Could you plan the Fall Formal with your (hot) nemesis? Whit Rivera is about to find out.

Frenemies Whit and Zay have been at odds for years (ever since he broke up with her in, like, the most embarrassing way imaginable), so when they’re forced to organize the fall formal together, it's a literal disaster. Sparks fly as Whitney—type-A, passionate, a perfectionist, and a certified sweater-weather fanatic—butts heads with Zay, a dry, relaxed skater boy who takes everything in stride. But not all of those sparks are bad. . . .

Has their feud been a big misunderstanding all along?

Blisteringly funny and profoundly well-observed, The Fall of Whit Rivera is a snug and cozy autumn romcom that also tackles weightier topics like PCOS, chronic illness, sexuality, fatphobia, Latine identity, and class. Funny, honest, insightful, romantic, and poignant, it is classic Crystal Maldonado—and it will have her legion of fans absolutely swooning.

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Meaningful. . . Multidimensional. . . An important addition to YA literature."Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A celebration of love in all its forms—family, friends, romance, and (especially!) self."—Monica Gomez-Hira, author of Once Upon a Quinceañera

"Satisfying and delightful... Maldonado shines!"—Kelly Jensen, editor and author of (Don't) Call Me Crazy, Body Talk, and Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World
Crystal Maldonado is a young adult author with a lot of feelings. Her debut novel, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, is a New England Book Award winner, a Cosmopolitan Best New Book, and a POPSUGAR Best New YA Novel, while her sophmore novel, No Filter and Other Lies, was a POPSUGAR and Seventeen Best New YA. By day, Crystal works in higher ed marketing, and by night, is a writer who loves Beyoncé, shopping, spending too much time on her phone, and being extra. Her work has also been published in Latina, BuzzFeed, and the Hartford Courant. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog. Find her everywhere @crystalwrote or CrystalWrote.com.
  • LONGLIST | 2024
    Massachusetts Book Award
  • SELECTION | 2023
    Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books
  • SELECTION | 2023
    New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
"A pumpkin-spice-latte-flavored treat. . . ."—PEOPLE Magazine

★ "A sentimental story about friendship, family, and love as sweet as a pumpkin spice latte."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Maldonado wraps this sweet romance in a satisfying story of self-acceptance, surrounding Whit with a fully realized cast of family and friends. Readers will swoon as they watch Whit and Zay fall for each other, but they'll love watching Whit fall in love with herself even more."—Booklist
 
"Maldonado’s writing warmly captures the charms and challenges of high school life for a Latina in a fat body, believably rendering the struggles and idiosyncrasies of teenagerhood. The heart-fluttering romance that ensues with the thoughtful Zay makes for a cozy autumnal read, but the depictions of friendship, family, and navigation of a chronic illness make this a solid read for all seasons."The Horn Book

"This novel celebrates the less than perfect with a lot of Rory Gilmore energy and some Gabi, a Girl in Pieces."The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Vivid prose by Maldonado (No Filter and Other Lies), paired with ample romantic and lighthearted antics, aids in levying serious interrogations of anti-fatness, chronic illness, and medical gaslighting, making for a compassionate and cozy read."—Publishers Weekly

About

Could you plan the Fall Formal with your (hot) nemesis? Whit Rivera is about to find out.

Frenemies Whit and Zay have been at odds for years (ever since he broke up with her in, like, the most embarrassing way imaginable), so when they’re forced to organize the fall formal together, it's a literal disaster. Sparks fly as Whitney—type-A, passionate, a perfectionist, and a certified sweater-weather fanatic—butts heads with Zay, a dry, relaxed skater boy who takes everything in stride. But not all of those sparks are bad. . . .

Has their feud been a big misunderstanding all along?

Blisteringly funny and profoundly well-observed, The Fall of Whit Rivera is a snug and cozy autumn romcom that also tackles weightier topics like PCOS, chronic illness, sexuality, fatphobia, Latine identity, and class. Funny, honest, insightful, romantic, and poignant, it is classic Crystal Maldonado—and it will have her legion of fans absolutely swooning.

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Meaningful. . . Multidimensional. . . An important addition to YA literature."Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A celebration of love in all its forms—family, friends, romance, and (especially!) self."—Monica Gomez-Hira, author of Once Upon a Quinceañera

"Satisfying and delightful... Maldonado shines!"—Kelly Jensen, editor and author of (Don't) Call Me Crazy, Body Talk, and Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World

Author

Crystal Maldonado is a young adult author with a lot of feelings. Her debut novel, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, is a New England Book Award winner, a Cosmopolitan Best New Book, and a POPSUGAR Best New YA Novel, while her sophmore novel, No Filter and Other Lies, was a POPSUGAR and Seventeen Best New YA. By day, Crystal works in higher ed marketing, and by night, is a writer who loves Beyoncé, shopping, spending too much time on her phone, and being extra. Her work has also been published in Latina, BuzzFeed, and the Hartford Courant. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog. Find her everywhere @crystalwrote or CrystalWrote.com.

Awards

  • LONGLIST | 2024
    Massachusetts Book Award
  • SELECTION | 2023
    Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books
  • SELECTION | 2023
    New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age

Praise

"A pumpkin-spice-latte-flavored treat. . . ."—PEOPLE Magazine

★ "A sentimental story about friendship, family, and love as sweet as a pumpkin spice latte."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Maldonado wraps this sweet romance in a satisfying story of self-acceptance, surrounding Whit with a fully realized cast of family and friends. Readers will swoon as they watch Whit and Zay fall for each other, but they'll love watching Whit fall in love with herself even more."—Booklist
 
"Maldonado’s writing warmly captures the charms and challenges of high school life for a Latina in a fat body, believably rendering the struggles and idiosyncrasies of teenagerhood. The heart-fluttering romance that ensues with the thoughtful Zay makes for a cozy autumnal read, but the depictions of friendship, family, and navigation of a chronic illness make this a solid read for all seasons."The Horn Book

"This novel celebrates the less than perfect with a lot of Rory Gilmore energy and some Gabi, a Girl in Pieces."The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Vivid prose by Maldonado (No Filter and Other Lies), paired with ample romantic and lighthearted antics, aids in levying serious interrogations of anti-fatness, chronic illness, and medical gaslighting, making for a compassionate and cozy read."—Publishers Weekly

PRH Education High School Collections

All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019)   The Penguin Random House High

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PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

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PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

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