CANTO CONTIGO

Alejandro Antonio Ruiz embodies all of the roiling emotions in this compelling queer teen love story. Rafie’s intensity comes through clearly in Ruiz’s passionate narration. Rafie learned his love of mariachi from his abuelo. He’s devastated when his abuelo dies yet is determined to bring home another first-place trophy from the Mariachi Extravaganza. When his family moves to San Antonio, he learns his new school already has a lead singer—who happens to be Rey, the cute boy he met last year. Ruiz’s masterful narration captures all the anger, tension, and banter as Rafie and Rey learn to perform together and discover they’ve both held tight to their feelings for each other. Ruiz yells, cries, whispers, laughs, and sings, revealing all the many layers to Rafie and Rey’s story. E.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2024 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2024]