I will not be reviewing this title as I am participating in the St. Martin's press boycott. Will come back to this and post a full review when the publisher takes accountability and addresses readers concerns. More information at @readersforaccountability on Instagram.

It took me a long time to be able to finish this book, but it had nothing to do with Johnny’s writing!! I found myself not connecting emotionally to the characters initially, and I attribute a lot of that to their age/YA category. However once I got into it it was a beautiful story with very beautifully fleshed out characters, I loved the scenes between Rafie and his father and appreciated the reminiscing/grieving for his grandfather.

"Canto Contigo" by Jonny Garza Villa is a heartfelt and vibrant YA novel that celebrates music, identity, and the power of love. Villa's writing is infused with passion and authenticity, capturing the rich cultural tapestry of the mariachi world with vivid detail. But "Canto Contigo" is more than just a story about music; it's also a powerful exploration of identity and self-discovery. Rafie's journey towards self-acceptance and understanding is beautifully portrayed. Villa handles these themes with sensitivity and nuance, creating characters who feel authentic and relatable. With its vibrant characters, immersive setting, and poignant themes, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves music, romance, and stories of self-discovery.

this book helped heal some grief trauma i had been holding onto for nearly a decade. the way jonny writes is breathtaking, and the characters feel so real.
every jonny book ive read is an easy 5⭐️ read and im happy to say this one continues that streak.

Canto Contigo is a sweet, sad, and uplifting book centered around grief, growing up, and being true to yourself. I loved the Mexican culture and Mariachi music and the love songs were incredibly romantic.

Rafie can be unlikeable at times, hurting others for his own gain and not always able to see things from other's points of view. His struggle with losing his grandpa was compelling though and he did grow on me a bit. Rey is an adorable human and I just wanted him to be happy.

I thought this had nice pacing and the supporting cast was fantastic. Definitely a hit for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you so much, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Rafael led his High School's Alma de la Fontera to their eleventh consecutive first place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional. Then he met and made out with a cute boy. Eight months later, he's ready for another win, but destiny spoils everything and his family decides to move to San Antonio, forcing him to leave his group behind, while, also, dealing with the loss of his abuelo. In San Antonio The Selena Quintanilla-Perez Academy’s Mariachi Todos Colores has already a vocalist, Rey Chavez, the same boy he made out with eight months ago. Now with the rivalry for center stage, Rafeal has to deal with his feelings for Rey and the desire to be the greatest Mariachi his abuelo wanted him to be.

Canto Contigo is a wonderful and brilliant story about love, legacy, being one's true self, rivalry, music, art, written wonderfully and with so well rounded characters. A story about finding and choosing one's path, being true to himself, sprinkled with love, family and Mexican culture. I love Jonny Garza Villa, I fell in love with their writing style and characterization and you can't not fall in love with Rafael and Rey, their music and rivalry and building feelings and I'm in love with everything. I loved having had the chance to get to know the Mariachi culture a bit better and it was really funny, sweet and cute. Truly unforgettable.

I support the St. Martin's Press boycott. It is in response to a few major issues the publisher has yet to act on, like the ongoing apparent favoritism of white reviewers for ARCs over BIPOC reviewers and, more recently, their inaction towards a marketing employee's support of the escalation in violence against Palestine including posting Islamophobic comments online.

<a href="https://r4a.carrd.co/?fbclid=PAAabVQ1bAHLVenzYwgXY3m0hJ9UwJCCJqd0ZTfj3k1gKE9TPDYPR-UBzIpqM_aem_ASuQIh1_kP39TR3Xp6RHF58ZtO7CnBKjCiwC-n4NwX6mSK_YhKKmlzmb8zqBOBLkRfg#boycottoutline">more info on the St. Martin's Press boycott here</a>

<b>content warnings</b>
Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Sexism, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death, Sexual content, Bullying, Medical content, Homophobia, and Racism

Thank you to #NetGalley, Jonny Garza Villa, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchanged for an honest review.

