not make sense in the context. One thing that works is a brief scene where Ariana and Shawni attend a dance battle. For a moment, they are themselves and the story pops. Less Luis and more scenes in the lives of Shawni, Angel, Jasmine, and Nina would’ve added dimension. There is also a weird subplot about Ariana’s parents’ dysfunctional marriage which seems out of place in a book focusing on young people and their struggles. Regardless, I will continue to look forward to future books by this author.

I loved The Luis Ortega Survival Club! Another winner from Sonora Reyes! Ariana is a neurodivergent teenager who has always struggled to make connections with others. When another student at school takes advantage of her, Ari thinks she’s alone…but it turns out there is a who crew of other kids who have also been hurt by Luis. Can they work together to get back at Luis?

I loved the diverse characters in this book! They were so fun to get to know and I was really rooting for them throughout the book.

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

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this invested in a book. Like I was sneaking off at work to try to read and finish. I read Sonora Reyes’s debut book last year and was excited for this one. Reading the synopses, I knew it was going to be a bit heavy. Sonora is now definitely one of my favorite authors.

From the beginning, I wanted to hug Ari and be her friend. Her character is written to be so sweet and vulnerable. I started this wanting to whoop Luis’s ass but then it kept getting worse and worse. The fact she found her people made my heart swell. The friendship elements in this are written with so much love and hope. I also appreciated the conversation about difficult parent structures and how more might be going on then what we can see. At first I hated Ari’s mom, but we don’t know her story until later. I guess that can be said about judging someone too soon.

There is a lot of talk about slut shaming and sexual assault and how to find your voice about what has happened to you. I know now is especially a great time for a story like this. Not just for readers of YA, but for everyone.

The tone this book took was so beautiful and hopeful. At the end I was cheering with my fist in the air. Shawni & Ari are literally the cutest and my cheeks were hurting from smiling at them and everyone else. I’m glad that it was highlighted that you can find happiness

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review, All opinions are my own.
The Luis Ortega Survival Club caught my eye due to the promise of wronged girls coming together to get revenge on the guy who wronged them, and while I think the Speak comparisons are apt, I’d also say it also feels like a much more hard-hitting take on John Tucker Must Die or “what if the protagonist from 13 Reasons Why had received support from her peers after the initial inciting incident?” These elements together make for a powerful story about hope and the possibility for justice against abusers, even if said abusers and their enablers hold all the power.
I really loved Ari and all the little nuances of her story. She doesn’t realize at first that what she went through was sexual assault, and that is due to how society talks about what rape supposedly is and isn’t. But the journey of her coming to realize that “not saying no doesn’t imply yes,” and working to take her power back was beautiful. I was also deeply impacted by her descriptions of her autism with selective mutism, as those felt very similar to my own. And the idea that Luis was able to get close to her because of her vulnerability made it especially creepy.
I loved how the Luis Ortega Survival Club came together, formed by his ex-girlfriend, Shawni, and composed of some other girls he’s wronged due to his abuse and manipulation. It was wonderful to see them bond over this shared experience and figure out ways to get their story out there and get him held accountable for his wrongdoings. And the fact that it was not just the handful of girls, but one of the girls came with a guy friend, who’s an incredibly supportive ally for all the girls, is also great.
While not primarily a romance, there is a romantic subplot between Ari and Shawni. I liked seeing them slowly bond over their shared past experiences, and coming to like each other for reasons beyond that as they and the others start supporting each other’s extracurricular activities.
While this book is a heavier read, it’s balanced by moments of light humor and an underlying theme of hope. If you’re interested in hard-hitting YA contemporaries, I recommend checking this out!
CWs: bullying, slut shaming, rape culture, sexual harassment, aftermath of an off-page rape

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC! This novel deals with sexual assault and this review will touch heavily on this as it is central to the plot.

Everyone thinks that Ariana and Luis hooked up at the party. Not even Ariana realizes at first that what happened between them was nothing close to consensual. But due to the fact that Ariana is autistic and oftentimes mute, she doesn't know how she can even begin to defend herself. When she receives a message from an anonymous person claiming to understand her and what happened with Luis, Ariana finds herself to be one of Luis' many victims, and they want revenge.

