It's All or Nothing, Vale

by Andrea Beatriz Arango

A poignant novel in verse where, after a life-changing accident, one girl finds her way back to her life’s passion. From the Newbery Honor Award-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All.

All these months of staring at the wall?
All these months of feeling weak?
It’s ending—
I’m going back to fencing.
And then it’ll be
like nothing ever happened.

No one knows hard work and dedication like Valentina Camacho. And Vale’s thing is fencing. She’s the top athlete at her fencing gym. Or she was . . . until the accident.

After months away, Vale is finally cleared to fence again, but it’s much harder than before. Her body doesn’t move the way it used to, and worst of all is the new number Myrka. When she sweeps Vale aside with her perfect form and easy smile, Vale just can’t accept that. But the harder Vale fights to catch up, the more she realizes her injury isn’t the only thing holding her back. If she can’t leave her accident in the past, then what does she have to look forward to?

In this moving novel from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, one girl finds her way back to her life’s passion and discovers that the sum of a person's achievements doesn’t amount to the whole of them.

Genres: Middle Grade, Sports, Poetry, Realistic Fiction, Novel In Verse, Disability, LGBT

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 11, 2025

About the author

Andrea Beatriz Arango is the author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she first became a teacher. She then spent a decade in the United States working in public schools and nonprofits. When she’s not busy writing about middle schoolers and their families, you can find her hoping to spot manatees at the beach. Andrea lives in Puerto Rico with her family and two dogs.

Reviews

[Andrea Beatriz Arango · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe my third book will be out in a little over three months! I love Valentina SO MUCH, and I hope that her story will find the readers who will resonate with it the most. Here's to all the competitive, perfectionist kids. I see you ❤️.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read middle grade stories often, but the cover and synopsis of It's All or Nothing, Vale drew me in. Vale is a middle grade fencer who we meet after she’s been in an accident and is trying to get back to the fencing star she was before. She grapples with not being the same as she was pre-accident, trying to reconcile who she is when for so long she was a nationally ranked fencer and now she may be disabled. And of course, coming to terms with her new life is complicated by first crushes and family dynamics (no matter how much they love her) and made easier with new friendships.

As a novel told in verse, it’s hit and miss for me if the story can portray the deep emotions necessary for the subject. Here, I need not worry. This story is infused with emotions; you can feel what Vale is feeling. There is such a depth and a rawness that I wasn’t expecting from a middle grade book and it took me back to being a pre-teen and teen.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible audio
---

Narration: 4 stars 🌟
Story: 4 stars 🌟
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Loved this one ❤️ 💖 Kept my brain 🧠 distracted from the pain after tooth extraction 👍🏼 too.

Ended on a good note 📝 but would love to make another journey with these characters:).

[Tamzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what is so great about the time we live in? Middle grade books cover SO MANY TOPICS and feelings and events, so that kids can read these books and be able to form their own wide range of thoughts and emotions, see themselves represented, and be given more tools for maturing. And then on the flip side, it gives adults like me vessels that help heal my inner child (and even my outer adult).

It's All or Nothing, Vale, is about a young Puerto Rican girl who is a competitive fencer. She has recently been in an accident that has caused her to have chronic pain in one of her legs. She is forced to reconcile this new life with her desire for fencing greatness, and is super frustrated when she can't hang like she used to. Then a new girl joins the team, and she is everything Vale thinks she herself needs to be.

This book was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. As someone with chronic pain, watching her learn that your value isn't tied up in what your body can accomplish, and that there are more things in life that can fill you with joy, was so relatable and validating. I'm in my 30s and needed a book like this at this time in my life. I needed this book when I was younger, too! So I am extremely impressed with the grace and emotion that this story was written with.

Highly recommend for everyone. Loved it.

Thanks to Random House Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

[Emily McKee · Rating 3 out of 5]

7th grader Valentina is a elite competitive fencer recovering from a devastating leg injury that has left her behind her competition, possibly permanently. While she was out, a new girl, Myrka, joined the class and is standing out with her apparently natural skills. She’s open and friendly to Valentina, which leaves Vale struggling to know how to react to her.

Vale seems to want someone to blame her injury on, which feels like a real 7th grader thing to do. Complicating matters, Vale saw social media photos of Myrka waving a lesbian flag, and now Vale thinks she might have a crush on Myrka—how should she handle this when she sees her as the competition?

