Olivia Blakley just wants to be away from her family and classmates to work on her own interests. But when her father decides to run for governor of California, there's little chance of that happening, as she's forced into the spotlight. In attempts to deal with that spotlight, and to maintain a perfect public image, her bulimia worsens. It's not until she reaches a breaking point that she begins to realize that she's got something to live for d to love. Perennially popular de la Cruz is back with a novel reminiscent of Alexandra Ballard's What I Lost (2017), with de la Cruz ably depicting anxieties that most teens deal with on a daily basis: romance, school, family, and futures. She allows readers to dive right into Olivia's first-person journey toward learning to love herself. Filled with a great deal of teenage angst, this tale will be relevant to many young adults trying to survive daily pressures. De la Cruz might be best known for her fantasy work, but her realist work is strong as well.

What people see when they look at 16-year-old Liv Blakely: the slim, pretty, and artistic daughter of a California congressman. What Liv thinks they see: a fat, unlovable screwup who doesn-t fit in with her family or at her posh Los Angeles high school, which is filled with models and actors. Since the part that seems easiest to fix is her weight, Liv fasts, binges, and purges in secret. When her controlling father announces that he-s running for governor and her handsome actor crush starts noticing her, the pressure amps up, and her life gets even more out of control. De la Cruz (Alex and Eliza) has a good handle on the details of eating-disordered behavior, particularly the disjunction between mindset and reality and having to hit bottom before getting help. Other plot points, though, particularly Liv-s inspirational chance meeting with her favorite artist and her relationship with a boyfriend who veers from unbelievably perfect to unbelievably awful, end up feeling more contrived than realistic. Ages 13-up. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment. (Jan.)