Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Hardcover format.
A People magazine Best Book of Fall 2019
An Amazon Best Young Adult Book of 2019
“F***ing outstanding.”–Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx. Only, she’s not so closeted anymore. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland, Oregon, to intern with her favorite feminist writer–what’s sure to be a life-changing experience. And when Juliet’s coming out crashes and burns, she’s not sure her mom will ever speak to her again.
But Juliet has a plan–sort of. Her internship with legendary author Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff, is sure to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. Except Harlowe’s white. And not from the Bronx. And she definitely doesn’t have all the answers . . .
In a summer bursting with queer brown dance parties, a sexy fling with a motorcycling librarian, and intense explorations of race and identity, Juliet learns what it means to come out–to the world, to her family, to herself.
“Dazzling, funny as hell, poignant, all the things.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
“Juliet Takes a Breath is absolutely breathtaking. This is the homegirl I’ve always wanted to see in literature, made flesh by Rivera’s pen.”—Elizabeth Acevedo, National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X
“Raw. Powerful. Honest. Juliet Takes a Breath is a luminous journey of self-discovery. Through Juliet’s awakening, Rivera gently challenges us to step out of the shadows and into the light, and reminds us that successful rebellion begins with loving yourself in all your infinite variety.”—Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters and Internment
“Rivera captures both the disappointments and the possibilities that come with realizing that your life’s solution cannot be figured out by someone else.”—The New York Times Book Review
* “Reflects early adult life . . . in all its messy, confusing splendor.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review