An Indie Next List Selection!

Angsty. Awkward. With a scrappy heart of gold, Brownstone is a must-read for anyone whos ever felt totally out of place. Gabby Rivera, bestselling author of Juliet Takes a Breath

An exciting teen coming-of-age epic from author Samuel Teer and debut graphic novel artist Mar Julia, Brownstone is a vivid, sweeping, ultimately hopeful story about navigating your heritage even when you feel like you dont quite fit in.

Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met.

Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, shes left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanishwhich she doesnt speak.

As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xaviers Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some cant understand why she doesnt know where she comes from. Others think shes not brown enough to fit in.

But time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to get to know each other, and the key to their connection may ultimately lie in bringing all these different elements together. Fixing a broken building is one thing, but turning these stubborn individuals into a found family might take more than this one summer.

Published : June 11, 2024

Language : English

Paperback : 320 pages

Reading age : 14 – 17 years

Grade level : 9 – 12