From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk and Strange Birds, a dazzling novel about a young girl who collects the missing pieces of her origin story from the family of legendary luchadores she’s never met.A 2023 Pura Belpré Author Honor BookTwelve-year-old Adela “Addie” Ramírez has a big decision to make when her stepfather proposes adoption. Addie loves Alex, the only father figure she’s ever known, but with a new half brother due in a few months and a big school theater performance on her mind, everything suddenly feels like it’s moving too fast. She has a million questions, and the first is about the young man in the photo she found hidden away in her mother’s things.
Addie’s sleuthing takes her to a New Mexico ranch, and her world expands to include the legendary Bravos: Rosie and Pancho, her paternal grandparents and former professional wrestlers; Eva and Maggie, her older identical twin cousins who love to spar in and out of the ring; Uncle Mateo, whose lucha couture and advice are unmatched; and Manny, her biological father, who’s in the midst of a career comeback. As luchadores, the Bravos’s legacy is strong. But being part of a family is so much harder—it’s about showing up, taking off your mask, and working through challenges together.
From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk, a dazzling novel about a young girl who learns the missing pieces of her origin story from the family of legendary luchadores she's never met.
Twelve-year-old Adela "Addie" Diaz has a big decision to make when her stepfather proposes adoption. Addie loves Alex, the only father figure she's ever known, and she's always wanted to be part of a family unit with a shared last name and members who live in the same house. But now that the opportunity has presented itself, Addie doesn't immediately accept like she thought she would. With a new half-sister due in a few months and a big school performance on her mind, everything suddenly feels like it's moving too fast. She has a million questions, and the first one is about the man in the photo she found hidden away in her mother's things.
In her search to learn where fifty percent of her genes come from, Addie's world expands to include the Bravos: Rosie and Pancho, her professional wrestling grandparents; Eva and Maggie, her older identical twin cousins who never take off their lucha masks; Uncle Mat, whose costume designs and advice are unmatched; Hijo, the stocky family dog; and Manny, her biological father. Their teamwork in the ring is strong, but being part of a family is about showing up, taking off your mask, and working through challenges together.
Story Locale: New Mexico
