The Resolutions

by Mia Garcia

A heart-expanding novel about four Latinx teens who make New Year’s resolutions for one another—and the whirlwind of a year that follows. Fans of Erika L. Sánchez and Emery Lord will fall for this story of friendship, identity, and the struggle of finding yourself when all you want is to start over.

From hiking trips to four-person birthday parties to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable. But now with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan.

Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them to one another—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, find your calling outside your mom’s Puerto Rican restaurant, finally learn Spanish, and say yes to everything.

But as the year unfolds, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora each test the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heartbreaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems.

• ISBN10: 0062656821
• ISBN13: 9780062656827
• Publish Date: 27 December 2018 (first published 13 November 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 22 August 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I don't even know where to begin with this book, because I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!

I was looking for a story of friendship, and this book gave me that ten-fold, PLUS a look at some really beautiful and meaningful personal journeys.

Jess, Ryan, Nora, and Lee had been friends for different lengths of time, but there was no doubt that each one held a solid place in their group. They had gathered once again for the annual New Year's Eve celebration, and instead of making their own resolutions, this year, they would be made by the other three friends.

I loved the idea of someone else selecting the goals, because the resolutions they made were done quite thoughtfully and with the intention of nudging that person outside of their comfort zone or in the direction of something they needed to face. Some were pretty straight forward, some were more vague, and others were really difficult, but in the end, each person grew so much, and learned a tremendous amount about themselves and those they loved in the process.

Ryan was nursing a broken heart, and his resolutions were meant to help him mend and rediscover himself. Nora was busy living someone else's dream, and her friends hoped that the resolutions they chose for her, would push her to assert her own wants, needs, and dreams. Jess' resolution didn't quite play out the way her friends had hoped, but it did end up being pretty life changing for her.

But Lee's resolutions sort of broke me. I cried a river for Lee. I cried, because of the reality she had to face. I cried for what she had lost, and what she thought she couldn't have. And then I cried, because Garcia did her some really wonderful things for her, and I saw her moving into a hopeful place. Her story really hit me the hardest, and I loved the way Garcia let it unfold. It was messy, but full of so many special moments.

Clearly, I loved the characters, and the secondary characters were just as great as the main characters, however, the families really stood out among the supporting cast. Each one of the protagonists had an awesome family. They came in all shapes and sizes, but they were great sources of support and endless love for the Ryan, Jess, Nora, and Lee. I, of course, had a special place in my heart for Ryan's grandmother, because she was too fabulous, and Lee's dad, because he, like Lee, was dealing with a lot. Her dad made such an effort to be honest and to connect with Lee, and I found their relationship quite lovely.

This book explores friendship, family, identity, love, loss, heartbreak, aspirations, desires, dreams, commitments, and many other challenges teens face, and I thought Garcia did so in an authentic, emotional, and meaningful way.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

3.5*

This was cute. I think that people who are a little more ride-or-die contemporary fans will probably appreciate it even more than I did, so keep that in mind. Still, I liked that it explored the different lives of these four friends as they navigated the highs and lows of high school, family, romance, and of course, their relationships with each other. So let us dive into what I enjoyed versus what I didn't as much!

The Stuff I Liked:

• •Obviously, the aforementioned relationships. Seeing a bunch of friends who are truly decent people and who want the best for each other is refreshing. No toxicity, no awfulness. They had ups and downs, sure, but there is no question that they all loved each other deeply and would move heaven and earth for each other. That's rare, and I like it.



• •Everything about Lee's story. She was really my favorite character, probably because her story gave me so many feels. There was a medical issue, the loss of a parent, a really complex relationship with her dad, and my favorite romance in the book.



• •Loads of realistically portrayed diversity.  This was really awesome- I loved how the characters were all grappling a bit with their identities as Latinx young adults. And not just their own thoughts on their identities, but also their families' expectations. There was also gay and bisexual rep, and I loved how damn healthy Nora and Beth's relationship was. It may be one of the healthiest romances I have ever read about in a YA book, honestly.



• Great mental health portrayal. I liked that Jess was such a perfectionist, so adamant about dismissing her issues at first, because it seemed very honest. Truly, I feel like a lot of young people (or old people, tbh) can relate to this- a feeling of "failing" because they have actual human limits and needs. I think the author handled it very well, too.

The Stuff I Didn't:

• •It felt a little longer than it needed to be. Some of the stories, especially in the beginning-middle, dragged a bit. I even considered putting the book down. I am glad I didn't, though. It was worth it in the end, but I don't know if readers who are more likely to DNF would make it to those parts? I actually ended up rounding my rating up, because I did end up liking so much of the story in the end. But it took me a hot second to really care about the characters (other than Lee) and you know, actually feel stuff, though I definitely did by the end.  So even though it is my only gripe, it's sort of an important one.

Bottom Line: Lots of great stuff, though a draggy start. Absolutely worth it in the end, and I think huge contemporary fans will gobble this one up.