Stifled by her loving but repressive parents, a teen endeavors to take charge of her own life. Seventeen-year-old Verónica Rentería's parents forbid many things, especially promiscuity--which includes any romantic gesture, however innocent, leading Vero to feel ashamed of her own desires. But above all, she and her younger sister, Dani, must never attract attention; her family immigrated to Florida from Peru when Vero was small, and her parents caution that their permanent resident status is tenuous. Vero feels constant pressure to make their sacrifices worthwhile, but she can't help standing out: Numerous surgeries for her hip dysplasia have left her with scars. And ever since her parents caught her making out with a boy, they've treated her like she's "impossible to scrub clean." Even her body is out of her control since her parents handle all of her medical decisions. Swimming is her only freedom, and Vero idolizes the aquatic performers at Mermaid Cove, a popular tourist attraction. So when Mermaid Cove advertises auditions, she wonders: Could becoming a mermaid enable her to finally tell her own story? Sylvester, who has hip dysplasia herself, poignantly braids multiple issues into Vero's angry, vulnerable, and lyrical narration, including disability, sexism, and biculturalism. Vero's messy but supportive relationship with Dani compassionately acknowledges the friction that can arise between disabled and nondisabled siblings, and her romance with Mexican American Alex, who deals with depression, gently explores trust and self-discovery. Intricate, nuanced, and empowering. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Peruvian American teenager Verónica feels most at peace when she's swimming--where the pain caused by her hip dysplasia fades and she doesn't have to deal with other people's perceptions of her body. When she meets kind Mexican American Alex, who sees a therapist and takes medication for his depression, she must maneuver her growing feelings for him alongside her overprotective immigrant parents' disapproval. They have been distrustful of her ever since they misconstrued a private moment with a boy, consequently shaming Verónica for acting on her desires. They also don't approve of her "childish" dream to be an aquatic performer at a local Florida tourist attraction, Mermaid Cove, fearing that the role's physicality is too much for her. But when further health complications and increasingly tense interactions with her parents embolden Verónica to take control of her own life and body, she eagerly auditions for and receives a role at Mermaid Cove. With attentiveness rooted in the author's lived experience, Sylvester seamlessly explores bodily autonomy and familial expectations through a perceptive protagonist, sharp narration, and complex relationships. Verónica's progress toward overcoming the boundaries created by family, friends, and society alike is powerful and engrossing. Ages 13--up. Agent: Laura Dail, Laura Dail Literary. (May)

In this powerful story set in the fictitious Florida city of Mermaid Cove, Sylvester blends the compelling struggle of a young woman trying to find her voice with the effects of living with a serious medical condition. When Veronica swims in her apartment-complex pool, everything else disappears; the water blurs the pain and the scars of her many hip surgeries and helps her forget that doctors, nurses, and others seemingly have more control of her body than she does herself. The water is as much her home as it is for the mermaid performers she admires in Mermaid Cove's tourist attraction. But her Peruvian immigrant parents are serious only about work, academics, and being model citizens, and they insist that mermaid tales are a childish obsession she needs to forget. When a lucky opportunity presents itself, Veronica will have to decide what -- and who -- defines her. Peruvian folklore and facts about Florida are seamlessly integrated into the skillful first-person narration, and each chapter begins with a term's dictionary definition followed by Veronica's definition. An appended author's note tells more about the real town on which Mermaid Cove was based, the condition of hip dysplasia, and the Peruvian legend of Huacachina. Alicia K. Long September/October 2022 p.100(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Having been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, 17-year-old Verónica Rentería has undergone multiple surgeries, leaving her with an asymmetrical gait and scarring, making it nearly impossible to "blend in" like her Peruvian immigrant parents wish. Adding to her stress are her overly involved parents, particularly her dad and his incessant insinuations that Vero is promiscuous after catching her kissing a boy. The only thing keeping her afloat is her best friend, Leslie, and the water, where she finds peace in her body's fluidity. After her parents keep a major progression of Verónica's condition from her, she contemplates trying out to be a mermaid at a popular Florida attraction, despite their disapproval. Sylvester (Running, 2020) uses her experience of having hip dysplasia to paint an authentic portrait of a character who wants to be seen for who she is and not the limitations placed on her. But Vero's story is about so much more. From managing dual identities, sexism, and career expectations from her immigrant parents, Vero's warranted anger and sometimes impossible life is one worth rooting for.