The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky

Gr 9 Up–Brett recognizes that his relationship with food is unhealthy. Shortly after moving in with his best friend due to his adoptive mother’s cancer diagnosis, he binge eats during late-night vodka-laced trips through fast food drive-thrus. He opens up to his school counselor who encourages him to keep a food journal tracking when he eats, what he eats, and how he is feeling when he eats. While not entirely happy to oblige, he does so until one day a part of his food journal goes mysteriously viral online. In addition to his unwanted fame, Brett’s disordered eating leads to a strained relationship with his best friend Reed while at the same time paving the path for an unsuspecting friendship with his classmate Mallory. With this novel, Galarza handles difficult topics with an intense amount of care (and humor). Brett is Mexican American and Mestizo while supporting characters read as white. A must-have for library collections based on its merit alone; Galarza has crafted an inviting and poignant story that is impossible to put down.