What's Coming To Me

(Hardback)

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Seventeen-year-old Minerva Gutierrez plans revenge on her predatory boss in this equally poignant and thrilling contemporary YA about grief, anger, and fighting for what you deserve, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson and Erika L. Sanchez. In the seaside town of Nautilus, Minerva Gutierrez absolutely hates her job at the local ice cream stand, where her sexist boss makes each day worse than the last. But she needs the money- kicked out of school and stranded by her mom's most recent hospitalization, she dreams of escaping her dead-end hometown. When an armed robbery at the ice cream stand stirs up rumors about money hidden on the property, Min teams up with her neighbor CeCe, also desperate for cash, to find it. The bonus Getting revenge on her boss in the process. If Minerva can do things right for once-without dirty cops, suspicious co-workers, and an ill-timed work crush getting in her way-she might have a way out . . . as long as the painful truths she's been running from don't catch up to her first.

Reviews

Praise for What's Coming to Me

Nominated for the 2023 ITW Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel
A CrimeReads Best YA Mystery of 2022
A Kirkus Reviews BestYABookof 2022
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022
A JLG Gold Standard Selection
A Buzzfeed Highly Anticipated Book of Summer
A We Are Bookish Most Anticipated Book of August
A CrimeReadsMostAnticipatedCrimeBook of Summer
A Scribd Best Book of August
An Apartment Therapy Best Book of August

[A] promising debut . . . Padilla adroitly navigates issues of uncertainty, revenge, and sorrow in the straits of late adolescence with her Minervas rebellion against a sexist and abusive boss and her search for some beauty and meaning in a life that seems to be coming apart at the seams.
Oprah Daily

More than just the experience with her mothers illness and the passion for the beach, the book is a little bit of all the experiences Padilla has had throughout her life.
Al Da News

One of this summers must-read books . . . Whats Coming to Me holds nothing back about the heartbreak and confusion of a young girl who seems destined for tragedy and grief in a town that offers nothing to her. In fact, at every turn Minerva faces racism, sexism, and adults whom she cannot trust. This coming-of-age novel is also a thrilling tale of revenge and redemption that is difficult to put down.
(585) Magazine

Padillas highly anticipated YA heist story is full of righteous anger about lifes injustices, but it successfully keeps hope alive throughout the thrilling ride.
Scribd

Padilla has created a character who pierces the readers heart by interspersing a miasma of anticipatory grief and anger with scenes that perfectly distill Minervas path out of the darkness.
Booklist, Starred Review

Lovers of flawed and morally gray characters to the front! This genre-blending heist/coming-of-age novel is trauma-informed and shows how the pressures of systemic inequalities can manifest into self-sabotage. Still, despite the heaviness of some topics, there are moments of fun and humor.
BookRiot

Part summer thriller and part coming-of-age, Francesca Padillas powerful debut novel offers a nuanced story about a teen fighting for a better life, showing the many shades and struggles of growing up as it depicts life in all its messy authenticity.
Apartment Therapy

Francesca Padilla's writing arrives with enormous integrity and realism: There are no easy solutions to Min's problems . . . [A] well-written and challenging novel.
Kingdom Books

Hand this book to readers who like complicated lives, righteous anger, and surprisingly hopeful endings.
Teen Librarian Toolbox

A magnetic, coming-of-age thriller about grief, class, and trauma . . . Realistic teen characters, hypnotic writing, and an honest portrayal of adolescence make this debut a perfect choice for fans of Sarah Zarr, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Phillippe Diederich.
School Library Journal, Starred Review

A moody and suspenseful YA novel about a teen who is deeply hurting . . . Padilla delivers a raw and chaotic portrait of adolescence.
Dominican Writers Association

Emotionally layered . . .Padilla skillfully balances introspective musings on grief with thrilling mystery and intrigue in this intimate-feeling read.
Publishers Weekly

Raw and unflinching, What'sComingtoMe is a beautiful story about the uncertainty of adolescence, the burden of grief, and all the ways love can surprise you. I so enjoyed spending time with Minerva Gutirrez, and Francesca Padilla is a writer to watch.
Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of The Voting Booth

