Eighteen Roses

by Shannon C. F. Rogers

Overview

Lucia Cruz may be turning eighteen this year, but she is not the debutante type. Everything about a traditional Filipino debut feels all wrong for her. Besides, custom dictates that eighteen friends attend her for a special ceremony on her birthday, and Lucia only has one friend– Esmé Mares. They've stuck to each other's side all throughout high school, content to be friends with only each other. At least, Lucia thought they were content.

As it turns out, Esmé wants something different out of her senior year. And, on top of that, Lucia's mom has planned a debutante ball for her birthday behind her back. She'll be forced to cobble together a court of eighteen “friends” before her beloved lola arrives from the Philippines for this blessed occasion.

How far will Lucia stray from her comfort zone in order to play the role of dutiful daughter and granddaughter? Will she do the unthinkable– participating in a school sponsored activity? Will she discover that her sense of humor can be a way to connect with people, not just push them away?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250845733
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	07/30/2024
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	415,991
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	15 - 18 Years

About the Author

Shannon C.F. Rogers is a writer of young adult novels, short fiction, and plays. A former editor on Lunch Ticket, her work has appeared in Bodega Magazine and Newfound Journal as well as on stage with Tricklock Company and Lady Luck Productions. She earned her B.A. in creative writing from the University of New Mexico and her MFA in writing for young people at Antioch University Los Angeles. As an educator Shannon has served school communities in Albuquerque, Chicago, and New York City. She is the author of I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom. Shannon is based in Brooklyn, NY.

Editorial Reviews

04/29/2024

Seventeen-year-old half white, half Filipino Lucia Elenemaria Cruz is grateful that her 18th birthday isn’t going to be a traditional debut. It clashes with her casual style, the complexities of planning such a thing make her anxious, and after falling out with her only friend, it’s not like she’d have anyone to invite. When, during her cousin’s debutante ball, Lucia learns that her mother has secretly started planning one for Lucia, she’s furious yet skeptical. Lucia is constantly comparing herself to her more affluent relatives, and her Filipino mother works two jobs. With little money to pay for the event, how will it even happen? Things change when Lucia learns that her beloved grandmother will be arriving from the Philippines for her debut. Lonely and unsure of herself, Lucia joins her school’s comedy club, hoping that writing stand-up material will help her express herself over this period of rapid change. Rogers (I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom) attentively depicts issues surrounding race, gender, parental responsibility, divorce, and self-esteem via Lucia’s numerous relationships, particularly with her mother. Lucia’s stand-up comedy seeds humor throughout this cathartic read. Ages 15–up. Agent: Serene Hakim, Ayesha Pande Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Rogers (I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom) attentively depicts issues surrounding race, gender, parental responsibility, divorce, and self-esteem via Lucia’s numerous relationships, particularly with her mother. Lucia’s stand-up comedy seeds humor throughout this cathartic read." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2024-04-20
A Filipina American teen in Albuquerque uses humor to navigate life’s challenges.

Lucia Cruz loves old movies and baggy clothes and doesn’t care about her appearance. Although she’s turning 18 soon, she wants nothing to do with the Filipino tradition of glitzy, glamorous debutante balls. She’d need 18 friends for a special choreographed dance, but she has only one, Esmé Mares. That is, until Esmé decides they’ve been stagnating and should branch out socially. Then Lucia discovers that her divorced mother has invited everyone in the family—including her lola in the Philippines—to a debut that she’s secretly planning. Although she’s initially outraged, Lucia desperately wants to see Lola. Realizing how much it means to Mom, who’s working two jobs, she ends up trying to plan a perfect debut on a tight budget. Desperate to somehow find 17 friends (in addition to her younger sister) for the ceremony, she joins the stand-up comedy club at school. She’s always loved making Esmé laugh, but now Lucia’s sense of humor might lead to more connections and help her with self-reflection. Rogers’ sophomore novel features rich, deep representation of Filipino experience in the U.S. as well as strong character development, as it follows a loner who finds connections one small, imperfect step at a time. Through her journey of opening up and embracing vulnerability, Lucia, whose father is white, navigates the pressures of complicated family dynamics and community expectations.

Beautiful, relatable, and full of emotion. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews