Iveliz Explains It AllReview posted April 19, 2025.
Random House, 2022. 268 pages.
Review written February 15, 2023, from a library book.
Starred Review
2023 Newbery Honor Book
Iveliz is a seventh-grader who was hoping that everything would be better now that she's in seventh grade. But that didn't happen. We get to listen in on her thoughts and her struggles as we read her journal, written in poetry.
We learn pretty early that Iveliz had something awful happen a couple years ago, but we don't learn right away what it is. Now, her grandma from Puerto Rico is moving into their home because she's getting worse with Alzheimer's.
And even though Mimi loves her, she doesn't think Iveliz should take pills or go to therapy. One more person who thinks she's not enough. At school, she gets so mad at the bullies and fights back -- which disappoints her Mami. Why is Iveliz never good enough for her? And surely Iveliz can make some rules that will set things right again.
I read this book because it's a Newbery Honor book, and I appreciate the Newbery committee bringing it to my attention. It's a compassionate look at a kid for whom life is just getting too overwhelming, spotlighting mental health and finding people who care.