The Fall of Whit Rivera

By Crystal Maldonado

Publisher Description

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

A MASSACHUSETTS BOOK AWARD WINNER!

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 England Book Award Finalist ● A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year● A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year ● A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection ● A TAYSHAS Reading List Selection ● A Parnassus Books Pick ● Named to the ALA Rainbow List

"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

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130 Reviews

4.0

sealedz

Created 12 days ago

Believable Change and grow Diverse representation

Sofia Rose

Created 15 days ago

“LOVEEEEEE! A TRUE FIVE STAR READ! As someone with PCOS, I turn to books to look for representation and unfortunately the selection is quite limited. This book depicts PCOS beautifully and realistically. It discusses the real life struggles of someone dealing with the chronic illness while trying to learn and grow into the world. Would highly highly recommend for anybody to read especially those with PCOS or people know someone with PCOS and want to understand better.”

Change and grow Diverse representation Minor characters stand out Multilayered Well-structured Realistic Setting fits the story Beautifully-written Fat phobia

Jenny

Created 20 days ago

Nayara

Created 22 days ago

Likeable Relatable Strong relationships Clichéd Well-structured Realistic Easy to read Simplistic Fat phobia Grief

Magpiebooks

Created 23 days ago

About Crystal Maldonado

Crystal Maldonado is a young adult author of inclusive romcoms for fat, brown girls. She has written the award-winning novels The Fall of Whit Rivera; Fat Chance, Charlie Vega; and No Filter and Other Lies, as well as a middle grade novel called Camp Sylvania: Moon Madness, co-written with #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy. Her forthcoming YA romcom, Get Real, Chloe Torres, releases in spring 2025. Follow her everywhere @crystalwrote.