Crashing into You

Gr 10 Up–Leti Rivera is crashing both literally and figuratively in this title. She has been racing her lovely sombrita car fast and furiously for years so “nothing can catch her.” She dreams of becoming a female street racer. Yet at the age of 17, she is starting to run into some of the very things she is trying to leave behind—the guilt over her mother’s death, her father’s never-ending grief, the private high school where she doesn’t fit in, her own body, and the cruel boy who wants more than she is willing to give. She holds her heart in her fist to keep it safe, and only slowly begins to release it when she is forced to stop and notice Jacob, whose gentle innocence, patience, and even height bring her joy. As Leti slowly shares her heart, a series of “crashes” not in her control are set in motion, leading toward loss and trauma. Friends and family come together to help Leti find hope, but she must drive deep within to truly overcome her fears and sadness and rescue herself while saving Jacob. Callen presents a spunky, realistic Latina in a fast-paced novel with themes of love, loss, street racing, family, and a strong Latine identity.