Barely Floating

Rivera, Lilliam. Barely Floating 

August 29, 2023 by Kokila

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nat lives in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles with her parents, who work at East Los Angeles College. Her brothers are older, and only Ramón is still at home. He's supposed to ferry Nat back and forth to the local pool, but is busy with a band, so often has their cousin Sheila watch Nat. In addition to her job in administration, Nat's mother is involved in a lot of local politics and protests, so sometimes doesn't have as much time for Nat as they would both like. When Nat, who has been betting other kids that she can beat them in a race, and taking money from many of them, is kicked out of the local pool for fighting with someone who insulted her cousin, she and Sheila go to another pool where the LA Mermaids artistic synchronized swim team trains. The sequins and swimming appeal to her, and after watching an Esther Williams film, Nat is even more enamored. She is a little concerned that because she is fat, people will think she can't compete, but the Mermaids are a very inclusive team. Her parents, however, don't like the fat that the national organization seems to prioritize the look of white, thin swimmers, and don't want her to join. Nat decides to forge their names of the permission slips, and talks Sheila into taking her. The team is more work than she thought it would be, and there are a lot of extra expenses, but Nat makes it work. Being on the team means that she spends less time with her best friend Joanna, with whom she has made plans to go to a cos play convention. It also means that she lies to her parents a lot. She manages to get rides to competitions, and the swimming does seem to make it easier for her to focus in school and helps with her anger management a bit. When a Mermaids competition occurs on the same day as the con, she tries to do both, but ends up disappointing Joanna. Sheila has her own secrets, and when those come out, she looks to Nat's mother for support. Nat's mother still is judging the Mermaids in ways that Nat doesn't like. Will Nat be able to finally come clean to her family, make up with her best friend, and continue with a sport she has come to really enjoy?
Strengths: Nat is a complicated character who is adamant about speaking her mind, and this sometimes gets her into trouble. The Mermaids are a nicely diverse team, and there is even one boy who competes with them, which is somewhat unusual. It's good to see tweens who are passionate about an activity, and there aren't that many books about swimming, much less artistic (or synchronized) swimming. The family dynamics are interesting, and even Nat's mother learns a little about how she treats Nat and falls into judging others herself. There are some good details about techniques that Nat uses to deal with her anger. 
Weaknesses: The first couple of pages have several Spanish words and phrases, but there aren't as many in the rest of the book. While I do have some students who will know these, the rest might have to look them up. I understand why there aren't footnotes or endnotes, but the meanings weren't clear from context. I did, however, learn some things! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Fipps' Starfish or Melleby's The Science of Being Angry.