Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel by Diana López (review)

Eighth grade was supposed to be about ruling middle school and drawing the attention of all the right boys, but Chia finds a different priority when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. After the family travels from their San Antonio home to the shrine of La Virgen de San Juan del Valle to pray and to make promesas, pledges in the name of their prayers, Chia vows that she will get 500 people to sponsor her in the 5k Race for the Cure. In the meantime, her family is struggling under the strain, and Chia's fed up with her brainy younger sister, Carmen, who's sailing through sixth grade while Chia struggles with her own work. The family story is the strongest thread here, with Chia's father overfocused on trying to pad the world for his wife as his daughters flail under the strain and his toddler son grows needier; an additional subplot about the support Chia receives from an old pal who might like to be more is also well done. Characterization, though, is generally weak and shallow, with Chia's friends largely flat and her sister more of a device to convey information about cancer and its treatment than a real person (especially since her anxiety-ridden compulsions are never dealt with in the book). Additionally, the book provides little perspective on Chia's sponsorship efforts or indeed her mother's future. The book therefore isn't a deep exploration of anything, but Chia's a relatable character, and her story offers use as an accessible treatment of an intimidating subject.