Crazy Messy Beautiful

November 28, 2016
For 16-year-old Neruda Diaz, love is a mystery, maybe the mystery. He comes by his fixation honestly: he’s named after Chilean love poet Pablo Neruda, his parents are still in love, and he thinks that beautiful Autumn Cho might be the one for him. Then mystery turns tragic: Neruda’s parents’ marriage is less stable than he thought, and—like her predecessors—Autumn isn’t interested. Neruda gets to paint a mural at school, but has to work with a guy he hates, and he and a girl he barely knows have to interview each other for a class assignment. Arcos (There Will Come a Time) makes Neruda thoughtful and real, and Callie Leibowitz, that near stranger from school, is tough, funny, and interesting. Neruda is half Chilean, his Los Angeles is realistically diverse, and he’s a reflective, engaging protagonist. Arcos capably probes the mysterious without attempting to solve it as Neruda discovers the difference between crushing on someone he doesn’t know and loving someone he does, learning that friendship, too, is a kind of love. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan.

November 15, 2016
Neruda Diaz carries around his legendary namesake's poems, but they haven't helped him find the love he desperately seeks. Latino 16-year-old Neruda Diaz was named in tribute to his Chilean father and grandfather's favorite poet, Pablo Neruda. A talented portrait artist, Neruda is determined to achieve the kind of overwhelming love "The Poet" captured, but so far he's "unluckiest in love" and has fallen unrequitedly for eight different girls. When his English teacher assigns a biography project, Neruda ends up partnered with aloof, white classmate Callie Leibowitz, who turns out to love volleyball, classic movies, and makeup art. Their blossoming friendship makes Neruda wonder if Callie could be the one, but his concept of love begins to waver as he uncovers a family betrayal. Though less of an issues book than the author's previous titles (There Will Come a Time, 2014; Out of Reach, 2012), there's still plenty of thought-provoking substance to Arcos' third. The focus on the power of friendship (Neruda's best friend, Mexican-American Ezra, is a recently released ex-con ready to restart his life), art (visual, literary, even makeup), and family relationships makes this considerably more layered than the typical high school romance. Neruda is a great example of the sort of thoughtful and artistic male protagonist teen literature really needs. This satisfying and unconventional love story explores the various meanings of the word. (Fiction. 13-18)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Neruda Wayne Diaz is a 16-year-old boy who is in love with Autumn Cho. He is named after the famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Neruda doesn't let having dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects how a person processes information, prevent him from being the artist he knows he is destined to become. It is through his art that he understands the complexities of people, like his classmate and soon-to-be friend Callie. His English teacher Mr. Nelson teams up classmates, and each student has to research his or her partner. Neruda is forced to put his thoughts onto paper-the same way he did back in eighth grade with his imprisoned pen pal, Ezra. It is the task of processing information that begins to conflict with Neruda's emotions as he tries to understand himself vicariously through his namesake, all while he has a growing suspicion about his father's infidelity. He questions whether his true love is right in front of him versus the girl he has admired from afar. From the very beginning, the author will pull in readers in this page-turning story of love and friendship. The narrative is believably told from the point of view of a relatable teen who is really connected to himself and his family. It is refreshing to read about a boy whose quest for love is mature and poetic. Arcos serves up a captivating work that is recommend for anyone who enjoys a fresh take on love. VERDICT A strong choice for libraries serving teens.-Keisha Miller, South Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016
Grades 8-11 Names have power, and for Neruda Diaz, the name of the Poet, Pablo Neruda, has shaped his conception of the world. Neruda longs to have a whirlwind romance as described in the Poet's works, but he must balance his ideas of romantic love with the reality of his father cheating on his mother, being forced to work with his nemesis on a mural, and his growing feelings for edgy goth girl Callie. As that relationship grows, the schism between his desire for love and his doubt in it grows wider. It is in learning more about who the Poet truly was that Neruda comes to understand that love is crazy, messy, and beautifullike all of life. The book shines most in Neruda's interplay with Callie, who hides her artistic side behind her hard edges, and Ezra, a repentant ex-convict friend whose regret provides guidance for Neruda's challenges. Arcos has written a classic story of a budding artist finding out the reality behind the artifice, and does so while keeping a wonderful sense of humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)