Title: Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity

Author: Angela Velez

Publication Date: February 8, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary

Number of Pages: 400

From Goodreads: Overachiever Luz “Lulu” Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school’s cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can’t fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste.

Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college, or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own Spring Break plans (Operation: Lose Your Virginity) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she’d never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is.

On a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara’s secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood. 

Thank you, HCC Frenzy and Harper Collins Canada, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity is a coming-of-age story featuring two sisters, a cross country road trip, and many misunderstandings. This was a cute story with memorable characters, and I am very glad that I picked it up.

The first thing I want to talk about is the two main characters. Lulu and Milagro are sisters. Lulu is the youngest, Milagro is the middle child, and their older sister, Clara, is away at college. Lulu and Milagro don’t have a lot in common. Lulu is brilliant; she has big academic dreams and wants to make a difference in the world. Milagro spends a lot of time in detention, and she’s still trying to figure everything out, she doesn’t think she’s as smart as her siblings, and she’s not sure what her future holds, but she wants to have fun right now. I thought both of these characters were memorable, and I loved reading about them trying to figure everything out. I also loved how much Milagro cared about Lulu and how good she was at hyping her up and looking out for her.

I also liked that this book featured a cross-country college road trip. I liked seeing the different campuses, and I liked the buddy system in this book. I liked that all of the characters from the all-girls catholic school were paired with a character from the all-boys catholic school. I liked watching the friendship blossom between Milagro and her partner and Lulu and her partner. I also liked that while the characters were on the college tours, they got to sit in on classes and that there were activities planned to give them a taste of the campus.

One of my issues with this book was the lack of communication between Lulu and Milagro and their tendency to assume what the other was thinking. It usually annoys me when the plot of a book hinges on a lack of communication, but I was okay with it in this book because the characters are teenagers, and they were dealing with a lot. It would have been nice if Lulu had told Milagro that she was trying to figure out what was going on with Clara because I think they could have worked together to solve that mystery, but they did have a lot going on.

Overall, this was a cute, coming-of-age story. I liked the characters, the road trip, and watching the characters try to figure everything out. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for the next book that this author writes because I will be adding it to my TBR.

Rating: 4 Stars!

If you’re interested, you can purchase a copy of Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity from Amazon* here.

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