About Shut Up, This Is Serious
An unforgettable YA debut about two Latina teens growing up in East Oakland as they discover that the world is brimming with messy complexities, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Erika L. Sánchez.
Belén Dolores Itzel del Toro wants the normal stuff: to experience love or maybe have a boyfriend or at least just lose her virginity. But nothing is normal in East Oakland. Her father left her family. She’s at risk of not graduating. And Leti, her super-Catholic, nerdy-ass best friend, is pregnant–by the boyfriend she hasn’t told her parents about, because he’s Black, and her parents are racist.
Things are hella complicated.
Weighed by a depression she can’t seem to shake, Belén helps Leti, hangs out with an older guy, and cuts a lot of class. She soon realizes, though, that distractions are only temporary. Leti is becoming a mother. Classmates are getting ready for college. But what about Belén? What future is there for girls like her?
From debut author Carolina Ixta comes a fierce, intimate examination of friendship, chosen family, and the generational cycles we must break to become our truest selves.
- Complete Title: Shut Up, This Is Serious
- Format: Hardcover
- Language: English
- Number of Pages: 368
- Publication Time: January 9, 2024
- Publisher: Quill Tree Books
- ISBN: 0063287862
- ISBN13: 9780063287860
About Carolina Ixta
Carolina Ixta
Carolina Ixta is a writer from Oakland, California. A daughter of Mexican immigrants, she received her B.A. in Creative Writing and Spanish Language and Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and obtained her Master’s degree in Education at the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently an elementary school teacher whose pedagogy centers critical race theory at the primary education level. Shut Up, This is Serious is her debut novel.
Reviews Shut Up, This Is Serious
I could totally see this as a movie. A very good (and not too sweet) coming of age story. I love Oakland and having it be so central to the book brought me joy. It reads smoothly. Well crafted prose…
Traci Thomas
Shut Up, This Is Serious is a book I’ll never forget. Debut author Carolina Ixta weaved together an incredible story of friendship, family, and community. Set in East Oakland, the story follows main c…
Raha
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for an eARC. This book took me a minute to get into, but I loved it. It’s a very messy book with very messy characters and a very messy plot and I loved it. Ix…
Grey
Ixta is a star! This book is heartfelt, funny, and beautifully written. Propulsive and compelling, Ixta understands exactly what it means to write smart books for young people. A must-read…
Mo
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Belen’s narration introduces multiple, important and relevant plot points for young adults today without feeling tired or preachy. However, about halfway…
Kristin
Shut Up, This is Serious — A Remarkable YA Realistic Fiction JourneyI absolutely loved reading “Shut Up, This Is Serious” by Carolina Ixta! From start to finish, this YA realistic fiction book had m…
Johanny Ortega
Carolina Ixta’s Shut Up, This is Serious constructs a portrait of Oakland that captures the sense of home, joy, and terror of existing as a teenage Mexican girl in a community that both defines and li…
Leila
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book…
Brittany
Carolina Ixta shares stories of generational and religious trauma in Mexican immigrant families that are beautifully intertwined and realistic in Shut Up, This Is Serious. While Leti and Quentin deal…