This week we’re checking out an upcoming book from Holiday House, The Fall of Whit Rivera. Created by Crystal Maldonado, the book marks the third novel from the award-winning YA author (other titles include Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, and No Filter and Other Lies).
Maldonado’s latest tale explores topics such as PCOS, chronic illness, sexuality, fatphobia, Latine identity, and class. Read more below:
Could you plan the Fall Formal with your (hot) nemesis? Whit Rivera is about to find out. Frenemies Whit and Zay have been at odds for years (ever since he broke up with her in, like, the most embarrassing way imaginable), but when they’re forced to organize the fall formal together, everything changes. Sparks fly as Whitney— type-A, passionate, a perfectionist, and a certified sweater-weather fanatic—butts heads with Zay, a dry, relaxed skater boy who takes everything in stride. But not all of those sparks are bad. . . . Has their friction been a big misunderstanding all along?
Maldonado shares:
“I came up with the basic concept for “The Fall of Whit Rivera” while I was sitting in a parking lot on a rainy day, drinking a pumpkin spice coffee, waiting for my daughter to finish up her day at daycare. I felt so cozy in that moment and I wanted to create a book that captured that same vibe—and Whit’s story was born. The book explores so many concepts, including identity, chronic illness, and bodies, while also (I hope!) offering a feeling of warmth that comes with the best parts of autumn.“In all of my stories, I hope to create experiences that feel validating to readers and meet them wherever they are in their lives right now. Though there is specificity in Whit’s story—she is an autumn-obsessed, fat, brown girl dealing with an invisible illness—I hope any reader who picks up the book feels like the story is a reminder that they matter. Because they do.”
