Queerceañera

Gr 8 Up–Joaquin Zoido plans to have a quiet summer. He wants to work on his art and bask in being out and proud as his 18th birthday approaches. He doesn’t like making waves, especially when his barely-there mom seems to be pulling further away from him since he came out. He never does anything right by her, yet her godson Felix is perfect. What if she knew that Felix was his first kiss and first love? What if she knew Felix broke his heart when he moved away and ghosted him? Joaquin’s dad and sister, his biggest supporters, decide to throw him a huge queerceañera. Joaquin resists, but when the entire extended family gets involved to celebrate him, he feels validated and embraces the chaos. Felix takes things a step further to protect Joaquin from his mother by lying that he is Joaquin’s boyfriend and is escorting him to the party! Fake dating someone you love is hard, especially when Felix showers him with all the romance Joaquin has longed for. As the party approaches and the summer burns with unspoken feelings, can Joaquin get back his first love and make his mother see him in a new light? This heartfelt story builds like a telenovela as Joaquin’s Mexican American family gathers to create the most beautiful queerceañera, while the drama of fake-dating and second-chance romance adds to the mayhem. Romance enthusiasts will enjoy the new twists to these tropes, while the flowing dialogue and poignant moments make the story hard to put down.