I was so excited to read this book! The representation within the group of characters is incredible, with variances in race, neurodiversity, and sexuality. Speaking as a neurodivergent person, though not diagnosed as autistic, I found Ari's description of her experience as an autistic person to be really informative and I appreciated the representation of someone who stims and is more often than not mute. I also appreciated the friend group and supportive dynamic demonstrated in this story. It really had its sweet moments between the group as they grew closer. I appreciated the multitude of nonconsensual experiences that were detailed as it was a great way to deliver how rape doesn't always look one way. There are many ways that sexual assault can happen and how survivors can feel about it/how they may want to deal with it.

Unfortunately, I think this book was really weak overall. Good representation alone does not make a good book, and I honestly think that's what this book hinged on. The idea behind this book is great and I really do love that Reyes attempted this, but I don't think it was as affective as it could have been.
This book felt like a rush job. The writing was incredibly weak and I found the characters outside of Ariana and her friend Nina to all be very similar in how they spoke, which shouldn't have been possible considering how wildly different they were all supposed to be.
I also found the plot line with Ari's parents to be a nuisance and it felt very forced/unrealistic. And it wasn't until the last 20% or so that this plot line even comes to a head and makes any sense and even then I was left like...really? (I understood the point of being like this happens to so many women, etc., but it just didn't fit well at all, I really think this could have been left out OR done way better).

My final gripe? Not every YA needs romance. And one about calling out a rapist especially does not need romance. This book was not long, and to tackle sexual assault, the parents relationship, and romance??? I don't know, but I think that's a tall order and it is definitely part of what hurt this in my experience. I also just do not think it needs to happen period. More than half of the club ends up being in relationships with each other (all but 1 of the members, actually), and that is WILD to me.

Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy this. It took everything in me to finish it and I was so bored by the end that I didn't even have time to process how uneventful and unsatisfying the ending was. This was a rush job and I think it's a damn shame.

Content Warnings: Abusive relationships, Rape, Sexual Harassment, Anxiety, Very unstable family dynamics, Flashbacks/Outbursts, Parental mistreatment

Thank you to Sonora Reyes for a copy of an eARC via Netgalley!

It's not like she can say no

This is not the lightest of books. It’s heavy, it’s honest and it’s emotional.
This is a book about rape culture, sexual assult/harassment, about being neurodiverse in a very neurotypical world, about ableism. And it all comes together in an emotional, raw, revenge/anger filled ball of pages and words.

Trying to make a synopsis of this plot I don’t think will give it any kind of justice. The book opens on Ariana leaving a house party right after she just had sex with her boyfriend/someone she loves. Sounds like a regular house party, until you are met with Ari’s inner monologue and her questioning about what happened, why, and what she feels about it. Did she really want that to happen? Doesn’t she love him though? She didn’t say no…. But well, she can’t. Ari has selective mutism, so even if she wants to talk, often she physically will be unable to talk.

All of the characters I felt were great, they each had their own story, passions and drives through the book. None of them felt overly flat at all, but I honestly wish the book was longer just so I could spend more time with them all! Nina was my favourite though if I’ll be honest :3 Those who’ve read the book fully know *the* chapter where my choice was finalised with them haha. Loved that so much omg

The autism and queer rep, I love it so much. I read Hell Followed With Us last month and that was my first proper autism rep book I’ve ever read, so going into this I’d already started feeling all the “wow I had no idea this was part of me like this” and “I’m being seen” feelings but hoooo damn this book brought in new waves on that. And yes, cats are 100% autism buddies, they really do just understand us 😀 The adorable sapphic and queer rep ontop was just perfect. I love these kinda books releasing, we need queer + autistic rep (at the same time!!) badly currently.

So overall, yes this book is heavy and goes very deep into a lot of incredibly sensitive subjects, but it’s also a story about a group of teenagers trying to survive highschool and the horrors they’ve been through and just try and live and love again. Queer joy is very much a large part of this story, and I love it. I think it’s just the perfect balance of sensitive topics and lighter topics/conversations/scenes.

When Ariana gets raped at a party, she doesn't realize it was rape at first. She knows she didn't say yes, but she also didn't say no, so she felt like it was, at least in part, her own fault. Soon after though, she comes into contact with an account named TLOSC, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, who tells her she's not alone, and they might be able to figure out a way to get revenge. What follows is an incredibly powerful and empowering story of a group of survivors taking back agency and control, and forming close friendships along the way.

