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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Diederich, Phillippe

Lalo Lespérance Never Forgot

256 pp. | Dutton | September, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9780593354285 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593354308 $10.99
(2) 4-6 In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, middle schooler Lalo Lespérance is doing his best to adapt to virtual school and make social connections in his Florida apartment complex. Lalo struggles with severe short- and long-term memory loss, triggered by childhood trauma. He is also frustrated by others' inability to accept him as both Mexican and Haitian American. Diederich's descriptive writing stimulates all five senses as Lalo learns about Mexican culture from his neighbor Vivi's abuela and finds ways to manifest some of his key missing memories with a little help from a seemingly magical vintage radio and belief in traditional Mexican spiritualism. Lalo's character offers an important portrayal of Afro-Latin identity for contemporary readers. His story provides an example of how discrimination can come from outside and within the Hispanic/Latin community and how traumatizing that can be for a young person trying to form a sense of self. By framing Lalo's memory issues positively as a reason for "accommodations" in school, Diederich elevates and supports the character's unique life journey. He is a young man who can help others see the best in themselves.
Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

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