Build a Girlfriend

October 21, 2024
Because of her family’s curse, every
relationship that teen Amelia Hernandez attempts ends in disaster, “whether it be a breakup, a move, or a suspicious allergy death.” Amelia’s sisters, mother, and aunts may be okay with the fact that “no woman in our family can keep a partner,” but after Amelia’s girlfriend breaks up with her, she endeavors to break the curse, and her aunts and sister develop the Hernandez Romance Boot Camp. The plan is simple: Amelia will track down her exes, figure out what went wrong, and use the information to make herself a girlfriend “so perfect, nobody will ever even think to break up with her.” But as Amelia reconnects with former partners, things get more complicated than she anticipated. Using friendly prose and witty banter, debut author Luz emphasizes one teen’s struggle managing her mental health and personal desires while also crafting an organic portrayal of what it means to grow up in a household where “women are the pillar.” At the heart of this hilarious rom-com is a large Latinx family filled with meddling aunts blasting reggaeton music and heartfelt, genuine female relationships. Ages 14–up.

November 1, 2024
Amelia Hernandez wants more for her life than being constrained by the family curse to never find love. Eighteen-year-old Amelia has grown up in Canton, Massachusetts, in a household of eight Puerto Rican women, including her mom, tias, and sisters. They all reckon with the 100-year-old family curse, which has doomed them to die alone and never find a life partner. The pressure to rely only one on another and join the family bakery weighs heavily on Amelia, who longs for love and adventure. When Perri, the girl she's been dating for six months, breaks up with her, Amelia lets her family coach her in dating. Along the way, she reconnects with past love Leon, whom she dated for a year and planned to move in with--before he broke up with her over text and ghosted her two years ago. Amelia wonders whether she really can break the curse once and for all. The narrative relies heavily on Amelia's internal monologue, which falls short of the clumsy charm it seems to be aiming for. Frustratingly, some interesting plot elements are introduced but dropped without being fully explored or resolved. Readers will appreciate the textured portrayal of the family relationships, however, and the story has interesting things to say about truly being seen, even though Amelia's worthwhile journey of personal growth feels overwritten. An uneven story of self-realization.(Fiction. 14-18)

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November 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 For Amelia, what should be a fun summer after high school graduation turns into heartbreak when her girlfriend, Perri, dumps her. Amelia's invasive aunts, mom, and sisters console her by creating the Hernandez Romance Boot Camp, where she revisits exes to become a better girlfriend (and maybe break her family's relationship curse). When the one ex who got away, Leon, pops back into her life, she begins to question her unending love for him. For fear of condemnation, Amelia also holds a secret from her family about leaving the house to do a gap year, rather than work at the new family caf�. It will take some confidence building for Amelia to tell her loved ones how she truly feels. Luz debuts her first YA romantic comedy, which is filled with plenty of hilarious moments and family drama. Readers will also get a kick out of the uplifting relationship advice from the aunts and sisters in the Romance Boot Camp journal. A powerful mantra for graduates that having a "family should be a gift, not an obligation."

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January 17, 2025

Gr 9 Up-In this Latinx debut rom-com, the Puerto Rican Hernandez women have been cursed by love for 100 years and have accepted their fate-except Amelia. Pansexual teen Amelia has been dating Perri for six months, until Perri inevitably breaks her heart and dumps her. Amelia's aunts create a Hernandez Romance Boot Camp to help her heal and become the quintessential girlfriend. The plan? Break the curse by revisiting her exes. Everything changes when her ex Leon reappears and Amelia concocts a revenge plan as hot as her aunts' empanadas. But as Amelia navigates her exes and the family curse, she realizes the answers she seeks may not be in the boot camp guide. This story is filled with heart and humor, capturing the challenges of entering adulthood and navigating family expectations. Its strength lies in its quirky characters, especially the Hernandez aunts, whose dynamic evokes the charm of Practical Magic. The book poignantly portrays the struggles of first-generation Latinx children trying to meet their family's high standards. However, the story falters in pacing, alternating between too slow and too fast, leaving some plot points underdeveloped. Amelia's inner monologues often dominate, slowing narrative momentum and distracting from the character's core conflict. While the quirkiness adds charm, parts of the story feel forced or unnecessary, ultimately diluting its emotional impact. VERDICT A story brimming with heart and comedy, full of quirky moments that sometimes feel forced and overwhelming.-Alexandra Someillan

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