I bought this memoir a couple of years back after an article by the author regarding whiteness, publishing and who gets paid (and how much) to tell what stories. It took me a while to get to it because I knew it would be difficult, being nonfiction and tackling topics of child sexual abuse & grooming, but I am glad I read it as Ortiz’s story is one that deserves to be heard.

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As a teenager, Ortiz kept meticulous journals which detailed every interaction when her English teacher began to prey on her while she was just 14 years old. As a result, the memoir is written as though you’re literally in the head of 14-year-old Wendy. This could be disconcerting at times, so I was grateful for the intermission-like chapters where Ortiz would reflect back on that time from her perspective as a grown woman. I appreciated the small insights she gave us to her life now, and how her experiences as a teenager shaped her work and relationships.

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If you liked My Dark Vanessa (probably the wrong word - if you appreciated it?) then I’d definitely recommend seeking out this memoir by a queer, Latinx woman as well!