Sweet middle grade novel-in-verse bringing the reader along Valentina's struggles after a dirt bike accident impacts her identity and future as a champion fencer. While working to get back into fencing shape and navigating friendships old and new, Valentina is forced to reflect on her past, present, and future, and who she wants to be. A strong read for middle grade readers about a sport not often highlighted!

I loved this--it was such a great look at an athlete with chronic pain, an athlete's competitive nature, and the complicated crush on a girl (made complicated by the fact that she's Vale's competitor, not that she's a girl!) Highly recommended.

What a wonderful and poignant novel in verse! It did such a nice job of depicting chronic pain, fears of identity, and first crushes. The emotional arc comes from Vale realizing her worth outside of winning and losing and learning to accept her disability (without any homophobia as she experiences her first crush on a girl). It is done in a way that is very accessible and comprehensible for middle grade readers.

(Librarians take note: I think this could potentially have appeal for upper elementary, but this is definitely geared for middle school readers).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed It’s All or Nothing, Vale. This novel in verse follows Valentina, or Vale, a fencing prodigy who’s struggling to reclaim her passion and strength after a life-changing accident. After months of recovery, Vale is finally cleared to get back on the mat, but it’s not the same. Her body doesn’t move the way it used to, and a new, seemingly perfect rival named Myrka makes things even harder.

Vale’s journey of coming to terms with her injury and learning to push past her past is so emotional and real. I loved how the story showed that the journey is about more than just physical strength—it’s about mental and emotional healing too.

If you're into stories of resilience, personal growth, and coming back stronger, this one will really resonate!

Arango,Beatriz Andrea. It’s All or Nothing, Vale. Random House Books For Young Readers, 2025, 9780593810929. $17.99. 279p. Grades 5-9

Description: Valentina Camacho, also called Vale, is all about fencing, all the time. She lives and breathes fencing, but after getting into an accident on her dad’s motorcycle, she really struggles to adjust to the new way her body moves, accepting her limitations, and moving past the fact that she is no longer the top fencer.

Thoughts: This, like Arango’s other novels, is absolutely phenomenal. It touches on fencing as a sport, which is not often represented in books, but it also highlights learning how to move on in the face of adversity and learning to live a new “normal” and finding who you truly are.

Realistic Fiction

Tags: Fencing, LGBTQ+, Adversity, Caribbean/Caribbean American, Latine, Novel-In-Verse, Sports, Girls in Sports, Mobility Aid

A strong middle grade verse novel about Vale who is returning to fencing after a horrific injury that has left her physically bruised but also emotionally drained-- when will she be back on top again? Are people letting her win because they feel bad for her? Does she want to keep fencing? How can her parents' responses be so different in how they've treated her since the accident? Plus, she's still navigating school, friendships, and a new girl on the fencing team. And one of my favorite relationships highlighted in the story is hers with her brother, Luis.

Reflective and inspiring about decisions she'll have to make moving forward about who she is and who she wants to become without worrying about what happened in the past or questioning her skills and assets.

Interesting representation of disability, family, and working through childhood crushes. Love novels in verse, compelling and fast paced. Will definitely recommend to kids in the library.

“If there’s something I know how to control, it’s my body - if there’s something I know how to manage, it’s myself.”

Valentina Camacho is the most dedicated fencer on her elite team. She eats, sleeps, and sweats fencing. She did, that is, until the accident. Then, everything changed. Juggling physical therapy appointments, chronic leg pain, and frenemies she isn’t so sure of who she is anymore. If fencing isn’t everything to Vale, then what is?

I really liked this novel about fencing and disability. It deals with middle school friendship drama and our main character, Vale, has to figure out who she is after an accident forces her to recover and take a break from fencing. There is also great LGBTQ representation here!

I really liked this book about fencing. I feel like there's been a lot more written in this genre lately. I like how her strong competitiveness is portrayed and her determination to come back after an injury. I liked that her friendship with the other girl was complicated because of their rivalry. Great middle grade read!

What happens when a middle schooler who is a nationally ranked fencer has an accident that results in chronic pain? Then add in broken friendships and crushes and pressure from parents and you have It's All or Nothing, Vale. There is a whole lot packed into this middle-grade novel in verse. I’m not always a fan of novels in verse, but when it’s done well, like it is in this book, it works. This is a great book and would be great to spark discussion about so many different issues that children face.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

Vale is a youth champion fencer until she is injured in an accident and she must undergo intensive rehab on her leg making her return to the sport she loves questionable. As she tries to ease her way back into practice and eventual competition, she finds a new talented, pink ponytailed tween is stealing her spotlight. Vale refuses to give up as she tries to push through the pain, ignoring the sparkling pink cane in her closet and the advice of her mother, brother and physical therapist. As Vale struggles with the term “disability”, she also can’t decide if she has a crush on the friendly girl who has risen to the top of the team. Will it be all or nothing for Vale. Find out in the latest middle grade novel in verse by award winning author, Andrea Beatrice Arango.
I took fencing lessons when I was Vale’s age. It really is a fun and exciting sport that has not found the popularity it deserves. Maybe this beautifully written book packed with determination and sweetness will encourage more kids to give fencing a try!

