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I can vividly recall the first time I stood up for myself to my mother. It was an inconsequential thing, for most of my childhood my mother had dressed my sister and I in similar outfits. We were often confused as twins since there’s only a two-year difference between us. I can’t recall why this bothered me but it did, so one day I told my mother that I didn’t want to dress alike anymore, that I wanted my own style. I remember feeling scared that I would hurt her feelings but also the importance of standing up for my own. It’s hard to stand up to family because deep down we figure that what they do for us they do it out of love, it can be one of the greatest challenges you ever face. It’s one of the challenges that Mariana Ruiz is forced to make in the amazing YA novel, Running. Mariana’s father is running for President, he’s currently a Senator for Florida, running as a Latino candidate. Mariana loves her father, she admires his tenacity, his dedication to fight for what he believes and when we first meet her he believes he can do no wrong. Of course, this is a lie that is quickly dispelled as we grow older and we are forced to see that our parents are fallible and deeply human. It isn’t disrespect or disloyalty to question your parents, no matter what they’d have to say about the matter. Part of growing up is forging your own path, unlearning certain beliefs as you start delving into the world around you. Mariana is truly the girl character I would have wished I had growing up and one that I am so excited to share with my youngest sister and nieces. I’m proud that they’ll have Mariana as a role model. As we continue following the Ruiz family through Antonio’s presidential race, we see the cracks in the foundation, cracks that we are unaware of when we’re younger, but that seem so obvious as we continue to experience life. Mariana starts hanging out with an activist group at school that makes her aware of the power she holds because of her father, a power to make changes, to be heard when so often those around her are not, and when often decisions made by those in power affect those she loves. Mariana is afraid of this power because she doesn’t know how to wield it, and to be frank, she doesn’t want it. She’s learning to reconcile the fantasy she had of her parents, these people she put on pedestals, with humans that can make wrong decisions, while standing up for what she believes in, even when it goes against her family. At the same time, this power that she is learning about has her viewing her relationship with those around her, including her amazing friend, Gloria, who had hidden a part of her life because of her father’s beliefs. How much of a friendship is there when the power dynamics are tilted in your favor? Impact and intent are also explored in this book. Sometimes an ideology is filled with the best of intentions, but the execution towards these ideals deal with an impact that can’t be ignored. This was truly one of the best YAs I’ve read all year (in a year filled with amazing YA books). I was rooting for Mari from beginning to end, I understood her struggle to stand up for herself, to stand up against her family (while remaining loyal to them), to try to find out a way to be herself and still be by their side. It’s a struggle, one that’s not often talked about especially in a country where we already feel displaced and feel as if we have to stand up for our community no matter what. Mari shows us there’s a way to stand up for yourself and for them, a way to open a dialogue to get to feel content with yourself and your community. This was truly inspirational and I hope you all will give it a chance. Don’t forget to vote in this coming election too. This book is a reminder of how much power we have, how it matters that we stand up and have our voices heard. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Thank you to Natalia Sylvester for writing this, my teenage self and myself thank you.