Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend

April 24, 2023
Gary Võ and his best friend Preston Tru˘,o˘,ng, both 16 and Vietnamese American, often feel invisible in their majority-white school. But when popular kid Jordan Tellender, who reads as white, offers Gary the chance to be initiated into his exclusive Rooster Society, things begin looking up for the two friends. All Gary needs to do is befriend beautiful classmate Gloria Buenrostro—and steal and deliver to Jordan one of Gloria’s personal items, “worthy enough to be deemed a token” of Gary’s loyalty to Jordan and his crew. After a brief misunderstanding, Gary finds himself tandem biking across town with Latinx-cued Gloria, making deliveries for her family’s tailor and tamales business. Pressure from Jordan reminds Gary of their goal, but as Gary and Gloria grow closer, they open up about their lives in a way they never have with their friends or families, causing Gary to reconsider whether popularity is worth everything he could lose. Their easygoing relationship adds levity to thought-provoking themes of wealth privilege, stereotyping, and insecurity. In this sweetly rendered debut, Hoàng employs well-paced plot points and dynamic character development that coalesce into an amicable tale. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Jennette, Stonesong Literary.

May 1, 2023
A boy befriends the most beautiful girl in school, hoping to get in with the popular crowd. It is the summer before junior year, and Gary V� and best friend Preston are ready for a change. Being working-class Vietnamese American kids at a mostly White school in a wealthy neighborhood means they are always on the outside. So, when Gary runs into Gloria Buenrostro, his accomplished, popular Mexican American classmate, making deliveries of altered clothes and tamales in his neighborhood, he takes the opportunity to get to know her. When the popular boys catch wind that Gary is hanging out with Gloria, they offer him and Preston the opportunity to join their club, the Rooster Society. All Gary has to do is steal the silver bracelet Gloria always wears as a trophy for the society's collection of possessions taken from "the hottest girls in school." As the summer goes on, Gary and Gloria become close and open up to each other. With mounting pressure from Preston and the Roosters, Gary struggles with his desire to be popular and the potential loss of a real friend. This is a sincere story of unexpected bonds and self-discovery. The lightness of the summer adventures is balanced by raw, honest conversations and depictions of Gary's poverty and Gloria's parents' conflicts. Mental health and toxic masculinity are also explored throughout the novel. A moving story of true friendship. (Fiction. 13-18)

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