HEARTBREAK SYMPHONY

A story of surviving grief with the help of community.

Full of music from the start, this novel follows two Chicane teens in San Antonio, Texas, who are navigating loss and self-doubt. Aarón’s mother died eight months ago and now he has an imaginary robot following him around. Not just any imaginary robot, though, but one that represents La Maquina, the public persona of Xavier López, a musician Aarón is strongly attached to—and someone missing for nearly a year who he can’t accept is possibly dead. Mia has grown up with domestic violence at the center of her world. She and her brothers create family bonds through invented rituals so they won’t focus on the parents who are gone: first, their mother who abandoned them, and soon after, their father, who was consumed by alcoholism until he passed away. Aarón and Mia come together with a pact to not give up on auditioning for scholarships to a prestigious music school, but their community may need their alliance for more. As the book threads together commentary on race, mental health, and undocumented immigration, the two main characters join protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on their neighborhood. The text is vibrant, with Spanish words and poetry effortlessly woven throughout; unfortunately, the chemistry between Aarón and Mia does not fully satisfy, affecting readers’ connection to them and the story.

A bold premise written in beautiful prose but faltering in characterization.