From Kirkus: "Superbly woven; a bold, deep portrayal of a young voice who needs to be heard." From ALSC: "Iveliz’s thoughts and emotions are revealed in poignant, candid diary entries that chronicle her experiences with grief, relationships, bullying, and family conflict."

Iveliz is suffering from PTSD and bouts of depression from an accident she was in with her father. She’s on meds and goes to a therapist, but is still acting out at school and at home, where her grandmother, who has dementia, has just moved in from Puerto Rico. She makes a To Do list of ways to be better, but struggles to reach her goals.

Hm. I get what this middle grade novel is trying to do – portray mental health struggles in a realistic way to a middle grade audience from the POV of a young person (plus how to deal with an elderly family member suffering from dementia, plus being Latinx in a predominately white school) – but I don’t think it works. Iveliz comes off as way too selfish and rude, and so outright mean to her mother, who isn’t being portrayed as anything but a parent trying desperately to find a way to help her child through a rough time, that she crosses over into unredeemable for me, even if the resolution wasn’t milquetoast-like (and it is). It felt too much like the message was that it’s okay to be shitty to your friends, family, teachers, and therapists if you’re Going Through Something, and you don’t really even need to apologize later because they should Just Know. Not a great message for the intended audience (or any audience). ( )

Diary in verse with a font that reminded me of Dork Diaries, which gave me a visceral feeling of dislike. On top of that I don't really like slam poetry, which is not 100% what this is, but it was enough at times to put me off. Overall, it felt message-y to me, like it was written to teach a lesson.

On the positive side, the topic of depression in adolescence and whether medication is the right choice was sensitively handled. 7th grade is a tough time for a lot of kids and so it can feel like an overreaction to prescribe medication to a child this age. Don't we all go through it and get over it as we grow up? But we see through Iveliz that there is a difference between typical growing pains and serious mental health issues. ( )

Iveliz is in seventh grade and is having a hard time. She's easily angered and getting in trouble with school, taking meds for her PTSD, and now her Mimi has Alzheimers and has come to live with her family. In her journal, she writes poems to work through everything, but right now life is pretty dark.

This was tough to read, though I know it's important for kids and teens to be able to address mental health and see it portrayed in their reading. My heart broke for Iveliz trying to work through so much on her own and not fully trusting that anyone really cared about her. The ending was positive without feeling like everything was magically okay. ( )

This novel in verse has a handwritten font and represents Iveliz's journal. She's angry, sad, and contemplating self harm. She sees her dad, who died in a car accident. She's getting help, but she is struggling. She sets goals for herself but it is difficult to manage her emotions and stay on track with her healing. Her mom is supported but juggling a lot and suffering too.
A quick read that explores healing, seeking help for emotional issues, and connecting with others. ( )