Lynn: Do you have teen readers looking for something different and fun? Miss Meteor (Harper, Sept. 2020) by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore is a perfect choice. Quirky and odd but utterly charming, this is an underdog story, a sweet romance, and a bit of a Cinderella tale with a dollop of magical realism and a lot of humor. You can’t go wrong!
This dual-narrative introduces readers to Lita Perez and Chicky Quintanilla who live in Meteor, New Mexico. Best friends in childhood, the girls’ friendship ended their first year in high school because of the important secrets each girl was keeping. But now the two have come together for a common goal – to help Lita win the Miss Meteor Beauty Pageant. Lita is sure that she and her grandmother came from stardust brought to earth by the meteor that hit outside of town. (Just go with this, OK?) She now has silver bands of star stuff on her torso and they are expanding. Lita knows she is turning back into stardust and she wants to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming Miss Meteor before that happens. Chicky is struggling with her own issues but she hopes the $10,000.00 prize will help save her family’s struggling diner. Both girls also want to thwart the gorgeous mean girl whom everyone believes is a shoo-in for the crown.
This is such a fun premise! Lita definitely has her own fashion sense and both girls know it is going to take some expert help to turn her into a beauty queen. Enter Chicky’s three bickering older sisters who bring their considerable talents to the challenge. For me, the characters are definitely the stars of this story and the Quintanilla sisters nearly stole the show! The depiction of this sisterly relationship is truly hilarious. There are several other wonderful characters in the cast and this warm-hearted story celebrates many types of differences with each character finding their own way of being comfortable with who they are. A lot of issues are brought to this runway in a story that culminates in a wild final pageant that readers won’t forget.
This is a terrific book for teens who might feel out of place and provides a sweet message about being true to yourself and following your dreams.
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