Charlie Pakluck, Campus Carrier guest columnist
“Canto Contigo” by Jonny Garza Villa is a beautiful, culturally rich YA novel published in 2024. Rafie is a high school senior and has been the star vocalist of his school mariachi band his entire career. His abuelo died his sophomore year, tearing him apart and causing him to obsess over his star role – something he must be the best at. When he transfers to a new school, his comfortable spot in first is taken by a familiar face. Rey and Rafie met last year at a pre-competition party, and while they did not talk for long that night, their previous attraction for each other is being smothered by their competition for first place. The mariachi director is insistent on a duet, and they come to love it.
Not long before the next big competition, Rafie discovers the school wanted him to be the first-place singer. He finally receives the offer he has been longing for, and accepts, breaking Rey’s heart. Their relationship is at an all-time low.
The book follows the highs and lows of Rafie and Rey’s relationship until Rafie realizes he does not enjoy the performance nearly as much without Rey by his side. Despite his obsessive perfectionism, he wants to do this together, even if it means the group does not win. But to everyone’s surprise, they do win. It is the band’s first win, thanks largely to the beautiful duet and dance Rafie and Rey preform.
Canto Contigo is a story of grief, love, music and overcoming your biggest challenges. Even though he worries about not winning and disappointing his abuelo, Rafie realizes the stress made him lose his love for mariachi and fights his fears to earn that love back. Not only does he earn the love of mariachi, he also wins the love of Rey. It is a perfect happily ever after featuring the difficulties of high school and teenage life, along with the fear of disappointing those who mean the most to us.
The book is a must read for anybody, especially young people. Readers will see themselves from their issues to their strengths in this novel. Villa did a wonderful job portraying the difficulties young people face and showing how they will overcome them, no matter how long it takes or how hard it may be.