This month, I was scrolling through my Kindle trying to figure out which book I should review when I came across The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes (they/them). In the past, I had overlooked it because I had the preconceived notion that it might be too “on the nose” or stereotypical. Let me be the first to say, I was wrong.
Reyes’s debut novel, which was a National Book Award finalist, is funny, heartwarming, and nuanced. Broken down into chapters titled in the style of The Ten Commandments (i.e., Chapter 1: Thou Shalt Not Trust a Two-Faced Bitch), it follows Yamilet Flores, a sixteen-year-old Mexican American young woman who has just transferred into Slayton Catholic with her brother, Cesar. Cesar is younger than Yami, but he skipped a grade, so he and Yami are both starting their junior year of high school. Yami’s mother has transferred Yami and Cesar to Slayton for a better education, but also because Cesar was getting into a lot of fights at their old school and she thinks it will be safer.
Yami knows she’s gay, but she is still reeling from being outed by her crush/ex-best friend at her old school and she hasn’t come out to Cesar or her parents. Yami’s father was deported to Mexico when she was ten years old. While Yami maintains regular communication with him through phone and text, she hasn’t seen him in years. Yami’s mother is struggling to support Yami and Cesar in her husband’s absence. She dotes on Cesar and puts undue pressure and responsibility on Yami to set a good example for him and keep him out of trouble. Yami is so worried that her mother will kick her out of the house if she comes out that she is secretly saving up money for an apartment.
Slayton presents a whole new set of challenges. Not only are most of the students white and affluent, but the school’s narrow-minded views on abortion and gay marriage are stifling to Yami even though she’s pretending to be straight. While charismatic Cesar seems to have no trouble fitting in, it is not as easy for Yami, whose plan is to 1) find a new best friend, and 2) not be gay about it. Enter Bo, the only openly queer girl at school. Smart, brave, and opinionated, Bo is a ray of light. She immediately earns Yami’s respect and piques her interest. Yami’s plan may be more difficult than she thought…
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I loved the inclusion of Black, Brown, Asian, Latine, and White characters as well as a range of sexualities, including lesbian, bisexual, and straight representation. I also really appreciated how Reyes demonstrated the burden that Yami shoulders in her family. As a young Latina woman, she is responsible for not only her actions, but those of her brother. She needs to get a job to contribute towards her tuition. She is expected to be a good daughter: helpful, cooperative, selfless, and respectful. She is also expected to be straight.
Reyes’s portrayal of Yami against the backdrop of these expectations is refreshing. Yami is a good daughter and a devoted sister, but she is also bold and irreverent. She lies and she makes mistakes. Sometimes she is selfish, sometimes she is selfless. Even when she is pretending to be straight, she is unwavering about her identity and coming out on her own terms. Reyes delivers an original protagonist with depth. I can’t wait to read more of their work.
Reyes is a queer second-generation immigrant who writes fiction celebrating queer and Mexican stories in a variety of genres. They have also written The Luis Ortega Survival Club and the adult romance novel, The Broposal. They also have contributed short stories to the anthologies Transmogrify! and For the Rest of Us. Their next novel, The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar will be published on September 16, 2025. You can find them on Instagram as @SonoraReyes or on sonorareyes.com.
Trigger warnings for homophobia, bullying, microaggressions, and discussions of assault, suicide, and suicidal ideation.
Raquel R. Rivera (she/her/ella) is a Latina lawyer and lady lover from New Jersey. She is in a lifelong love affair with books and earned countless free personal pan pizzas from the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program as a kid to prove it.
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