Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Dark and lyrical, heavy themes, but the voices seemed off, playing at children, and something about the one character being based off of the author's own brother (including a presumably real photo at the end), this depiction without his permission, I assume, makes me uneasy ...

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a story of brotherhood, the differences that separate and unite us, and how our lives intertwine in more ways than we know. Erebia weaves a painful story with detailed prose and tearful interactions.

Thank you to hear our voices tours for an alc of this

This was very good and very very sad. There is a lot of trauma in here but the bond between siblings was super sweet.

CW: abuse, homophobia, colorism, religious trauma

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

This is one of those books that’s really hard to rate. On one hand, it’s such an important book that shows an experience we do not usually get to see much in books, and it will mean so much for a lot of people, especially those who grew up in similar circumstances as the author and his brother. It doesn’t shy away from any side of what it’s like growing up as a young boy and discovering your sexuality, which is amazing! However, I didn’t really enjoy reading the book. The main characters went through so many horrible things, and I was expecting to cry my way through this book, but somehow the way it was written stopped the emotions from really getting through to me (I did cry a little bit, but only towards the very end). The main problem for me, I think, was that the book wanted to cover so much that we just got an overview instead. I mean one chapter for each year in their lives? Not even that as they got older? It led to us more just getting told what had happened, instead of actually living it. But that might just be a me problem, because I’m not used to reading this type of books at all. I might have also gotten a bit numb to everything since the book was so very dark and there were constantly horrible things happening to the main character.

Now, I would have preferred if the book had been entirely from Pedro’s perspective. I really struggled to tell which chapters were whose, and knowing that Pedro is based on the author and Daniel his brother I couldn’t help but feel like both characters were told by Pedro. Which they are, obviously, but they’re not supposed to be in the book. I get that he wanted to show all of Daniel’s experiences as well, but real life Daniel must have told him about those experiences since he clearly knows about them (well, depending on how much was based on reality and how much was made up for the character in the book), so I feel like it would have been better to simply have Daniel tell Pedro about his experiences in the story?

While I didn't end up loving the book as much as I was hoping to, I definitely don’t regret reading it, and I do recommend it. However, it is very dark so be prepared for that, and make sure to check out the content warnings.

I kept forgetting this wasn't a memoir in the best way. I found the writing very evocative and the tone was similar to memoirs, and did not feel YA to me. The story simply felt incredibly believable and there various IRL moments were mentioned (like the AIDS quilt), plus it is very character focused.
We follow two brothers, of Mexican descent, through their abusive household growing up (there is a big CW for child abuse), and after when they start their own journeys. Most of the book takes place in their childhood and teenagehood while they figure themselves out - sexuality, religion, relationships to others and themselves, dreams and careers. Their adult lives are unfortunately marked by AIDS, which takes central stage in the later part of the book, and the very touching and heartbreaking portion of seeing people go away due to it. I found the pacing okay (the adult life portion went by much quicker, but also the brothers were together less often).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC. All thoughts are my own and the review is freely given.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a hard one. I think that it is very poetic, but a difficult read. It covers things like colorism, abuse, neglect, and homophobia. So, it's not a light read, but an important one. It's a little all too realistic and definitely a bit depressing. If you're not in the right head space for it it may be very difficult.

I enjoyed the translated Spanish proverbs that were sprinkled in. I found them amusing and a much needed reprieve from the rest of the content. It's an important queer coming-of-age-story, with so many difficult themes, but one that will touch a lot of readers.

This book was a sweet yet sad reality check with 2 brothers who are trying to grow up and figure out who they are and what they will become while trying to learn about themselves. Both Pedro and Daniel are gay and they knew it from a young age. One deals with the outside world beating him down while the younger brother has to deal with his own mom abusing him at home just because he looks too identical to someone in her life that she doesn't like. As they age in the book you learn about the AIDS pandemic as well and what it's like to have to live and suffer with it and watch your own family member fade away into nothing. While the ENTIRE book just completely shattered me, it was still a wonderful read.

Whew. This book is emotionally draining, much as I imagine it was for the author. I hope he experienced catharsis while writing what is essentially a memoir with fictional aspects.

Content warning is crucial before you read this achingly raw and layered book. The author provided: Domestic violence, child abuse, homophobia, colorism, racism, clergy abuse, suicidality, sex, and death. I would add AIDS in there as well for those that may have experienced the painful loss of loved ones and the memory of the 80s/90s.

