Its All or Nothing, Vale, Andrea Beatriz Arango
Its All or Nothing, Vale, Andrea Beatriz Arango
List: $14.00 | Sale: $9.80
Club: $7.00

It's All or Nothing, Vale

Author: Andrea Beatriz Arango

Narrator: Vico Ortiz

Unabridged: 3 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/11/2025


Synopsis

A poignant novel in verse in which, after a life-changing accident, one girl finds her way back to her life’s passion. From the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All.

A BOOKLIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • SHORTLISTED FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD

All these months of staring at the wall?
All these months of feeling weak?
It’s ending—
I’m going back to fencing.
And then it’ll be
like nothing ever happened.

No one knows hard work and dedication like Valentina Camacho. And Vale’s thing is fencing. She’s the top athlete at her fencing gym. Or she was . . . until the accident.

After months away, Vale is finally cleared to fence again, but it’s much harder than before. Her body doesn’t move the way it used to, and worst of all is the new number one: Myrka. When she sweeps Vale aside with her perfect form and easy smile, Vale just can’t accept that. But the harder Vale fights to catch up, the more she realizes her injury isn’t the only thing holding her back. If she can’t leave her accident in the past, then what does she have to look forward to?

In this moving novel from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, one girl finds her way back to her life’s passion and discovers that the sum of a person's achievements doesn’t amount to the whole of them.

About The Author

Andrea Beatriz Arango is the author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she first became a teacher. She then spent a decade in the United States working in public schools and nonprofits. When she’s not busy writing about middle schoolers and their families, you can find her hoping to spot manatees at the beach. Andrea lives in Puerto Rico with her family and two dogs.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tamzen on December 13, 2024

You know what is so great about the time we live in? Middle grade books cover SO MANY TOPICS and feelings and events, so that kids can read these books and be able to form their own wide range of thoughts and emotions, see themselves represented, and be given more tools for maturing. And then on the......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on January 18, 2025

I've been excited for this book for MONTHS and it sure didn't disappoint! A Sapphic middle grade novel in verse that follows a Portuguese American tween fencing champ who is trying to recover from a leg injury. The disability rep is TOP NOTCH and I loved the enemies to lovers/friendship vibes. This......more

Goodreads review by Rapunzel on February 10, 2025

This was my first read by Andrea Beatriz Arango, but I know I’ll be checking out her other books immediately. This is one of the best free verse books I can recall reading, with the perfect balance of lyricism, authenticity, and uniqueness to make me fall in love with Vale’s story. This story—one of......more

Goodreads review by Wilmarie on February 07, 2025

Andrea Beatriz Arango has yet to disappoint me. As a queer Boricua who also navigates chronic illness, I connect deeply with her stories, and "It's All or Nothing, Vale!" is no exception. I've loved all her work, from indie to traditionally published, and this one earns another high rating from me. V......more


Quotes

A CCBC Choices List Selection!

★ "Moving and insightful." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "This novel promises to be the rapier to the heart the reader needs to take control of their own choices." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Arango’s fans will celebrate the opportunity to read another poignant story told in verse; it packs a punch, and is brimming with love and optimism." —School Library Journal, starred review

"[A] narrative that highlights chosen family and the integral part it plays in forming one’s sense of self." —Publishers Weekly

"[A] beautiful reminder that there’s more to life than being the best." —The Bulletin

"Arango’s accessible verse strikes at Vale’s emotional core as she considers her worth and identity in the face of her challenges....the depiction of a brown-skinned, queer girl in the world of fencing is noteworthy." —The Horn Book


Awards

  • Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award