Publishers Weekly
★ 01/22/2024
When 13-year-old Elio Solis starts eighth grade and notices that all of his classmates have begun pairing up, he doesn’t understand their interest in love, until he meets Camelia. Suddenly, “all this love stuff smacked me/ on the jaw/ like a good right hook/ and knocked/ me/ out.” They start dating, and Elio experiences the world in ultraviolet (“Glow in the dark outrageous./ It’s what I see when Camelia’s around”) as they sneak kisses, share smoothies, and spend as much time together as possible. After their relationship ends badly and abruptly, Elio is left dealing with tumultuous feelings of anger, despair, and grief, which are amplified by the hormonal changes he experiences while undergoing puberty. Pops says he needs to “man up,” but Moms wants him to break away from toxic displays of masculinity. In a succinct, conversational style, Salazar (A Seed in the Sun) humorously and introspectively depicts the effects of puberty on Elio’s everyday life as he grapples with confusing messaging he receives about how to be a man. Issues around consent and patriarchal systems are handled with insight and sensitivity, culminating in a compassionate verse novel about first love, heartbreak, and vulnerability. Most characters are Latinx. Ages 10–up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt and Zacker Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Ultraviolet:
“Savagely funny and deeply human. . . .Each poem bursts with energy...Weaves sharp, witty social commentary into the narrative without being didactic. . . . Salazar, whose son helped inspire the novel, depicts Elio’s emotional trajectory with grace and empathy. ‘Ultraviolet’ beautifully captures the essence of what it means to be a boy trying to make himself into a good man.” —New York Times Review
* “Salazar writes from a place of abundant empathy. . . . Her frank but thoughtful approach to puberty and sexuality . . . provides valuable life lessons to young readers without tilting into preachiness. . . . Could inspire in-depth conversations on the broad spectrum of coming-of-age narratives and experiences. Yet another heartfelt and accessible tale of growing up from one of the best in modern children’s literature.” —School Library Journal, starred review
* “Written in Salazar’s stunning and highly accessible verse . . . this novel stands out for the thoughtful way it expresses a young boy’s perspective as it discusses topics such as masculinity and consent. . . . A story that sings to the soul.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* “In a succinct, conversational style, Salazar (A Seed in the Sun) humorously and introspectively depicts the effects of puberty on Elio’s everyday life as he grapples with confusing messaging he receives about how to be a man. Issues around consent and patriarchal systems are handled with insight and sensitivity, culminating in a compassionate verse novel about first love, heartbreak, and vulnerability.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “Salazar’s verse is captivating. . .Commenting on topics that range from patriarchy to colonialism, the internet to peer pressure, and first loves to heartbreaks, Salazar delivers a fully intersectional look at what it means to try to embody masculinity without toxicity. She filled a gap she saw in middle grade literature, and countless readers will see themselves in the pages, regardless of race or gender, but especially Latino boys.” —Book Page, starred review
"Ultraviolet is a lyrical explosion, true and beautiful, of the pains and joys of growing into a good man." — Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of I Am Not Alone and Marcelo in the Real World
"Honest and poignant. Aida Salazar hits the mark with this important and intensely relatable tale that perfectly captures the angst of growing up. A true gift to maturing tweens everywhere." — Ernesto Cisneros, award-winning author of Efren Divided
School Library Journal
★ 04/01/2024
Gr 5 Up—What does it mean to grow up and become a man? Salazar seeks to answer this question through sensitive eighth grader Elio in this companion to her celebrated novel in verse The Moon Within. The term "ultraviolet" refers to how he visualizes the depths of his emotions, especially when it comes to Camelia, the object of his affection. Yet relationship drama and pressure from his macho Pops make Elio question his manhood and sets him into a tailspin that threatens his tenderhearted nature. Salazar writes from a place of abundant empathy for all her characters—from rascally little sisters to wounded bullies—none more so than Pops, who needs to understand the reality of true masculinity the most of all. Her frank but thoughtful approach to puberty and sexuality, both from the perspective of public school students and from Indigenous Mexican traditions, further grounds Elio's story and provides valuable life lessons to young readers without tilting into preachiness. Although this book stands on its own, parents and teachers could inspire in-depth conversations on the broad spectrum of coming-of-age narratives and experiences by pairing this with The Moon Within. VERDICT Yet another heartfelt and accessible tale of growing up from one of the best in modern children's literature.—Alexandra Quay
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-01-05
Elio is in love for the first time—and he has no idea what to do about it.
Eighth grader Elio Solis is only 13, but he’s met the girl of his dreams. His feelings for Camelia are so profound that he sees things in ultraviolet: “Whoever heard of having your whole vision / change because you met some girl?” Growing up in East Oakland, California, Elio is trying to navigate social media, friendships, his family’s Mexican culture, and his changing body—all part of his quest to understand what it means to be a good boy who will grow into a good man. What does that look like when your father takes you to cockfights and your mother warns you about toxic masculinity? Most of all, how do you handle the crushing blows of a first heartbreak? Written in Salazar’s stunning and highly accessible verse, with Spanish words contextually woven in and easily understood by non-Spanish speakers, this novel stands out for the thoughtful way it expresses a young boy’s perspective as it discusses topics such as masculinity and consent. Elio and his dad join Brothers Rising, a group started by Fernando, Elio’s best friend Paco’s dad, which offers them community and a framework for honest conversations about coming of age and masculinity, as well as a beautiful rendering of Indigenous Mexican rituals.
A story that sings to the soul. (Verse fiction. 10-14)
