We Could Be Anyone

Gr 9 Up–McLemore’s latest novel for young adults may be their best, elegantly weaving together the threads that define their work: magical realism, mythology, and queer acceptance. Narration is shared by siblings Lola and Lisandro, Mexican American teens living at the turn of the century. Since the devastating loss of their parents, they’ve developed and refined a high-stakes con that involves using acting and technical theatre to convince the wealthy that they’re haunted and then charge them for the cure. This scheme leads them to The Coterie, a lavish getaway built and hosted by newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax. As Lola and Lisandro begin an elaborate con to swindle the Fairfax family and their elite guests, their mission is complicated by genuine supernatural forces that emerge and seem motivated to expose the shoddy foundation hidden beneath The Coterie’s elegant ­veneer. Through vivid, poetic dual narration, McLemore crafts a story rich with allusion to mythical tales of metamorphosis and transformation, using these archetypes that frequently end in tragedy as a framework for the characters to grow beyond the constraints of society and seize upon their own power. Tender queer romances develop quickly for each of the main characters; it may not satisfy slow-burn enthusiasts, but it does enhance the mythical quality of the story.