Many readers and their parents will appreciate how nonchalantly both sets of parents respond to the Myrka/Valentina crush. It’s nice to read a book where parents are not the enemy.

There is also discussion-worthy material on different forms of disability and what happens when a person’s identity changes.

Aside from the content, the verse style was some of the clunkiest I’ve read. There is a huge difference between this and outstanding verse novels like Radiant, The Trouble with Heroes, and Alias Anna.

This reminded me of
when my daughter was learning
to type
and didn’t realize that
the words will continue
on the next line

without having to hit Enter.

I wouldn’t go out of your way to read this one, but maybe there’s a kid out there who really needs this story.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

At various points in the MG novel the protagonist, a queer and hyper competitive girl of Puerto Rican descent, questions if non athletes can understand the mind and priorities of athletes. By the end of the novel I was wondering the same thing, because Vale’s obsessive need to win (which we are repeatedly told precedes her accident) felt uncomfortable and strange. While I loved the diverse representation and the very tender exploration of Vale’s slow acceptance that her value is not fully measured out in wins and losses, I really struggled to connect with Vale and her parents (seriously, what adult tells a child that second place is just another word for losing, much less a parent to their own child?!) and spent most of the book wondering how no one had spotted something was seriously wrong with this child other than her (admittedly awful) ex-best friend. I really hope this isn’t the pressure athletes, particularly child athletes, put on themselves. It is, as demonstrated here over and over, crushing.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fencing was seventh grade Vale’s world until an accident left her wondering if the chronic pain from her leg surgeries would ever let her reclaim her position as the best and feel like herself again because who was she unless she was at the top of the fencing leaderboard? Andrea Beatriz Arango brings middle grade readers another intimate look at the thoughts, feelings and worries of another girl who may help middle graders sort of some of their own inner battles or appreciate the struggles of someone else.

As in Iveliz Explains It All and Something Like Home, Andrea Arango does not shy away from difficult and often heart-breaking situations. In Iveliz, it was depression and for Laura in Something like Home, there was addiction and the foster/kinship care system. Vale’s struggle is with chronic pain and the fear that she has no worth if this possible disability keeps her from excelling in fencing, her “one thing.” It takes a team, but gradually Vale begins to understand that she is more than just the one thing and when she finally begins to share what she is really feeling, her team of family, friends, physical therapist and even coach are able to support her in a way that leaves her hopeful about her future. Hope, what we all yearn for but so necessary to the physical and mental well-being of our middle grade students, is a thread that runs through all of Arango’s books and like Iveliz and Laura, Vale will give readers plenty of ways for readers to relate in the big issues but also the more universal ones such as making friends, being honest, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Text is free of profanity and violence and while Vale and her friend are both experiencing the pangs of first crushes, there is no sexual content. Representation: Vale is Puerto Rican/American and Myrka is Cuban/American and both characters and their family’s communication is recorded in English and Spanish with context providing enough clues that a translation app is not required, but some may want to have one handy. Myrka’s homosexuality is revealed early in the book using a Pride celebration as the vehicle for that discovery and she and Vale begin to recognize that they have a mutual attraction for one another.

Target age: grades 4-7.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been excited for this book for MONTHS and it sure didn't disappoint! A Sapphic middle grade novel in verse that follows a Portuguese American tween fencing champ who is trying to recover from a leg injury. The disability rep is TOP NOTCH and I loved the enemies to lovers/friendship vibes. This book truly has it all and an important message about not letting one thing be your whole identity and learning how to move on when life throws unexpected challenges your way. Amazing on audio, this is a MUST read of 2025 for me. Cannot recommend it enough!! Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Physical injury
Bullying

[K-Lanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant and relatable. I cried so hard.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the author: “Puerto Rican kids can be athletes. They can be disabled. They can be queer. And I’m thrilled to share a middle grade story that explores all those interconnected parts of who Valentina is.”
🤺
Valentina Camacho was the top fencer at her gym until an accident hurts her leg, making it hard to walk most days, let alone fence. Months later she attempts to return to the gym only to find Myrka, a peppy girl who’s taken over her top spot. Vale doesn’t want to like her, but Myrka’s positivity and friendliness makes it hard to ignore her. While Vale struggles with her return to fencing, she’s also dealing with feelings for Myrka and wondering if she were to quit fencing, would it end her identity.
🤺
This MG novel in verse deals with so many topics in an age-appropriate way and with care and consideration. Vale’s resilience and journey to find who she is separate from fencing was endearing. We, as readers, see her pain and struggle throughout most of the #book and feel deeply for her fight. Her crush on Myrka is sweet and innocent and didn’t deal with any of the trauma that can come with coming out, but rather automatic acceptance from everyone in her life. This novel was moving and authentic—I loved the Spanish throughout and know my middle school students will love it when it releases February 11.

