THE LUIS ORTEGA SURVIVAL CLUB

Ariana Ruiz had a terrible evening.

She’s not sure she actually consented to having sex with Luis Ortega, which brings on horrible feelings, including dissociating for hours. Queer Mexican American Ariana is autistic “with a heavy dose of selective mutism,” and she’s starting to wonder if her silence is precisely what Luis liked. Shawni, Luis’ ex-girlfriend, told Ariana to stay away from him only to see them go into a room together at a party. So when Ariana texts Luis, and he agrees not to tell anyone what happened but everyone still seems to know, she assumes Shawni is to blame. Boys start harassing Ariana, and the situation spirals into hellish bullying. And then, she finds a note in her locker reading “me too.” The mystery writer and Ariana connect on Tumblr, although Ariana is initially against their suggestion of getting back at Luis. But after learning that he was even more deliberate in his exploitation of her than she realized, she goes to the appointed meeting place. There, she discovers she’s not the only one invited: It’s a support group for people whose reputations were ruined by Luis. Readers may find that the actual revenge they take feels flat against the violent trauma Luis put each of them through, but the group of teens, who are diverse across many dimensions and were previously socially isolated by Luis’ actions, forge new bonds and help each other heal.

A fresh story exploring timely issues.