Lillian- The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

Release Date: July, 2017

When Mercedes Moreno’s abuela has a stroke, and lays deep in a coma in Puerto Rico, everything seems to go wrong. She can’t paint, she has no clue how to take care of her sister while her mom is away with abuela, and she definitively has no idea how to admit to her crush on her best friend Victoria. However, just as it seems everything is going to crumble into pieces, somethings start to turn around. A piano appears on her front lawn, and a mysterious new neighbor invites her to the Red Mangrove Estate. At the Estate everything seems right. She can paint, and all her artists block is gone, her feelings are never confused, and she doesn’t have to worry about anything. However as secrets about the Estate unfold, she has to decide whether to stay in this perfect sanctuary or go back into the harshness of reality. I loved this compelling book, and how it symbolized that the so seeming perfect world, isn’t always that perfect. The struggles that Mercedes faced, not only in the real world, but in the estate as well were a good reminder that no place or time is ever perfect, and you just have to roll with the punches. I would give this book a high rating (9-10) and rate it for 13 +