It was a crazy 24 hours for Rafael. Not only did he lead his high school to their 11th consecutive first place mariachi title, but we also kissed a cute guy.
Eight months later, a senior, and ready to lead his group to another title, his family announces that they are moving to San Antonio. It doesn't help Rafael to leave his group behind when he learns his new high school mariachi already has their lead vocalist, Rey, the guy Rafael kissed. As they fight for the lead spot and become rivals, Rafael can't seem to get away from his feelings for Rey.

"Canto Contigo" is a feel good and loving book. There were slow parts to the book but overall, I loved it.

I think this one just wasn't for me, but I know a lot of teen readers will love this one!

"Canto Contigo" by Jonny Garza Villa offers a spirited dive into the world of high school mariachi, blending romance, rivalry, and cultural celebration. While the story occasionally feels weighed down by typical teenage drama, Villa's authentic portrayal of Mexican-American life and the vibrant setting of San Antonio add depth to the narrative.

The budding romance between Rafael and Rey is tenderly depicted, exploring themes of identity and acceptance. Despite some slow moments, the positive discussions on sexuality and the representation of trans characters add depth to the story. Overall, "Canto Contigo" is a solid read for those seeking a blossoming romance set against the backdrop of musical competition and cultural heritage.

I will not be reviewing this title due to the boycott of St. Martins Press and its imprints. More information at @readersforaccountability on instagram

I really enjoyed this YA rivals-to-lovers, second chance romance between two people who want to be lead singer in their high school mariachi band.

Rafie is the main character, and he was the lead singer for his award-winning former high school’s mariachi band, and when he moves to a new city, he finds out that the lead singer of that school’s mariachi band is Rey, the boy he had kissed at last year’s competition and had been thinking about since then.

Rafie is confident and a bit egotistical in the way one can be at that age. He is also deeply hurt and grieving the loss of his abuelo, and feels immense pressure to live up to the promise he made his abuelo before he died that he would continue to be the best at mariachi. His single-mindedness brings him in conflict with Rey, and he needs to learn to deal with his grief and share the spotlight.

I really loved the relationship between Rafie and Rey, and found Rey to be so incredibly kind and patient. Rey faces some transphobia in the book, but I was glad that this was not a central source of conflict.

This book made me want to listen to some mariachi music!

Jonny Garza Villa is officially an autobuy for me! The way they write YA is unlike any author I’ve read before. They balance the drama and angst of their teenage characters but also don’t shy away from the real life stuff they are going through.

Rafie is the star vocalist of his high schools mariachi band. Going into his senior year, he anticipates winning a grand prize at the Mariachi Extravaganza for the fourth year in a row. Until his parents drop a bomb on him that they’re moving this year. To a school whose mariachi band has an embarrassing track record in Rafie’s opinion.

Rafie believes his 3 previous Extravaganza trophies should speak for themselves and earn his position as lead vocalist at his new school. But it’s not that simple.

There is grief, and loneliness and love and family tradition. There is trans visibility, stereotype breaking and culture and sooo much music. I loved this book so much. With so much going on, it still felt comforting to read.

Highly, highly recommend this book as well as JVG’s last book: Ander and Santi Were Here if you missed that one.

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and author for this e-arc!

This was a spectacular story! I often find young adult books can feel a little silly as I get older sometimes but this one really surprised me. I felt that I still really related to the character and was super invested in the story line. This is definitely a must read!

Rafael’s family has moved to a new town right before his senior year, leaving him to start again at a new school and crushing his dreams of another first-place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza. To make things worse, he loses lead vocalist at his new school to Rey, the cute boy Rafie made out with at last year’s extravaganza. Yet even with their rivalry and competition, Rafie can’t shake his attraction to Rey.

THere was so much incredible Mexican culture that left my heart so happy - from the mariachi competition to the many references to Selena, my little Mexican heart was bursting with love. Rafie is a bit of an asshole, and I say that in the most loving of ways, so I can see where many people might not connect with him as a character. However, I had a soft spot in my heart for him and his heartbroken self. Rey is a literal ray of sunshine and balances Rafie so well. I adored Rey and how he lived to be his authentic self so boldly and with so much pride. This book didn’t rip my heart out in quite the same way Jonny Garza Villa’s other books have and I appreciated not ugly crying in this case. They have such a way with words and the writing was so beautiful and immersing.

