With love, Echo Park

Seventeen-year-old Clary Delgado works in La Rosa Blanca, her family's L.A. flower shop. When Jada Morrison walks into the store and introduces herself as Clary's half sister, Clary is unsettled--her mother left when she was young, so Clary was raised by her father and her Cuban grandparents. Unsure of what to do when Jada offers to connect her with their mother, Clary focuses on other things. To honor her Cuban heritage, she embarks on a quest to obtain historic recognition for La Rosa Blanca and Avalos Bicycle Works, the last two Cuban-owned businesses in Echo Park. She's perplexed and annoyed by neighbor Emilio Avalos's plans to leave L.A. following graduation rather than take over Avalos Bicycle Works. Lately, however, she feels as if their relationship is evolving, especially when Emilio offers to teach Clary to ride a bike. Expertly rendered characters and pitch-perfect interactions coalesce into a touching and emotionally satisfying novel by Namey (A British Girl's Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak) in which a small Cuban community forefronts love, unity, and support to navigate the consequences of secrets and the endless possibilities of the future. Ages 12--up. Agent: Natascha Morris, Tobias Literary. (Aug.)

Gr 7 Up--Cuban Americans Namey and Corzo reunite for a second convincing outing after A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. LA's Echo Park neighborhood is losing its Cuban American community. Clary, 17, is determined she'll keep her family's florist shop afloat, unlike Emilio from the bike shop who's leaving after graduation. Clary and Emilio grew up together, but they're not exactly friends: she's Thorn, he's Wheels--"I'm the sharp-edged part of his day, and he's a force rigged for motion." And then a half-sister Clary never knew about appears with news their mother--who abandoned a 10-day-old Clary--wants to reconnect. Raised by her father and Cuban grandparents, Clary has never lacked for love, but honesty is in limited supply. The very person Clary thought least likely to listen turns out to understand her best. VERDICT Corzo's usual earnestness strikes just the right tone for an unsettled Clary facing life-altering revelations and decisions.

A teen florist in Los Angeles tries to preserve her community's Cuban American heritage amid gentrification and surprise revelations. Seventeen-year-old Clary Delgado is incredibly proud of being part of the historic Latino neighborhood of Echo Park. Raised by her beloved grandparents and single father (Clary's birth mother abandoned her as a newborn), she's grown up in a tight-knit community of Cuban American business owners; her family owns the local flower shop, where she works. The Avalos family owns the neighboring bike shop, where her handsome rival, Emilio, is the heir apparent. Ever since childhood, Clary and Emilio have been trying to "outsmart the other. Or out-annoy." The summer before senior year, three events rock Clary's steady foundations: A wise community patriarch dies, a trendy doughnut shop appears set to take over a recently closed storefront, destroying a historic mural, and someone shows up bearing startling revelations. Namey focuses on Clary's character growth, from loyal and steadfast (but also stubborn and judgmental) to more empathetic, open-minded, and open-hearted. Some minor repetitive elements interfere with the pacing and characterization, but the third act delivers a satisfying blend of romance, social activism, and deep roots. Clary's charming Boricua best friend, Lourdes, has scene-stealing main-character energy. This earnest coming-of-age story is a tribute to family, culture, and resilience. (author's note) (Fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.