Alejandro Antonio Ruiz embodies all of the roiling emotions in this compelling queer teen love story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Jonny Garza Villa’s dynamic audiobook and Ruiz’s skilled narration. Rafie learned his love of mariachi from his abuelo. He’s devastated when his abuelo dies yet is determined to bring home another first-place trophy from the Mariachi Extravaganza. But now he’s at a new school in San Antonio, and his new school already has a lead singer—Rey, the cute boy he met last year. Rafie’s intensity comes through clearly in Ruiz’s passionate narration. Ruiz yells, cries, whispers, laughs, and sings, revealing all the many layers to Rafie and Rey’s story.

Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.

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Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio

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