The Luis Ortega Survival Club

From the bestselling author of the National Book Award Finalist The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School comes a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing. An ideal next read for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson.

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers—despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.

But what does it take to expose a predator when everyone is on his side?

• Autistic Main Character: Meet Ari, a girl who wants to be seen but struggles to speak. Her journey to find her voice after trauma is both heartbreaking and empowering.
• Sapphic Romance: In the midst of seeking justice, Ari finds an unexpected connection with Shawni, the last person she ever expected to fall for—and Luis's ex-girlfriend.
• Revenge Plot: A mysterious note in a locker is the first clue that leads Ari to The Luis Ortega Survival Club, a secret group of students united to take down a predator.
• Confronting Rape Culture: This unflinching story tackles slut-shaming, bullying, and the fight for justice in a high school that would rather look the other way.