Ultraviolet - Hardcover

by Aida Salazar (Author)

A PURA BELPRÉ AWARD HONOR BOOK

Sometimes life explodes in technicolor.

In the spirit of Judy Blume, award-winning author Aida Salazar tells it like it is about puberty, hormones, and first love in this hilarious, heartwarming, and highly relatable coming-of-age story. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, and Adib Khorram.

"Savagely funny and deeply human." --New York Times Review

* "Stunning...A story that sings to the soul." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

For Elio Solis, eighth grade fizzes with change--His body teeming with hormones. His feelings that flow like lava. His relationship with Pops, who's always telling him to man up, the Solis way. And especially Camelia, his first girlfriend.

But then, betrayal and heartbreak send Elio spiraling toward revenge, a fight to prove his manhood, and defend Camelia's honor. He doesn't anticipate the dire consequences--or that Camelia's not looking for a savior.

Ultraviolet, a novel-in-verse, digs deep into themes of consent, puberty, masculinity, and the emotional lives of boys, as it challenges stereotypes and offers another way to be in the world.

Author Biography

Aida Salazar is an award-winning author and arts activist whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. She has written several multi-award-winning middle-grade verse novels, including The Moon Within, Land of the Cranes, and Ultraviolet, an ALA Notable and Pura Belpré Honor Book. Her acclaimed picture books include the Caldecott Honor Book Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter, illustrated by Molly Mendoza, and In the Spirit of a Dream: 13 Stories of American Immigrants of Color. Salazar lives with her family of artists in Oakland, California.