Always Isn’t Forever

Latinx high school juniors Ruby Armenta and Hart Augusto, who have been in love since they were children, plan to leave their California hometown behind to explore the world and be together, always. When a tragic, heroic act leads to Hart’s death, heartbroken Ruby must face her uncertain future alone. But an empathetic angel named Lourdes, who witnesses Hart’s sacrifice, gives him a second chance at life by implanting his soul into the comatose body of a teen on the brink of death. Upon waking, Hart is determined to reunite with Ruby, but he finds it difficult to approach her, especially after he learns that his new body is that of football star classmate Jameson, whom Ruby loathes. Forbidden from revealing the situation by what Lourdes calls “cosmic rules,” Hart races to convince Ruby of his identity, even as his memories of his former life begin to fade. The heavy plot, laden with convenient twists, is buoyed by quirky characters such as a snarky angel, Tarot-reading sister, and intuitive dog, while Hart and Ruby’s alternating POVs render immediate-feeling experiences of searing grief and deep love in this bittersweet tale of cosmic interference and second chances by Cervantes (Flirting with Fate). Ages 12–up. (June)