Becoming Beatriz

When the day of her quinceañera goes horribly wrong, Beatriz must put aside her dreams of dancing – and getting famous enough to change her life – in order to care for her grieving mami and run her deceased brother’s gang. Then, handsome brainiac new-kid Nasser invites her to compete with him in an ACT-SO dance tournament that could land her a chance to appear on TV and meet her idol, Debbie Allen. Beatriz’s dreams are coming back to life. But will the Diablos let her go? Set in 1980s Newark, New Jersey, this rhythmic and vital story follows an Afro-Latina high-schooler as she learns to define herself, make peace with her past, and take charge of her own destiny. A companion novel to LIKE VANESSA.