Ariana is a main character you will adore from the first page. She's autistic and has selective mutism, meaning she can only speak when she feels safe, which is only when she's at home. Because of this, she's always struggled to connect with her peers and form friendships, and this has left her isolated in school. A perfect target for Luis, so when he pays attention to her, she feels flattered and accepted.

It was amazing to see Ariana form genuine friendships and connections in the aftermath of this. The solidarity among this group of teens was so strong, and so great to read. Honestly they all deserve the world.

You might be hesitant to read this as it discusses a really heavy subject, and of course you should be careful and decide for yourself if it's safe for you to read this. But to give you an idea of what to expect, I never felt like this book was too heavy to read, because it felt really well-balanced. There's so much friendship and solidarity, and an adorable sapphic romance. There is a lot of discussion of sexual assault, but nothing is graphically discussed, and I felt like it was always handled sensitively. Obviously I'm only one person, but hopefully this proves helpful to know if you're on the fence.

Let me start by saying this is such an important book that I think teenagers everywhere should read. I loved everything about this book. Our main character has autism and selective mutism and the representation was done wonderfully, which I really appreciated. Be aware that the main focus of this book is definitely very heavy, but the author approached the subject with so much care and wrote it in such a powerful way, which I think will have a great impact on lots of people. Even the more light hearted side of this book was amazing, for example, the friendships. The friend group in this book made me so extremely happy and smiling from ear to ear. I finished this about a day and just absolutely flew through. This book is definitely one to look out for as well as the author. I see this keeping a lasting impression on me and I strongly recommend it to EVERYONE!!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for this ARC copy!

(tw: sexual assault, characters process off-page rape) This was such a refreshing high school story! Reading about a character with selective mutism was something I don't get the opportunity to do often, and seeing autism and other forms of neurodivergence exist as normal parts of these characters' lives was really nice. I also really appreciated how the experience of sexual assault was handled, especially with strong friendships as support. The cast of characters was so vibrant, and I definitely recommend! This felt like such a rich story, where home life, internal dialogue, friendships, school, and conflict were all multi-dimensional.

This book is quite heavy as it's about a group of people coming together and starting a "survival club" after their experiences of sexual assault and rape all at the hands of the same person - Luis. But this story is also about friendship, crushes, revenge, and justice. The survival club become fast friends, and they work together to make sure Luis gets what he deserves for the way he has treated them and many others.

The topic of consent is a huge part of this story, as we see how certain people don't bother to get consent at all, while others make every effort to ask for consent with every interaction - from handholding, to hugging, to kissing.

The main character, Ari, is autistic and is mostly non-verbal - she can only talk to people she's comfortable with. Ari is also queer, as are some of the other main characters. I enjoyed the sapphic romance, the nonbinary rep, and the absolute cinnamon roll that is Angel - more men should be like him.

Overall, a hardhitting but important story, with dashes of hope and a serving of justice.

-in this novel, ari is dealing with the aftermath of being slut shamed at school. she is reached out to by an anonymous user, who suggests that one person has done this to many people and they should team up to get back at him. in the process, ari discovers many things about herself and what really happened that night, and gains some friends along the way.
-wow. this book was incredibly powerful and deeply moving. the author does such a great job at really making you feel what ari feels very strongly, whether it be her fear or her moments of happiness
-i can’t speak to any of the representation present in this book, but i really hope it resonates with those who haven’t seen a character like ari before. i don’t think i’ve come across a non-verbal character in my reading before and it was interesting to see things from her perspective
-i’m not sure how necessary the romance subplot really was, but i can also understand why it was there and i don’t think it took away too much time from the main plot lines either. i also wish the character ed had gotten delved into a bit more!
-it was really intense to watch the plot unfold, but i think it’s an important read nonetheless. please check out the trigger warnings beforehand

cw: aftermath of off-page rape, rape culture, sexual harassment, on-page sexual assault, slut shaming, bullying, non-consensual drug use

I have been seeing a lot of revenge plot media lately, from this book, to Do Revenge, and Never Ever Getting Back Together, and more, and I LOVE this genre! Women are sick of men getting away with their shit, and I love reading and watching them get revenge, because it's not really revenge. It's justice.

I was not surprised at all when I ended up crying several times throughout this book, Sonora Reyes is masterful at connecting to the reader's emotions, as can be seen by her debut novel as well. This was such a good read and one that I will highly recommend, with the TW of rape and sexual assault. Though it happens off-page, I have personally not read a YA novel that so thoroughly explores the emotions and feelings that a survivor goes through after an event like this. From denial, to blaming herself, because it's easier to believe that she could have done something to prevent it, that she can do something to make sure it never happens again, was incredibly raw and relatable.