If youre longing for a book thats gritty (but not exploitative), thats honest (but not cruel), and that will have you screaming as you turn each page . . . Francesca Padillas What's Coming to Me is for you. This sharp, realistic noir illuminates the nuanced journey of Minerva, whose anger is always right on the surface. A masterful debut and one hell of a ride.
Mark Oshiro, author of Anger Is a Gift

Unexpected and suspenseful. WhatsComingtoMe is a ride fueled by anger and loss, in a car driven by teens whove had enough. Padilla has written a gripping story about survival and injustice. About young women taking backwhats owedtothem with both hands and without remorse. There be no good girls hereand Im grateful for that.
Isabel Quintero, author of Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

Propulsive, fearless, and filled with heart-aching revelations, Whats Coming to Me is a beautiful debut by a scorching new voice in YA fiction. This is a thrill ride of a coming-of-age story, one that grabbed me by the throat but most of all moved me to the core.
Nova Ren Suma, New York Times bestselling author of The Walls Around Us

What's Coming to Me by Francesca Padilla perfectly evokes the salt air, gasoline and desperation of a seaside town. A vivid and truthful book that delves into grief, denial and finding your way back to yourself.
Alexandra Villasante, award-winning author of The Grief Keeper

Nuanced, complex, and deeply emotional, Padillas novel skillfully delves into the personal impact of trauma and loss, as well as the damage violence and inequity can inflict on a larger community. The high-stakes narrative, as told by a grieving girl desperate to both flee and find meaning in a place thats taken so much from her, is equal parts tense, heartbreaking, and ultimately healing. A must-read.
Stephanie Kuehn, author of We Werent Looking to Be Found

"A delicious story of revenge, unlikely friendships, and claiming your place in an all-too-unfair world. Francesca Padillas brilliant prose dazzles as Minerva navigates thrilling heists, quiet moments of grief, and all the sparks of joy in between. Minerva is a triumphant underdog, and her savviness, wry humor, and perseverance will win your heart."
Angela Velez, author of Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity

A class, wage and grief struggle tight as a garrote, Francesca Padillas Whats Coming to Me is devastating in its familiarity: Where an ice cream shop becomes the world, and all of the people in it.
K. Ancrum, author of Darling

Justice and morally gray areas collide in a story of haves and have-nots.
Mindy McGinnis, author of The Last Laugh

Unfortunately, there are too many Anthony's in this world whose toxic masculinity goes largely unchecked in a society that makes it difficult for young femmes to speak up about workplace predators, especially when, like Minerva, they are navigating responsibilities that require economic stability for survival. Minerva won't settle for the idea that that's just how things are. Anyone who has had to navigate anger and grief simultaneously while continuing to believe in the promise of tomorrow will root for Minerva's perseverance and determination to get what's coming to her.
ElisabetVelasquez, author of When We Make It

Minerva is all of us. If all of us were smart, cynical, hurt but brilliant young women working for just a little bit of dignity and a little bit of joy in the midst of so much turmoil. I can't imagine a reader who wouldn't fall head over heels for Minerva. Get ready for a journey.
Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse

To say I enjoyed it was an understatement . . . You cant help but feel for Minerva as she wades against a cold, dark tide of things beyond her control. Its rare that you are able to slip so easily into someones difficult emotions and with Minerva, you feel her every step of the way . . . What's Coming to Me is a great revenge fantasy against 'that boss' wrapped around a tender grieving heart.
Sarah Nicole Lemon, author of Done Dirt Cheap

Gripping and real. A layered story of grief, justice, and revenge told by an unforgettable narrator.
CalebRoehrig, author of Last Seen Leaving

Whats Coming to Me is an action-packed novel.
HipLatina

Padillas debut is an impactful, no-holds-barred exploration of grief and trauma . . . This book takes readers on a beautifully textured journey that combines equal parts coming-of-age novel, heist thriller, and caustic commentary on systemic social inequalities. Despite the seriousness of these themes, when the ending comes, its joyful, hopeful, and, above all, earned.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Author Bio

Francesca Padilla is a Dominican-American fiction writer born and raised in New York City. She is the recipient of a Walter Dean Myers Grant from We Need Diverse Books and holds a BA in Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Purchase College. She lives with her family in Rochester, New York.