Shut Up, This Is Serious

*  A Morris Award Finalist * Parade Best Young Adult Books of All Time * Indie Next List Pick *

An unforgettable YA debut about two Latina teens growing up in East Oakland as they discover that the world is brimming with messy complexities, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Erika L. Sánchez.

Belén Dolores Itzel del Toro wants the normal stuff: to experience love or maybe have a boyfriend or at least just lose her virginity. But nothing is normal in East Oakland. Her father left her family. She’s at risk of not graduating. And Leti, her super-Catholic, nerdy-ass best friend, is pregnant from an interracial relationship—by the boyfriend she hasn’t told her parents about, because he’s Black, and her parents are racist.

Things are hella complicated in this coming-of-age story.

Weighed by teen mental health struggles and a depression she can’t seem to shake, Belén helps Leti, hangs out with an older guy, and cuts a lot of class. She soon realizes, though, that distractions are only temporary. Leti is becoming a mother. Classmates are getting ready for college. But what about Belén? What future is there for girls like her?

From debut author Carolina Ixta comes a fierce, intimate examination of friendship, chosen family, and the generational cycles we must break to become our truest selves.

• A Raw and Authentic Voice: Told with unflinching honesty, this contemporary YA novel captures the complexities of growing up in East Oakland, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Erika L. Sánchez.
• Complex Friendship: When Leti, a super-Catholic nerdy-ass best friend, gets pregnant by her Black boyfriend, her bond with Belén is tested as they navigate secrets, racist parents, and what it means to show up for each other.
• Teen Pregnancy and Hard Choices: Faced with a life-changing secret, Leti and Belén must confront the reality of becoming a mother while still in high school and the difficult decisions that come with it.
• Mental Health Representation: Belén struggles with a heavy depression she can’t seem to shake, offering a powerful and relatable look at teen mental health alongside the messy journey of self-discovery.