I have also never read a book with a main character who has selective-mutism and undiagnosed autism, and I am so grateful that this book exists for those who can relate! It is also wonderfully full of queerness, sapphic romance, and found family that provided the joy needed to balance the pain of what Luis Ortega did to Ariana and her new friends.

I am also impressed again at Sonora Reyes's portrayal of complicated family dynamics. SPOILER: My only confusion/criticism is, while the shocking twist of her mother also having experienced rape explains a lot of her mother's clingy behavior, I don't understand why she ended up cheating on Ariana's father multiple times and wish that could have been better explained.

CW: rape

I really loved Sonora Reyes’s YA debut, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, when I read it a couple of months ago, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of their newest. The Luis Ortega Survival Club returns to Reyes’s Phoenix with another stellar cast of characters led by a protagonist with an unforgettable voice. It’s also quite different in topic and tone. The narrative starts out intense and doesn’t really get less intense until the very end.

The story begins with Ariana riding home from a party in an Uber, reflecting on the unpleasant, unwanted sexual experience she’s just had with the titular Luis. Self-diagnosed as on the autism spectrum with selective mutism, Ariana doesn’t have a lot of friends aside from Luis, and is known mostly as “the girl who doesn’t talk.” She later realizes that this is precisely why Luis targeted her—he knew she couldn’t say “no” to him, and knowingly raped her.

Ariana feels anger at Luis (though still an embarrassing pang of attachment), and when rumors spread, other guys start to sexually harass her at school (she does slap them back). Her parents clearly love and support her, but are a bit caught up in some issues of their own (I loved this nuanced representation). After a mysterious “TLOSC” Tumblr account reaches out to her, she starts to befriend others who have been wronged by Luis—and starts to understand the depths of his evil actions.

This delightful unlikely group of friends convenes to try to get revenge on Luis, but they also do fun things together, like sleepovers and D&D. Queerness is a fairly casual part of this novel, and Ariana starts to catch feelings for Luis’s ex-girlfriend Shawni. Reyes manages to make this story both brutally realist and wonderfully escapist, with a happy ending, and I look forward to more of their work.

to start, i really enjoyed reading this book. it felt as if there was so much care and thought put into every word. it didn't feel out of touch with teenagers either, like a lot of YA books do. another thing i loved about this book was it being set in arizona:) not a lot of books are, and it was really relatable! i loved the part in the book about snooze, and their pancakes. it just so happened to have my favorite pancake from there mentioned :)))

this book was a bit of a heavy read at times, and it definitely made me cry (although, i cry easily at books- but i think it would make a lot of people cry at parts.)

it's hard to describe a lot of this book without giving spoilers, but it was fantastic. id highly recommend to someone looking for a YA fiction book that's got a great mix of serious topics, lighthearted moments, neurodivergent, poc, and LGBTQ+ representation, and hope <3

Thoughts

This book is pretty much everything I wanted Revenge of the Sluts to be: victims working together to fight oppressive structures, to take back the power, to free themselves of undeserved judgement. It isn't perfect, but it does its job so well.

Pros
Autism Acceptance: This is a great read for the month of April -- and any month. We don't need to relegate autistic identities to a single month. The main character here is autistic, and this affects her in a lot of ways. Her selective mutism, in fact, is part of what gets her into this whole situation. She's socially vulnerable because of it. But even though she's not the most talkative in public, her inner narrative is distinct, biting, and important representation. She's the strong, self-confident type of autistic rep that we need more of -- even when she's questioning and doubting herself.

Support Group: At the center of this group is a bunch of girls who have experienced shades of the same terrible thing all coming together to support each other. And I love that. They're in it together, no matter what their story is exactly, and this group isn't just comprised of the victims themselves. As a best friend and strong ally, Angel is a wonderful addition to the group. He might not know exactly what these ladies have gone through, but he's got their back and is ready to fight for them if they want him to. Nobody is pitted against another. Nobody is forced to go it alone. And that's the type of support anyone would dream of.

