Chose this one when I noticed it in Libby and I liked the cover. It's a YA novel about a high school girl in Miami whose father, a Senator, is running for President. (It seems clear that he's a Republican and is likely modeled on Marco Rubio.) 0

Mari doesn't love being in the spotlight, or being told how to behave and what to say by the people managing her father's campaign. As the Florida primary gets closer and things start heating up in Miami with an environmental crisis and some bad news for her best friend's family Mari begins to realize that her father "the politician" might be very different from the father she knows in her personal life. She begins to pay more attention to what he's really saying and what his political policy might be and how that differs in a many ways from her own feelings and what she THINKS her father stands for. She's at a crossroads and she needs to figure out how to be true to herself even when that might conflict with his political ambitions. ( )

Cuban-American Mariana is running. She is running to keep up with her rapidly changing life as her father's political career becomes front and centre for her family. Her life will now play out in the media for all to see. Every blemish will be noticed and every smile judged for it's sincerity. I thought this was a good exploration of how violated a person can feel when they become a public figure up for scrutiny. Finding out that your parent may not be the hero you always thought they were is also quite a relatable theme, and Mari's struggle to speak out against her father felt believable. Her pain was evident as she developed an understanding of how her father was potentially failing the people he claimed to be proud to represent. I enjoyed Mari's friendships and loved that there wasn't any romance. I thought it was really important that the author also raised awareness of how Gloria, her friend and father's employee, had negative media attention directed towards her and her girlfriend because of their romantic relationships. Politics has lots of victims. The author's notes reveal that the environmental concerns covered in the book were based on a real Bill that was passed in the Florida House and Senate but was ultimately vetoed by the Senator after people raised concerns over potential health issues. Pretty inspiring stuff happens when people speak out. ( )

Mariana Ruiz's dad is running of president as a Cuban-American Republican. It is primary season and the family's life is being disrupted on a whole other level than previous campaign seasons. For the south Florida family, winning in their home state is essential. But Mari has stage fright and doesn't want to be overly involved. She's never really explored her dad's platform or record. When she meets another girl at her school who is very politically engaged, she gets a little curious. There's friend drama. Mari chooses the environment as the topic for her activism project at school, and finds that while her dad talks a good game in practice the area around her town and its drinking water is suffering.
Finding ones voice and beliefs is at the core of the story. Interesting supporting characters in her family and friend group help Mari as she grows in her awareness and in her personal set of beliefs. ( )

A very timely book given the election is almost upon us. Mari's faith in her father's integrity, honesty and willingness to keep his promises is rock solid when the story begins. Granted, she's fifteen and hasn't had to worry about going without, but it isn't long before his demands of her for his presidential campaign become too much. She's gut wrenching anxious when pushed to speak in front of reporters or cameras. When she hits a breaking point and flees just before a tour of their home is to be broadcast live, it's the beginning of a series of changes neither she, nor her family could have foreseen. It involves what she learns about the campaign, some by accident, more from a group of fellow students who refuse to sit back and not get involved, not to mention what happens to one of her best friends and that friend's grandmother. Grab the book and find out how it all turns out. I bet you'll be as satisfied as I am. I suspect many teens from political families as well as ones from high expectation corporate ones will see some of their own struggles in what Mari must go through. ( )

Five stars all the way for this debut YA book about Mari, a 15-year-old Cuban American girl from Miami Florida, whose father is running for US president. Its about family, finding your voice and growing up Latina with a healthy dose of current issues that are very familiar in other parts of the country. I’m so glad authors are finding ways to connect teens other than romances. Natalie Sylvester knows how to appeal to young leaders and activists. One thing, these past 3.5 years have shown us is intelligent, well-spoken kids ready to take on leadership roles. A very timely book. ( )