Running

by: Natalia Sylvester

Amazon Recommended Age: 12 years and above (YA)

Lexile: N/A

Sensitive Content: Illness

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"When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz’s father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero—while the whole country is watching.

In this thoughtful, authentic, humorous, and gorgeously written novel about privacy, waking up, and speaking up, Senator Anthony Ruiz is running for president. Throughout his successful political career he has always had his daughter’s vote, but a presidential campaign brings a whole new level of scrutiny to sheltered fifteen-year-old Mariana and the rest of her Cuban-American family, from a 60 Minutes–style tour of their house to tabloids doctoring photos and inventing scandals. As tensions rise within the Ruiz family, Mari begins to learn about the details of her father’s political positions, and she realizes that her father is not the man she thought he was.

But how do you find your voice when everyone’s watching? When it means disagreeing with your father—publicly? What do you do when your dad stops being your hero? Will Mari get a chance to confront her father? If she does, will she have the courage to seize it?" (book summary)

What I Thought:

Running has probably been one of the most empowering and inspiring books I have read – to date. At first, when glancing at the cover in my school library, I had thought that it would be about her father running from something. His problems? I don't know. I just didn't understand what the presidential campaign part was. I guess my brain didn't register that this guy was running for President of the US until about 50 pages in. As I read this book, I cheered her on from the point where she finally found the courage to actually confronting her father or standing up for what she believed in. Another notable thing was the evolution of her as a person. At first, she was very shy, sheltered and was a follower. Never brave enough to stand up for what was not right. But as the book progressed, you could see her becoming more confident and standing up for what she felt is right and actually being aware of what was happening in the world around her. This is a great read for anyone who just needs that extra nudge or bit of motivation to have confidence in themselves and their ability to stand up for what they believe in.