Natalia Sylvester's inspired YA debut shrewdly tackles the growing political divide in the United States with a timely presidential race.
Cuban American Mariana Ruiz's father is attempting to secure his bid as GOP candidate for president of the United States. Descendants of Cuban "political exiles," the Ruizes maintain unapologetic ties to their roots but, despite Senator Ruiz's charm, he is often accused of "turning his back on his own community." Her parents had promised that 15-year-old Mari and her little brother, Ricky, could stay out of the campaign. But the increasingly creepy campaign manager urges that in order to be seen as "just like any American family," the Ruiz family needs to present a united front. Ricky, like his dad, is a natural in front of the cameras. Mari, however, causes a media frenzy when she runs away the night of a big televised interview--she realizes she doesn't know what her father's policies are, even though she's supposed to agree with them.
In Running, Miami's diversity is demonstrated through Mari's circle of friends and her family: Senator Ruiz and Ricky are white-passing, while Mari and her mother are light brown. Sylvester's use of Spanish is incorporated naturally, such as how Mari prefers her name pronounced "in Spanish, like sea, like mar. My name is like the ocean." In beautifully laconic prose, Sylvester weaves in hard truths as she deftly unravels Mari's privilege. Themes of clickbait journalism, gaslighting and racial microaggression are confronted without ever becoming didactic. Expert plotting and pacing lead to a cathartic revelation that urges Mari to not just find her voice, but to raise it for everyone to hear. --Zoraida Córdova, author and freelance book reviewer