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“Min’s exploration of coming out and owning your story as an artist is particularly exhilarating and nuanced. . . It’s an epic tale of queer validation, filtered through the light of the California sun and Sailor Moon, and an essential read for anyone searching for a blueprint of their soul.”

– BookPage, Starred Review

“A lyrical, rhythmic, and promising debut, this queer romance is a hit.”

– Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“A luminous homage to music, art, and the power of found family. . . achingly romantic.”

– Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Beating Heart Baby

Written by Lio Min
Published by Flatiron Books

When Santi arrives in Los Angeles, he hopes he can move past the loss of the childhood internet friend he’d known only as Memo. And in his new high school’s marching band, Santi gets a taste of the community he’s always longed for. Even the clashes with his section leader, Suwa, lead to Suwa opening up to Santi first as a friend, then something more. But when Suwa gets a shot at the rock star life he’s always dreamed of, the very thing that drew them to each other—a shared devotion to art—tests their budding relationship.

Over years, Santi and Suwa glide and soar, crash and fall, together and apart. This twinned tale about the transitions between boyhood and manhood, internet confidants and IRL friends, the face in the crowd and the star on the stage, stakes and succeeds in making the bold claim: that Santi and Suwa’s fantastic dreams are as essential as art and love and life itself.

Primary ISBN: 9781250819093
Publication Date: July 2022
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 14 or older

Community Represented: , ,

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (Los Angeles CA)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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