This is Benjamin Alire Saenz's most recent book (publication date is March 7, 2017). I read an advanced copy provided by NetGalley. There are several over-arching themes in this book that I really liked. Dealing with grief as a result of losing once's mother is one such theme. All the main characters have to grapple with grief. Another subject that Saenz explores in this novel is the concept of family. In a way, the three teenagers in the story are all orphans in the traditional sense of a family. Their biological parents are either dead or absent. However, Salvador's adoptive gay father ends up taking on the role of a parent for all three of them. Thus, Salvador's already non-traditional family grows even further as two of his friends become his de facto siblings. Thus, Saenz really hits the nail on the head: family is not about biology and blood ties. Family is people supporting each other, caring for each other, those who are there for you no matter what. I have always believed that all of us have opportunities to express mothering/fathering qualities regardless of whether we have any biological children. By the same token, children can find mentors, role models and father/mother figures outside of their immediate biological relatives. And this is perfectly fine. Family so much more than nature as Salvador comes to realize.
I did however give this book only 2 stars. And this is largely because the writing style just did not work for me. Parts of the book dragged or sounded unbelievably corny and trite. Overall, I thought the book at times was taking on a quality of a Hallmark channel movie, and did not rise to the level of "Aristotle and Dante". So I would say this book is fine for YA audiences and for the author's fans. But it is definitely a cut below of what this author did in "Aristotle and Dante".
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