Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success

Reach for this book when your teen feels stifled by the pressure to succeed in a way that satisfies your expectations rather than their own. Seventeen year old Rubi Ramos is a high achiever whose parents expect her to follow a prestigious path toward law school, but her heart is in the kitchen. As she balances a secret baking competition with her college applications, the story explores the heavy weight of the 'immigrant dream' and the anxiety of disappointing those you love. It is a warm, culturally rich contemporary novel for ages 13 and up that validates the struggle of finding one's own identity while honoring family heritage. Parents will appreciate the nuanced portrayal of how love and pressure often come from the same place.