Even If the Sky Falls

March 15, 2016
During a summer service trip to New Orleans, Julie escapes from her church group and revels in Mid-Summer Mardi Gras for one magical, romantic night. In New Orleans volunteering with her church, Julie sneaks away to the French Quarter to get away from a too-flirtatious team leader. There, after seeing the crowd dressed for August's Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, she crafts an impromptu fairy costume and then finds herself drawn to a black banjo player with an electric-blue Afro and a killer smile. They decide to spend the evening together but without the burden of real names. He calls her Lila (which means "night" in Arabic), and she names him Miles (like the musicians Davis and Kane) as they head out to visit his favorite haunts around NoLa. As the night progresses, the two are so caught up with each other they don't realize a dangerous storm is headed their way. The author's rich descriptions of New Orleans make the vibrant city come alive, from the music and ghost stories to the vampire lore and delicious beignets. The steamy atmosphere reflects the heated chemistry between Julie and Miles. Throughout the night, the characters share secrets, discuss serious issues, and explore Julie's Puerto Rican background in addition to Miles' experiences as a multigenerational New Orleanian. A compelling 24-hour romance that's as charged as its New Orleans setting. (Romance. 14-18)

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April 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-A fun and light summer read that is rife with Shakespearean references. Shipped off by her parents to New Orleans to help rebuild homes, Julia becomes fed up with her Christian youth group and the weight of problems she left back home. In a moment of inspiration, she decides to run away and join a midsummer Mardi Gras parade. Her decision to live in the moment leads her to an attractive and mysterious boy, whom she nicknames Miles. The two are immediately smitten, and slowly throughout the day they unload their burdens on each other, making a deeper connection. Their romance peaks as a hurricane descends on the city. Can their love survive even when nature itself is tearing them apart? In her debut novel, Garcia constructs a love story that captures the mysterious and beautiful spirit of New Orleans. The plot itself unravels like a hurricane, building and surging along with the storm. The story plateaus and tensions relax during the eye of the storm, but as quickly as the storm returns, so does the building action, which rages on until the final page. While underage drinking, discussion of sex, and a mild sex scene may make this book inappropriate for younger or more sensitive readers, it could be incorporated into a more mature teen book club, as it encourages discussions of post-traumatic stress, Shakespeare, and natural disasters. VERDICT Give to fans of Just One Day by Gayle Forman, Tempestuous by Kim Askew, or When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle.-Ellen Fitzgerald, White Oak Library District, Lockport, IL

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Julie, who's suffering from an unknown trauma, is volunteering in New Orleans with her "suffocating" Christian youth group. After she bolts into Mid-Summer Mardi Gras and takes up with a handsome local banjo player and his crew, wandering leads to healing and whirlwind romance as a tropical storm draws closer. A wild, sensitive, and vibrant love song to New Orleans, Shakespeare, and adolescence.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)