Fear: afraid for this girls and the ramifications of speaking up; especially without guidance; rape doesn't matter when you might be "slandering" a man, right?; very afraid for them, and that's part of the point; important; slashing tires oof; but warning anxiety high;


Cons
Simple Writing: There's nothing wrong with simple writing. "Simple" sounds bad, but I simply mean that the writing here isn't flashy. It doesn't play with words, doesn't tug on the heartstrings, doesn't render profound quips and quotable instances. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But with a story that I loved, with female friendship at the center, I wanted to be able to really dig into the writing, to quote it and love it on that level, too. I didn't really get that. It's not bad. It's just not something to write home about.

Anonymous Trust: Ari has great reason not to trust anybody. She has never really had friends, and when she opened herself up to Luis, it came back to bite her. So when an anonymous source reaches out online, I'm not sure she would so willingly open up. It seems unlikely, given what she's been through, especially when this anonymous person keeps pushing her to meet up, to spill her secrets, to share what happened with her. I'm glad it works out for Ari, but I'm not sure that's how it would play out in real life.

Hyperbolic: There are guys like Luis everywhere, guys who don't respect boundaries, who hurt others who are vulnerable, and who get away with it. That's unfortunately all too common and all too realistic. But Luis also has other things going for him -- like his judge of a father. He doesn't need that much to get away with what he's getting away with (unfortunately), so having this rich and powerful connection (someone who can get innocent people sent to detention centers just because) feels a little like overkill.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Natalie Walton's Revenge of the Sluts will like this new, empowered girl gang. Those who appreciated Anna-Marie McLemore's The Mirror Season will like this new tale of murky waters and revenge.

I really enjoyed this book. I love John Tucker Must Die and will always immediately pick up a book if it's JTMD-coded (What can I say, Sophia Bush warped my mind at an impressionable age). I love the friendships created in this novel. It didn't feel like the character's identities were thrown together as diversity quotas in the novel but were weaved with intention into the story which is refreshing.

It is safe to say that I completely love Sonora Reye’s writing. I would read anything they write. This book was beautiful and painful in so many ways. The talks about consent and the little things that the characters did for each other were very comforting. I want to be part of this friend group so badly. My inner teenager felt seen and heard, and safe.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is an incredibly important but heartbreaking story.

It’s a powerful story about consent and trying to navigate the world with autism. I’m autistic and Ari is one of the best autistic characters I’ve ever seen. I could relate on so many levels with Ari and her struggles. She’s an absolutely amazing character, just like all the other members of the club. While the book focused on Ari, the other characters still got their own storyline, which I really enjoyed.

The story itself was amazing, it’s heavy and can be triggering, but I hope many more teens read it. The topic of consent is very important, not just in a sexual way but also “just” hugging or touching someone’s shoulder. The author did a really good job at handling these topics with sensitivity and care.

Whomever designed this cover did an amazing job! Love it.

John Tucker Must Die (Dir. B. Thomas, 2006) has been brought back to life with diversity!

The Luis Ortega Survival Club is darker than the movie, but the sentiment is the same. I have to admit that I really wanted to like this book. It has diversity on all levels and the lead main character is neurodiverse. Everything about this cast screamed “like me”. I do like the cast. Unfortunately the story dragged for me.

I can’t quite put my finger on why this read so slow for me. I like Ari. I love the secondary characters and what they bring to the group dynamic. I really dislike the parental units.

Sonora Reyes addresses many dark issues and does it with sensitivity and respect. Respect for the characters and with how the characters deal with each other - with of course the exception of the abusers. Being a teenager is hard enough as it is but adding in additional patriarchal issues that are overlooked by society where kids should be protected is hard to deal with as an adult nevermind as a young person.

The Luis Ortega Survivors Club is a diverse young adult dark fiction read. I love the club characters. Luis Ortega never stood a chance against these amazing humans.

This book is incredible. Once again Sonora Reyes emotionally destroyed me and I loved every second of it. Do mind the content warnings, we start off in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, thought it is only through the course of the book that the main character comes to realize that is what happened to her. The aftermath and Ari's struggles were so well done but it is a gut punch. This is not a light hearted read but it is so so worth it. This is the kind of book I wish I had had as a teenager. The content is so important.

Also the rep is fantastic and all the characters are so vivid and lively. They are also real people who make mistakes and teenagers who very much act their age.

Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for the eARC. I was thrilled when I was selected and the book did not let down. If you haven't checked out Lesbiana's Guide please do so. Sonora Reyes is an incredible author.

Cw: off page sexual assault, sexual harassment, bullying, slut shaming.