CW: accident, physical injury, ableism, bullying

[seasalted.citrus (Topaz, Oliver) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really sweet!! I think the chronic pain rep will be difficult for some to read because Vale has so much internalized ableism, but her growth was fantastic, and I couldn’t truly be mad at her because her actions felt very on-par with a kid dealing with the pressure and grief that she does. I also enjoyed the complexities in how her disability shaped her relationships with her family members, there was a lot about different ways people can unintentionally be unhelpful. (Especially in the isolating experience of being the only disabled person in a household.)

I also loved how the sometimes complicated nature of first crushes was handled, and that it didn’t lead to a full-fledged romance!! Again, appropriate for the age group, and I feel like this is probably the best way I’ve seen how crushing and envy can intersect with each other (especially with gay people, but Vale being newly disabled adds another layer)! Vale’s initial denial was kinda funny, too. Myrka was sweet, even if it was a little painful how much Vale questioned her intentions. However, I’m not sure if she feels the same way?

Another element I really appreciated was Vale moving on from her former friendship with Stephanie. I’d normally be angry about the slight ambiguity in their fallout, but it’s clearly intentional, and imo it ties into the multiple complicated dynamics in this book. (Like… although she clearly noticed Vale’s issues with perfectionism, and it put a wedge in their friendship, Stephanie also sucks, and I think those two truths can coexist LOL.) I thought the interactions between Amanda and Vale were adorable, Amanda’s definitely doing her best to help but it doesn’t just feel like pity.

The reason I didn’t rate this book higher is that none of the prose particularly wowed me? Nothing memorable was done with the poetry format. Some of the emotions feel more vivid than others, and this is another novel in-verse where the free verse feels akin to regular prose being broken into pieces. It did at least make it very easy to breeze through, though. And in the vein of several other middle grades, the resolution happened a little quickly in my opinion, and I feel like a couple issues—particularly ones with the parents— weren’t properly addressed??

I’m not sure if this is the strongest of Andrea Beatriz Arango’s catalogue, but I liked it for what it was, and I’m curious about her other middle grade novels.

[Christine]

Usually, when I DNF a book, I don't try to pick it up later. But IT'S ALL OR NOTHING, VALE is an exception as it is in contention for the 2026 Newbery and, as my husband can tell you, I can't resist trying to complete a list.

So, when the Heavy Medal blog (made up of mostly librarians) rated this one pretty highly I decided to take another look.

Seventh grader Vale is used to being the best in her fencing league and is on track to being an Olympian someday...until a motorcycle accident causes her a permanent leg injury. She fights tooth and nail to be able to walk again and is determined to get back to the level of fencing she is used to. Vale knows she has to because without fencing who is she?

This was a great book for all teens who are exceptional in some arena in life and are used to that being their entire identity. Vale's journey to discover who she might be post-accident was real and raw.

For example: "'I'm a competitor, Manu,' I tell him [her brother]. 'I don't do it 'cause it's fun. I do it 'cause I'm good at it. I do it so I matter...if I wasn't a fencer, I'd be a nobody. I'd be nothing, okay? NOTHING. Fencing is all I am." (p. 184-185)

"Is it worth it to dance if there are no competitions? Is it worth it to do something if you're not the best? Can I be like Manu and Amanda? Someone who does things just for fun?" (p. 194)

I know lots of teens who are just like Vale and they need this book.

It was also nice to see an LGBTQIA+ crush side story that didn't have to do with coming out. No one makes a big deal out of a girl liking a girl in this book.

Another nice element is that this book has Spanish phrases peppered throughout and the inclusion of Puerto Rico culture is awesome as well.

