Girls in Queens: A Novel

"Brisma and Kelly, two young Latinas growing up along Clement Moore Avenue in Queens, would do anything for each other. They keep each other's secrets, hide from their mothers' chancletas, and ward off creepy neighbors. At the beginning of high school, Brisma falls deeply in love with Brian, the local baseball legend. Always the wallflower to the vibrant and alluring Kelly, Brisma is secretly thrilled to be chosen by Brian, to finally have someone all to herself. As the three kids learn to play the rolesthat have been set before them, they create a cacophony of unrealized hopes and dreams, smoldering embers that finally find some oxygen. Years later, Brisma and Kelly haven't spoken to Brian, ever since a backyard party gone wrong, but Los Mets are on a historic run for the playoffs and the three old friends-now on the cusp of adulthood-are brought back together again. Brisma finds herself once again inextricably drawn to Brian, only to once again find Kelly standing in the way. When a sexual assault accusation emerges, both girls rush to support and defend Brian. While Kelly remains staunchly by his side, Brisma begins to have doubts as old memories resurface of her own relationship with him. As the two lifelong friends prepare to bring down the other in order to take what they both believe is owed to them, they have to decide if their shared past is enough to sustain their future. Told in alternating timelines and reminiscent of Dominicana, My Brilliant Friend, and Normal People, The Girls in Queens explores a lifelong friendship, the complications of sexual abuse allegations within communities of color, the furious loyalty of young women, and the danger of forgetting that sometimes monsters hide in plain sight"--
Reunited when their beloved Mets are on a historic run for the playoffs, two Latinx women, Kelly and Brisma, must decide if the fierce loyalty of their past is enough to sustain the future when their friend, Brian, Brisma’s first love, is accused of sexual assault. 40,000 first printing.
A writer brimming with talent makes her exciting literary debut with a tale of two Latinx women coming of age in Queens, New York, an emotionally resonant novel infused with the insight, power, and poignancy of Angie Cruz’s Dominicana, Jacqueline Woodson’s Another Brooklyn, and Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends.Best friends growing up along Clement Moore Avenue in Queens, Brisma and Kelly will do anything for each other. They keep each other’s secrets, from their mother’s hidden heartbreaks to warding off the unwanted advances of creepy neighbors. Their exclusive world shifts when they begin high school and Brisma falls deeply in love with Brian, the local baseball legend. Always the wallflower to the vibrant and alluring Kelly, Brisma is secretly thrilled to be chosen by the popular athlete, to finally have someone that belongs to her alone. But as she, Brian, and Kelly fall into the roles that have been set before them, they ignite a bonfire of unrealized hopes and dreams, smoldering embers that finally find some oxygen to burn.   Years later, Brisma and Kelly haven’t spoken to Brian, ever since a backyard party that went wrong, but their beloved Los Mets are on a historic run for the playoffs and the three friends—no longer children—are reunited. Brisma finds herself once again drawn to her first love. But when Brian is accused of sexual assault, the two friends must make a choice. At first, both rush to support and defend him. But while Kelly remains Brian’s staunch defender, Brisma begins to have doubts as old memories of their relationship surface. As Brisma and Kelly face off in a battle for what they each believe they are owed, these two lifelong friends must decide if their shared past is enough to sustain their future.  Told in alternating timelines, The Girls in Queens is a novel for and of our time—a skillful exploration of the furious loyalty of young women, the complications of sexual abuse allegations within communities of color, and the danger of forgetting that sometimes monsters hide in plain sight.