Early reviews for HOLLY HERNANDEZ AND THE DEATH OF DISCO are in!

Kirkus Reviews gives it a thumbs up:

“This fast-paced, skillfully developed murder mystery offers equal billing to both characters, their separate lives, and their individual problems while also examining gender inequality and social injustice and providing an interesting look at the history of disco as a safe place for queer people and people of color. Part of the novel’s charm is that Xander sees Holly as his nemesis while Holly is blissfully oblivious to the boy’s competitive feelings. Holly, Xander, and their families are Latinx. . . . A fun murder mystery with a side of disco fever. (Mystery. 12-18)”

(I’ve been named in Kirkus Reviews articles before but this is the first review that was all mine, and I couldn’t be prouder.)

The School Library Journal also thinks HOLLY is groovin’:

“Readers will find plenty of action and suspense, a complex mystery, as well as humor and a slew of interesting characters. The 1979 setting–with the absence of current technology such as cell phones and laptops–sets a refreshing stage where the characters use other methods to uncover information. Readers will appreciate the detailed world created, enriched by the addition of appendices following the story which give additional insight to some of the characters. VERDICT A complex, exciting mystery that will leave readers hoping for a sequel.”

Gracias to Selenia Paz of Harris County Public Library, Houston, for that review!

“This twist on the classic whodunit brings to life the end times of disco as two New York City teenagers attempt to unravel a cryptic murder that has rocked their high school. From glittery discotheques to strange passages between classrooms, mystical mysteries are infused into a fun, historical murder case that takes a fresh approach to teenage angst, anxiety, and the need to belong.”—ALA Booklist