ALONDRA
Alondra
By: Gina Femia
Book Quote:
"Coney Island was darker in winter. To the untrained eye, people'd probably think it was asleep, but Alonda knew it was never asleep." (107)Library Cat Rating: 😻 😻 😻
Review:
Alonda or Alondra? The difference in spelling is a single letter, but the meaning of the identity to sixteen year old Alonda is revolutionary. Feeling adrift at the beginning of summer, Alonda works up the courage to introduce herself to a group of teens she has seen practicing wrestling in her Coney Island neighborhood. She's always loved wrestling, but now she's getting a chance to practice the moves she's seen and become someone new Alondra - the fearless one. Fearless in the ring is one thing, but confronting the feelings she's developing for King, the cute leader of the group, and Lexi, the beautiful artists, is something that terrifies her. Alonda has spent years putting her conflicting feelings in a box and it's only when she see's a video from Lovely Loveless, one of her favorite wrestlers, coming out as bisexual that she even begins to have the words to describe how she might be feeling. As she begins to understand herself, will she be able to take the courage of Alondra and show her true self to the people in her life?
VERDICT this is a heartwarming story from debut YA author (although already award winning playwright) Gina Femia. Alonda is a complex character wrestling (literally and figuratively) with her identity and circumstances in life. She hasn't been dealt an easy hand and I love how this novel explores familial grief, growing up without parents, and the importance of found family. There is also a wonderful exploration of bisexual identity. Femia handles Alonda's questions and exploration in a really thoughtful and meaningful way and not just tells, but shows how Alonda navigates her queer identity. There is no shying away from the idea of sexual attraction amongst teens, but nor is anything overly graphic, staying more on the sweet side of things and focusing on the emotional vulnerability in any type of relationship. Really unique novel for fans of wrestling or not, you will have fun reading this book.
VERDICT this is a heartwarming story from debut YA author (although already award winning playwright) Gina Femia. Alonda is a complex character wrestling (literally and figuratively) with her identity and circumstances in life. She hasn't been dealt an easy hand and I love how this novel explores familial grief, growing up without parents, and the importance of found family. There is also a wonderful exploration of bisexual identity. Femia handles Alonda's questions and exploration in a really thoughtful and meaningful way and not just tells, but shows how Alonda navigates her queer identity. There is no shying away from the idea of sexual attraction amongst teens, but nor is anything overly graphic, staying more on the sweet side of things and focusing on the emotional vulnerability in any type of relationship. Really unique novel for fans of wrestling or not, you will have fun reading this book.
Awards:
NYPL's Best Books for Teens 2023
Citation:
Femia, Gina. (2023). Alondra. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Annotation:
Alonda is feeling adrift as the summer starts. Then she works up the courage to introduce herself to a group of Coney Island teens she has seen wrestling in their local park. She joins her group and is relishing the fearlessness she comes to know within the wrestling ring under her in-ring persona Alondra, but can she become fearless in real life as well?
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Femia, Gina. (2023). Alondra. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Annotation:
Alonda is feeling adrift as the summer starts. Then she works up the courage to introduce herself to a group of Coney Island teens she has seen wrestling in their local park. She joins her group and is relishing the fearlessness she comes to know within the wrestling ring under her in-ring persona Alondra, but can she become fearless in real life as well?
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Extras:
To learn more about the author and book, visit Gina Femia's website here.
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