The audio was narrated by Alejandro Antonio Ruiz. I adored the audio and found it was easy to get lost in the story - the only thing that could have made it better would be mariachi music within the story.

Thanks to Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copies.

The writing here, considered *as writing,* is terrific, but I'm sorry to say that Rafie alienated me completely by the time I was 20% in -- fine, he's grieving; fine, he thinks he needs to be perfect, but he acts out his grief by being such a jerk to everyone around him that I finally didn't want to spend another minute in his company.

This is my first book by Jonny Garza Villa; I'll certainly try another book by them. Just had to give up on this one.

Jonny Garza Villa's previous book, Ander & Santi Were Here, was one of my favorite reads of 2023, so I was hyped to have the chance to preview their newest work, too. To be clear, Canto Contigo is a different beast entirely than Ander & Santi. It's both angrier and warmer, a love letter to mariachi and Mexican culture. It has such a great handling of grief and anger in teenagers - especially PoC teenage boys, who so often are told they have to show these emotions in very specific ways. Genuinely, it's just a beautiful book.

Rafie is... a lot of lead character. He's so angry and cocky, yet rightfully so. He's exactly the type of student who I'd both hate and love to have in my classroom. And Rey is precious and talented and so deserving of all of the good things in life.

It holds a lot of fun similarities to Beating Heart Baby (another favorite) by Lio Min, so if you were a fan of that one, this one should be next on your list to pick up.

I really enjoyed this authors last book, Ander & Santi but I had a harder time gettting into this one, and I feel like I lost some of the meaning with the book having a mix of English and Spanish words.

This book includes so much joy, and truly embodies the angst of teenage life, dreams, and love. I LOVED the Mariachi music focus and learned so much about the art form, instruments, and competitive nature of the musical troupes. Rafie’s family unexpectedly leaves Mexico to move to San Antonia, TX right before his Senior year of high school. He’s now has to attend his rival school, and rather than being tapped as lead vocalist, he must share the spotlight with his rival Rey. This enemies to lovers plot was divine as both Rafie and Rey stoop to immature lows to one up each other. But when forced to truly collaborate, sparks fly, and they find they might actually be better when working together. This book reads like a love letter to Mexican culture; relationships with grandparents, the food, the music, the history. I adored the character growth, vulnerability, and emotion of the plot! So good!

Gosh, gosh, gosh, this book! I’ve loved every single book Johnny Graza Villa has released, so I went into this expecting to love it and woah were my expectations met and exceeded! This is so full of heart and love and the exploration of grief, it all hit so good and so hard. I love Rafie being messy and overconfident and so sure of himself, but then the ways Rey makes him soft and helps him find his way back to loving mariachi was all so good. I feel like I don’t have enough words to express how much this book hit my heart in all the best ways and how much I loved the whole cast of characters. This book feels so important and I’m so glad it exists and I continue to look forward to future stories from JGV!

5/5 stars
1/5 spice (fade to black)

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Musicians/Mariachis
LGBTQIA rep
Latinx rep
Forced proximity
Mutual pining
Protective hero
Single POV

I felt all the emotions with this book... anger, joy, frustration, annoyance, giddiness, sadness, and all the heartwarming feelings. I did have to remind myself that these were teenagers with hormones and big egos a couple of times (which is why I would get annoyed, lol)... but honestly, it worked so well for the setting of the story and character development.

I loved the dynamics between Rey and Rafie. No matter how annoyingly egotistical Rafie got, Rey was able to keep up and ground him. If you need your protagonist to be likable, then you'll probably have issues with this book. Because Rafie is super flawed and unlikable a lot of times. But he's obviously hurting so bad inside. I just wanted to smack him in the head a few times but then also give him a hug afterward. And a lot of characters felt this way, lol. Rey was so good for him, though, and the angst was sooooo worth the wait. Oh my goodness, did I cry and do that giggle with my feet in the air when the HEA hit. My heart...

Overall, this was a fun read that has all the angst you could expect from a rivals to lovers' story. Highly recommend for everyone...

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Trigger/Content warnings:
Homophobia, transphobia, grief, death of a family member, mental health topics, underage drinking, mild sexual content, and explicit language