After an accident Vale struggles with who she is without fencing. Fencing was her whole world. As she fights to get back to fencing and fights the pain she constantly feels, she begins to question who she is becoming.

Vale’s ongoing struggle with limitation after an accident has left her with chronic pain is such an important story. I especially appreciated how the author brought out that nearly everyone is going to experience disability at some point in their life.

Vale juggles pain, an intense competitive streak that’s already ended one friendship and may end a growing crush on her classmate, and learning to find joy in life.

As someone with an autoimmune disease that limits me. I loved how the author dealt with ongoing challenges, not making them magically disappear, but developing Vale's resilience.

You know what is so great about the time we live in? Middle grade books cover SO MANY TOPICS and feelings and events, so that kids can read these books and be able to form their own wide range of thoughts and emotions, see themselves represented, and be given more tools for maturing. And then on the flip side, it gives adults like me vessels that help heal my inner child (and even my outer adult).

It's All or Nothing, Vale, is about a young Puerto Rican girl who is a competitive fencer. She has recently been in an accident that has caused her to have chronic pain in one of her legs. She is forced to reconcile this new life with her desire for fencing greatness, and is super frustrated when she can't hang like she used to. Then a new girl joins the team, and she is everything Vale thinks she herself needs to be.

This book was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. As someone with chronic pain, watching her learn that your value isn't tied up in what your body can accomplish, and that there are more things in life that can fill you with joy, was so relatable and validating. I'm in my 30s and needed a book like this at this time in my life. I needed this book when I was younger, too! So I am extremely impressed with the grace and emotion that this story was written with.

Highly recommend for everyone. Loved it.

Thanks to Random House Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I don’t read middle grade stories often, but the cover and synopsis of It's All or Nothing, Vale drew me in. Vale is a middle grade fencer who we meet after she’s been in an accident and is trying to get back to the fencing star she was before. She grapples with not being the same as she was pre-accident, trying to reconcile who she is when for so long she was a nationally ranked fencer and now she may be disabled. And of course, coming to terms with her new life is complicated by first crushes and family dynamics (no matter how much they love her) and made easier with new friendships.

As a novel told in verse, it’s hit and miss for me if the story can portray the deep emotions necessary for the subject. Here, I need not worry. This story is infused with emotions; you can feel what Vale is feeling. There is such a depth and a rawness that I wasn’t expecting from a middle grade book and it took me back to being a pre-teen and teen.

Arangos verse novels are always beautiful and this was no different. An honest portrayal of a character learning to come to terms with disappointment and redirection in her life. With so many kids pushed into high stakes sports, I think young readers will relate to Vale’s struggles in this book. Highly recommend.

It's All or Nothing by Vale has my heart. I felt like I was walking in Vale's shoes, and every step of the way, I just wanted to give her a hug. After a life-changing accident, Vale is navigating her way back to her passion: fencing. And let me tell you, I know nothing about fencing, but I loved following her journey. The intensity of the sport has me wanting more.

The way her accident is handled, along with the emotional exploration of what it means for Vale, was both powerful and poignant. She repeatedly asks her physical therapist, "When do I get to stop seeing you?" Watching her grapple with those difficult conversations, and seeing her come to understand herself, was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It pulled on my own memories of moments when I didn’t know what to do next, and I believe everyone can gain something from it. The prose was wonderful—short yet powerful, much like the sport of fencing itself. It left a lasting impact on me, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Vale is a 12 year old competitive fencer trying to recover from an accident that left her seriously injured and in intense physical therapy. The physical and mental challenges she grapples with will pull at your heartstrings. This middle grade novel in verse also tackles the normal everyday issues of a middle schooler than many students - not just student athletes - will relate to.

Vale is a champion fencer on the way to becoming a national winner. Vale is under a lot of pressure from her parents, is an extremely competitive kid, and lacks any identity beyond the role of fencer. When Vale suffers a serious injury the road back to being a champion comes under question. And Vale's sense of self-worth is pretty much shattered. That is the novel's strength as most kids who play a sport will not be a professional or achieve world championship status. Vale is also finding her way in friendships and first romance. The parents are pretty stock characters, the stereotypical pushy parents hoping for college scholarships and national recognition. Other supporting characters add to the story but don't have much depth. Novels in verse are often hard to sell to kids. This is a good book, not a great book. It is nice to see a book that deals with fencing and not the usual sports. And, to see Vale navigate her way through a challenging time.