Meg Medina writes relationships so well. Merci is such a wonderful character to have in the MG literary canon too. Her voice is so authentic, and the problems that she faces are realistic and yet tackled through a distinctly MG point of view. She is does such ridiculous stuff sometimes, but it's stuff every single middle schooler or anyone who remembers what it's like to be a middle schooler can relate too. I actually loved this even more than [b:Merci Suárez Changes Gears|38185346|Merci Suárez Changes Gears|Meg Medina|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561068468l/38185346._SX50_.jpg|50140884]. I liked the friendship dynamics of this one even more as well as the family interactions. I think this reads well on its own too. Student who picked this volume up first won't be lost if they haven't read the first book. I sincerely hope we get more of Merci's life and stories because she is just so great.