I initially had a hard time getting into Pedro and Daniel because of the relentlessly cruel abuse at the hand of a parent. I also kept confusing the two main characters as the first person narration shifted quickly. So this book took me longer than usual.

This is a very important LGBTQ story and it’s actually a gift to provide such young children’s POV evolving through their adolescence, 20s, and finally 30s. We get to really know Pedro and Daniel as full characters. This novel is ultimately about their relationship as brothers and how they held close to each other through pain, growth, eventual sexuality reveal, and becoming true friends with much in common during their adult years. And no one truly understands your past like a sibling.

I had a much easier time reading as they got older and able to physically free themselves from the varied abuse that held them down through the years. Emotional freeing is a whole other issue. Do we ever really get over those traumatic childhood scars from our formative years?

I recommend this book very much, but please pay attention to the aforementioned content warning. Thank you to NetGalley, Levine Querido, and the author Federico Erebia for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A deeply beautiful novel with painful relatability. I see parts of myself in Pedro and Daniel. This is such an important book.

I'm not even sure where to start with this one. This is a hard story to hear. It's filled with abuse, neglect, homophobia, AIDS, and death.

The writing feels like it leans a bit towards literary fiction in its artistic style and composition. It is competent writing. But it was a challenging read for me. The pacing is slow and the subject matter is stressful and depressing—tense with the lingering theme of abuse. I could only read this in small doses.

Very unsettling. This is a life that children should not have to live, but it is a regrettable reality for some. An important story that needs to be told.

"Pedro and Daniel are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their darker-skinned father; that Daniel likes dolls; that neither boy plays sports. Both are gay and neurodivergent. They are alike, but they are dissimilar in their struggles, their dreams, their approach to life."
Unfortunately, Pedro and Daniel was a DNF for me. Right from the beginning, I couldn't get into the story because the writing style was so choppy and sounded painfully immature. I understand that a good part of the book deals with the characters when they are young children, and the writing really reflects that. The 30% of the book I finished had a forced childish tone to the writing that I just found difficult to enjoy. I don't relate to the characters in the sense that I am not Latinx and I am an only child... maybe if I related to them more, I'd have been able to look past the writing? I'm not sure. I shouldn't have to relate to the narrator in every sense to be able to enjoy the book.
I wanted to feel the emotion of this book that I've heard so much about, and I'm glad so many people loved this book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

3.5/5 stars.

Let's talk about what I didn't like first so we can finish on a positive note!

Firstly, and to me most importantly, I could hardly tell the different POVs apart. Even at the very end of the book, if we didn't have a dead giveaway that we're with Daniel or Pedro, I often had to check it myself. They read absolutely the same. I felt like some of the language felt a little dated and kind of made me raise my millennial brow. I will always always always be a firm believer that language doesn't have to reflect the period it's set in. That's why instrumental covers of pop songs are so cool!

Moving on to what I did like: It's an important story to tell and I love how intersectional it is and that despite its multitude of difficult topics, it never becomes torture p*rn. I really appreciate that because so many narrative concerning domestic abuse and/or HIV/AIDS do. I also love how the chapters developed and how the internal monologue changed and matured overtime. I thought that was done really, really well. I also really loved the amount of Spanish in this book! I learned so much!

Something I'm 50/50 on: As with most narratives concerning the HIV/AIDS crisis, there's a severe lack of trans people and sex workers, but I understand that marketing this as YA is already risky as is. Still though... You know?

In this debut novel by Frederico Erebia, Pedro & Daniel is profoundly moving, dealing with racism, colorism, abuse, AIDS and coming of age. The novel is powerful, with the voices of the two brother’s being completely unique and unforgettable. Each is mesmerizing and resonated with me for different reasons. And the movement between their two voices creates a unique and profoundly moving story that will both break your heart and lift your spirits, especially the way the pair rise beyond their circumstances. 

The language is rich and lyrical, using the language of the Hispanic culture to add depth and authenticity. The family dynamics are both heartbreaking but also true to the time period. There are many beautiful and sad moments in the novel but it is the way that the characters carry on together with their loving bond that creates the most meaning. I do love the layers of rich Hispanic culture, the food, the language and dealing with being gay within a very religious background. Each of these aspects make for a stronger story. I also like the struggles that Pedro has with dyslexia and anxiety, both realistic and touching. 

