This book is the perfect late summer read. Set in the Canary Islands, it follows the close friendship of two young girls coming of age in the early 2000s during a hot summer. 10-year-old Shit (an affectionate nickname) is enthralled by her best friend Isora. The girls live in a working class neighborhood high up near a volcano, far from the island’s nice beaches where they long to go.

The girls are mischievous and crass, and the tone of the writing is provocative in its reflection of the grittiness of their friendship. Shit cherishes Isora - she wants her, and she wants to be her. It troubles her that Isora seems to be growing up more quickly. This portrait of girlhood is messy, lustful, and precocious. The translation is its own art, too. I couldn’t put this one down.