Content Notes:

Sex/sexual references: None
Swearing/profanity: None
Religious elements: None
LGBTQIA+ rep: Yes, a girl thinks she likes another girl but is not sure

[Lectus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story. Athletes and competitive readers will definitely relate to Vale. I also appreciated the unique topic—fencing! This narrative stood out from the typical school projects and bullying themes. It centered on Vale's journey to reclaim her identity after the accident.

The audiobook was nearly excellent. The narrator delivered a stunning performance of Valentina, capturing her highs and lows and the nuances of her emotions. It was truly impressive! However, I was not fond of her accent when the characters spoke Spanish.

Vale is Puerto Rican, and the new girl is Cuban. I didn't anticipate any Spanish sentences and was taken aback to hear the Spanish lines of any of the characters read with a Cuban accent. It was quite disappointing because, why employ accents at all.

Honestly, there's no reason to employ an accent. Not all Hispanic individuals speak Spanish with the accent of their respective countries. A neutral accent would have improved the experience. Also, Vale's father and brother were given voices that sounded like they were struggling with a sore throat full of phlegm 🤣🤣.

Additionally, the publishing industry assumes that all Latino parents speak with an accent. So Vale’s Puerto Rican parents had an accent when speaking in English (and a Cuban accent when speaking Spanish 🤔).

So yes, it's a short, warm story with strong writing. The narration was good… until the narrator read in Spanish. Oh! And the new “Latinx” term that is forced into the language was only mentioned once! 👏.

[Rapunzel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by Andrea Beatriz Arango, but I know I’ll be checking out her other books immediately. This is one of the best free verse books I can recall reading, with the perfect balance of lyricism, authenticity, and uniqueness to make me fall in love with Vale’s story. This story—one of a middle-school champion struggling to find her identity after losing what she grounded herself in—is one I can’t recall seeing before but that I absolutely loved. Vale is so utterly relatable: determined, perfectionistic, self-sufficient, and yet ultimately incredibly vulnerable, I loved every beat of her voice and her story. The queer romance plotline here was also incredibly sweet, adding a light touch that made me smile. I truly can’t recommend It’s All or Nothing, Vale enough to readers ages ten and up—five extraordinarily well-deserved stars!


Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Wilmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrea Beatriz Arango has yet to disappoint me. As a queer Boricua who also navigates chronic illness, I connect deeply with her stories, and "It's All or Nothing, Vale!" is no exception. I've loved all her work, from indie to traditionally published, and this one earns another high rating from me.

Vale, a nationally ranked fencer, faces a challenging return to the sport after an accident leaves her with chronic pain. Arango masterfully weaves together themes of physical and emotional recovery, rivalry, friendships, and family dynamics within the novel-in-verse format.

"It's All or Nothing, Vale!" is packed with so much for young readers to unpack. It's a story that will resonate with anyone who has faced setbacks, big or small, and offers a powerful message about self-acceptance and finding strength beyond achievements. This book would be an excellent catalyst for discussions about the many challenges kids face today.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this...it's a fantastic story about chronic pain...how life changes...coming to terms with those changes...grieving the loss of who you were before...discovering who you are now...and figuring out who you want to be. There are also some great family moments...cute first crush moments...some ex-friend moments...some good friend moments...I really like everything about this. Didn't quite reach 5 stars for me because I didn't really get emotionally connected to it all like I wanted to. I have chronic pain and went through a lot of these things...and maybe it's because it does also have the friend issues and the crush storyline...but it felt kind of surface level. I didn't FEEL it like I wanted to. But I would absolutely recommend this to others...especially middle grade readers. Makes me so happy to see such great disability rep in this form for younger readers.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Libro.fm and Randomhouse for the free educator ALC!

This is an excellent middle grade novel-in-verse about a Puerto Rican-American fencer who is facing changes in body, identity, and friendships after an accident. It is incredible and honestly I knew it would be because it is Andrea Beatriz Arango. Valentina is such a powerful character with a strong unapologetic voice. Her questions around her identity, specifically about whether she is or isn’t an athlete, disabled, queer, are dealt with nuance. I love Arango’s books for so many reasons, including that they are very middle school friendly, and this might be the best one yet. I can’t wait to share it with my students.

Also, audiobook narration by the iconic Vico Ortiz? A dream. Sign me up for more of that!

[Makayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

*slaps book* YOU CAN FIT SO MUCH EXPLORATION OF THE EMOTIONS OF BECOMING CHRONICALLY ILL/DISABLED IN THIS BAD BOY.
AND A SAPPHIC SELF DISCOVERY?!?! A WIN.
In seriousness, though, I really think it did a fantastic job of going through the very real grief that comes with finding your new "normal" after chronic pain. It's not an overnight thing, its frustrating have new limitations on some days only to feel fine the next. The lack of consistency with chronic issues means sometimes you try to gaslight yourself that there was never anything wrong in the first place. You try to tell yourself you don't really need to take it easy. Just like Vale does.
And I do love a baby sapphic awakening. That was done really cute. AH, WOULD TOTES RECOMMEND.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love middle grade fiction, especially those which focus on what’s going on in the protagonist’s mind rather than on what happens around her. Vale was a complex character- a competitive fencer who is trying to get back after an accident and who can’t seem to come to terms with the fact that she’s no longer the fencer she once was. She and her parents seemed so familiar, and the conversations about disability and the right to choose your own words were well done.
I heard it as as audiobook, which added to the experience because the names and words in Spanish were pronounced as they should be. It’s apparently a novel in verse but that wasn’t apparent in the narration.

[Kiomarys Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This BOOK MY PEOPLE!!! It changed me! I looooved this book so much. I loved how the author explained how hard it is to let something you have worked so hard for go when that’s all you’ve known your entire life. I especially loved the family dynamics and how the life of an athlete can look like before and after an injury; how “en un abrir y cerrar de ojos” life can be forever changed. How our girl Valentina becomes her own person, learns from her mistakes and realizes there’s more to life than fencing and being jealous (or liking) her new fencing rival Myrka. I loved the relationship she had with her brother Luis and her new friend Amanda. How they pushed her to be better and get to know this new version of herself that she didn’t think existed. I loved this book and am excited for what’s to come from this author. She really kills it every time.

[Kayse Maass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book existed when I was a teenager. Its a book about finding and defining and redefining your identity when you are a competitive athlete and perfectionist and suddenly need to understand how you navigate this part of yourself now that you have chronic pain as a teenager. The journey of frustration, grief of loosing the version of the future you thought you’d have, coming to terms with your disability, and struggle to find joy again is so perfectly written I teared up multiple times, knowing how less alone younger me would would have felt if this book had existed when I was younger. And all of this happens amidst new crushes, family dynamics, and middle school friendships. Written as a story in verse so well that you can feel Vale’s deep emotions.

- Story in verse
- Disabled LGBTQ Puerto Rican middle school main character with chronic pain

Read the world: Puerto Rico

*Listened to on audiobook

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is going to settle into my heart right next to How to Become a Planet. Vale is so determined and so willing to push down her needs for the sake of goals that are now frustratingly out of reach. This is a story for anyone who’s ever had to give up on a dream, for anyone who is turning over the word “disabled” in their mind, for anyone who isn’t sure if a rival and a crush can be the same person, who doesn’t trust the people that are supposed to have their back to actually understand how they feel.

It’s such a short book but damn if it doesn’t leave a resounding impact

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this moving novel in verse. Vale is a serious fencer who is recovering from a motorcycle accident that has left her with a serious leg injury. As she works her way back, she battles her own perfectionism, her anxiety and impatience about her rehabilitation, and her jealousy of a new, talented and casual fencer (who she has conflicting feelings for). This is also a quick read, as it is in verse. Great for athletes, especially those who have faced disruptive injuries. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian

[Sara Savino · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s so important to see middle grade books with such diverse representation! I loved how Vale was so competitive and dedicated to her sport. I feel like we don’t see that in a lot of girl main characters. Feel like I wanna go watch a sports anime about fencing now or something.

[kazilo · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I can find new paths forward / because / I’m in charge of the map.”

3.5 - fun and cute!! Wish I had seen more reflection from Val not only regarding how her need to win negatively impacted her, but also negatively impacted the people AROUND her.

[Mrs Heidrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!

This is a great read and I highly recommend... so many layers to this one!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful read...

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 This was a quick novel in verse read that explores the topic of identity in a very relatable way: Vale wonders who she is if she can't fence anymore. I really liked it because I have definitely felt like Vale at times, but the ending was very abrupt and I think it could've benefited from a few more poems to finish it.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant novel in verse in which, after a life-changing accident, one girl finds her way back to her life’s passion.