Ultimately, this is one of the most touching and beautiful stories I’ve read. While it can be heartbreaking, it is also profoundly moving and hopeful. While it may be difficult to read, the characters will mesmerize you as well as the language. I suggest reading it if you love rich layered novels with depth. Pedro & Daniel is one of the most unique and best debut novels I have read.

Pedro & Daniel is based on the real-life story of the author (known as Pedro in the book) and his brother Daniel. The story is told in alternating dual POV, starting in childhood and going through adulthood. The brothers face many significant hardships, just a few of which include abuse by their mother, homophobia, racism, and religious trauma at the hands of the Catholic Church. Although they face constant struggles, their bond grows stronger through the stages of life, all of which we get to witness on-page. This story is heart-wrenching and inspiring, and deeply emotional. As someone who shares a close bond with their sibling, I was deeply moved by the brothers’ stories. This is a book I will not soon forget.
This book comes with several TW/CW (listed in official synopsis); take care when reading.

Many thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review, and of course Federico Erebia for sharing this poignant story of the strength of family bonds in the face of true adversity.

Based on the author's real life and relationship with his brother, this novel is about two queer Mexican-American brothers, Pedro and Daniel, following their lives together from childhood to adulthood. They have to navigate their sexuality and self-discovery in an abusive household and within religious trauma.

This was not easy to read. The abuse that the brothers face, from their mother, from the church, and others, is traumatising and intense. The brothers' bond keeps the whole experience from being too much. Although their pain seems overwhelming, they have each other, their love, and their dichos (sayings or proverbs).

I felt completely raw after reading this but was also so touched by how earnestly heartfelt the story was. Most importantly, I didn't feel hopeless after reading this even though there was a lot of trauma portrayed. Part of why may be because the author's writing feels intensely personal and expresses realistic highs along with the lows.

The author very effectively went from Pedro's point-of-view to Daniel's showing how the brothers are distinct. Some of the conversations didn't flow as naturally as others but it didn't bother me too much. Their bond still came across very clearly. Also, I really appreciated how colorism was explored.

I would recommend this if the subject matter is something you can handle. Very impactful and moving.

The novel lists its trigger warnings as such: references to domestic violence, child abuse, homophobia, colorism, racism, clergy abuse, suicidality, sex, and death.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oof this was a really heavy read for me. The content was everything I expected from a Latinx family in the beginning. The twists left me hurting and heartbroken.

I think this story will stay with me for a long time and will haunt me in ways I cannot even begin to fathom. It was beautiful in a way I could never even begin to describe.

What a start for Pride Month! Please make sure you review the CW/TW on this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Federico Eberia, and Levine Querido for the eARC for my honest review!

Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia releases June 6, 2023!

A long, satisfying novel. I appreciated the depth of so many topics: gay brotherhood, colorism within a Mexican American family, a gay teen's sense of his own body, coming into adulthood, and the way proverbs can become refrains over the course of a life. It wasn't necessary for me to consult the glossary of dichos (proverbs) to understand the novel, but I'm glad to have the glossary just for future reference. The novel includes discussions of abuse and anticipating death, but it's an inviting read that handles trauma gently.

This book follows the two brothers as they develop into different, but both valid, types of gay men. It presents relatable characters and does so with a high degree of psychological insight. I especially saw myself in Pedro. The book also convincingly shows an abusive parent. However, readers who do not know Spanish may find parts to be slow reading.

Pedro and Daniel by Federico Erebia follows the friendship of two brothers as they encounter abuse, colorism, racism, and homophobia, both together as well as on their own. The POV switches throughout the book between the two brothers, so we as readers get to develop a sense of their voices and who they are as people, from the age of five up to adulthood. I loved these two characters and their bond so much. They endured so much harm throughout their lives and I was rooting so hard for them not just to survive, but to thrive and experience true joy. I also enjoyed reading the dichos, or proverbs, interwoven throughout the text.

Pedro and Daniel face many struggles throughout the book, and as such there are several content warnings (including colorism, racial slurs, descriptions of abuse, homophobia, suicidal thoughts) to consider, particularly if considering using this book with students.