Author(s): Meg Medina
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright Year: 2022
ISBN/ISSN: 9781536219463
REVIEWED October 1, 2022
Rating: Recommended
Recommended Grade Levels: 3-8
This third book is a perfect and fitting conclusion to the Merci Suárez trilogy. In this slice-of-life, realistic fiction novel, Merci is once again realizing that friendships have their challenges and life has its ups and downs. Merci is now entering eighth grade and she and her friends are in a great place, but she soon discovers that she is not in any classes with them. Soon Avery, a popular girl who is on the soccer team with Merci, starts talking with her and being friendly, but also starts imposing on Merci's good will. When both groups of friends ask Merci to be their fourth roommate on the exciting overnight eighth grade field trip, Merci must decide where her loyalties lie. Additionally, Merci's home life is changing too, with her cousin's father appearing for the first time in seven years and her grandfather's health quickly declining. Meg Medina's powerful prose let readers connect with Merci and cheer her on as she deals with these challenges. Fans of the first two books will love this third installment and even those who haven't read the previous books will enjoy living alongside Merci as she tries to tackle the familiar challenges of eighth grade. This book would be a great fit for upper elementary and middle school libraries.
Michelle Bridges, Media Specialist, Fort Mill Middle School, Fort Mill, SC
Publisher's Product Description
In a satisfying finale to her trilogy, Newbery Medalist Meg Medina follows Merci Suárez into an eighth-grade year full of changes—evolving friendships, new responsibilities, and heartbreaking loss.
For Merci Suárez, eighth grade means a new haircut, nighttime football games, and an out-of-town overnight field trip. At home, it means more chores and keeping an eye on Lolo as his health worsens. It's a year filled with more responsibility and independence, but also with opportunities to reinvent herself. Merci has always been fine with not being one of the popular kids like Avery Sanders, who will probably be the soccer captain and is always traveling to fun places and buying new clothes. But then Avery starts talking to Merci more, and not just as a teammate. Does this mean they're friends? Merci wants to play it cool, but with Edna always in her business, it's only a matter of time before Merci has to decide where her loyalty stands. Whether Merci is facing school drama or changing family dynamics, readers will empathize as she discovers who she can count on—and what can change in an instant—in Meg Medina's heartfelt conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Newbery Medal–winning novel.
For Merci Suárez, eighth grade means a new haircut, nighttime football games, and an out-of-town overnight field trip. At home, it means more chores and keeping an eye on Lolo as his health worsens. It's a year filled with more responsibility and independence, but also with opportunities to reinvent herself. Merci has always been fine with not being one of the popular kids like Avery Sanders, who will probably be the soccer captain and is always traveling to fun places and buying new clothes. But then Avery starts talking to Merci more, and not just as a teammate. Does this mean they're friends? Merci wants to play it cool, but with Edna always in her business, it's only a matter of time before Merci has to decide where her loyalty stands. Whether Merci is facing school drama or changing family dynamics, readers will empathize as she discovers who she can count on—and what can change in an instant—in Meg Medina's heartfelt conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Newbery Medal–winning novel.
Media Type: Book, eBook
Binding: HC
# Pages: 352
Price: $18.99
Genre: Fiction
Sub-Genre: Realistic Fiction