The Story of my Anger by Jasminne Mendez

✦ BLURB ✦

Yulieta Lopez is angry. Angry at her racist drama teacher who refuses to cast Black students in lead roles. Angry at the school board threatening her favorite teacher for teaching works of literature that they deem “controversial.” Angry that she has to keep quiet until she can head to college and leave Texas forever.

Yuli is accustomed to playing various roles: the diligent daughter, the honorable hija, the good girl who serves everyone else before serving herself. But as the fire of Yuli's rage spreads and lights her up, she can no longer be silent. Determined to find a way to fight back, Yuli and her friends start a guerilla theatre club which stirs things up and gets people talking, and finally, Yuli steps into the role she was always meant to play.

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Part poem, part play, part revolution — Yuli’s voice burns with truth.

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✶ PRE-READING ✶

I'm always interested in books from points of view other than my own; I think that's how we learn things best. This sounded like an incredible read, and the mix of free poetry, script pages and text messages seemed like they'd keep things interesting.

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✶ POST-READING ✶

As I thought... I was right that the mix of content made things very interesting and kept my interest - I never knew what would be over the next page. The story was fascinating too, watching these teens struggle with such huge issues.

It surprised me by... How real it stayed. Yuli's brother wants so much to help that he's struggling with burn out. Another friend is so disillusioned that she's given up totally. None of them are treated with anger or disdain; the story recognises that everyone has different abilities and levels and that they contribute in different ways.

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✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

📚 Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
📺 Dear White People – but make it high school and heavier on spoken word

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦

Because sometimes, the heart of a story plays out like a song.

🎵 Featured Song: “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God” – Halsey
🎶 Vibe Album: CTRL – SZA (raw, real, angry in all the right ways)
🎧 Artist Recommendation: Arlo Parks - for that mix of poetry and vulnerability that hits like a bruise

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✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

🎨 Colour palette: Cherry red, black ink, spotlight white
🎬 Soundtrack: School auditorium echoes, phone vibrations, slow-burn instrumental rage
🌪️ Season: Late spring — heat rising, storms coming
🧠 Mood: Unfiltered, unflinching, unapologetic
👃 Scent: Stage makeup, sweat, highlighters, righteous fire

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★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

🔮 The Tower - Tarot of the 78 Doors

Look, sometimes the old structure can't be fixed; it has to be torn down completely to make room for something new. The Tower in this card will certainly need to; it's on fire and possibly about to fall into the sea as well. It's a feeling Yuli will know well, that urge to destroy everything and build something better from the ashes.