The Truth About Triangles

Gr 4-7–Leali’s (The Civil War of Amos Abernathy) latest is a tasty, slice-of-life story of family, friendship, and pizza. Twelve-year-old Luca works in his Italian American family’s third-generation Chicago pizzeria. With his parents separating, the business failing, and a feeling that he’s the only one who can save it all, Luca submits an application for Mamma Gianna’s to be featured on Pizza Perfect starring his chef-idol, Travis Parker. At the same time, Luca also has to navigate the intersection of a long-term friendship with June and a budding maybe-more-than-friendship with Will. This novel uses the metaphor of shapes throughout. Luca describes himself as not feeling like a “whole shape” when things are out of his control. As relationships fracture and the pressure mounts, Luca will eventually have to reckon with his personal expectations and self-worth. Within this chaos, however, is an endearingly kind-hearted story that encourages readers to chase their dreams, meet their idols, and tell their crushes how they feel. Luca, Travis, and Will are queer, and Candace, a scout for Pizza Perfect, uses she/they pronouns. Outside Luca’s immediate family, Leali describes characters with a variety of skin tones and naming conventions.