ALA Booklist (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

In theory, 13-year-old Dalia loves roller coasters. She's watched hours of POV movies online, but she has yet to actually ride a coaster herself. Emotionally speaking, however, it's another story. Dalia is thrown for a few loops when her divorced dad reveals that not only is he dating again, but he has gotten engaged. And to make it worse, the woman he is engaged to has a daughter, Alexa. When Dalia finds out that Alexa (both girls are white) has planned an amusement park tour with her friend Dhruv (Indian American), Dalia asks if she and her friend Rani (Persian American) can tag along. Along the way, secrets are revealed, emotions run high, and although things never go truly off the rails, the kids end up closer to each other than they ever expected. In this debut novel, Arlow delves into the highs and lows of early adolescent relationships latonic and romantic rough a delightfully queer-positive and engrossing road-trip story.

Kirkus Reviews (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

A 13-year-old Long Island girl thinks she has her summer plans figured out-until her life turns upside down.With the end of summer looming, Dalia has one goal: to finally ride an actual roller coaster instead of living vicariously through point-of-view videos. Then she learns about Vanessa, her father's secret girlfriend. And that they are engaged and his fiancee has a college-aged daughter named Alexa. Anxious about this news that comes only a year after her mother left them, Dalia turns to her new swim-team friend, Rani, whom she's eager to get to know better. As the adults want the soon-to-be stepsisters to bond, Dalia, with Rani for company, is allowed to go off with Alexa and her college friend Dhruv on their weeklong amusement park road trip. Along the way, Dalia keeps some of her own secrets-including growing and confusing feelings for Rani that have her brain spinning. This first-person present narration quickens and slows just like the roller coasters Dalia obsesses over. Many readers will identify with the feelings of uncertainty around changing family dynamics and budding first crushes. While this book contains many elements that are widely relatable, the storyline around exploring sexuality is especially resonant. Dalia and her father are Polish American Jews; Vanessa is Colombian American, Rani is Persian American and Muslim, Dhruv is Indian American, and other characters default to White.A heartwarming, queer-affirming story. (Fiction. 8-13)

School Library Journal (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Gr 5 Up-A delightful middle grade debut exploring first crushes and family relationships. Dalia is upset to discover that her father has had a girlfriend for the past six months and is now getting married. Dalia always thought she and her father were close, so this comes as a shock. But the worst part isn't Vanessa, her dad's fiancée; it's Vanessa's college-aged daughter, Alexa. Alexa seems angry and uninterested in getting to know Dalia, but their parents want Alexa to cancel her week-long summer vacation to five amusement parks so she can bond with Dalia. Dalia, who is secretly obsessed with roller coasters (even though she has never been on one), has a better idea: She can come along. Everyone agrees that this could work, and Dalia is even lucky enough to bring her new friend, Rani. The trip gets off to a rocky start, but Dalia isn't too bothered, because she really enjoys spending time with Rani. When Dalia starts to think her feelings for Rani might be more than friendly, she finds some unexpected guidance from Alexa and her friend Dhruv. Dalia's inner thoughts feel authentic, and most other characters are well developed. The relationships between characters deepen at a natural pace, and tweens will enjoy trying to figure out if Rani likes Dalia, too. Characters' skin tones are not described; Dalia and her father are Jewish, and Rani is Muslim. VERDICT A super sweet LGBTQ romance for middle grade readers. Highly recommended.Lisa Buffi, Sterling M.S., VA