No Going Back

Praise for No Going Back:
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"This is a taut coming-of-age story told in a combination of prose, with chapter headers that mark the day and time, and poems that flash back to earlier events. Antonio’s journey of self-realization features powerful inner dialogue that allows readers to understand the impulses that lead to his poor choices, and the novel brutally reflects the consequences and trials of addiction, chronic illness, and domestic violence on a family. The excellent pacing and heart-wrenching exploration of redemption will sweep readers up."

"Told in Antonio’s first-person voice, the chapters alternate between loose free verse and prose, the former providing the rough-edged, gritty backstory. Antonio is a sympathetic character who makes bad decisions, and trouble seems to stick to him… [a] page-turning, highly readable story."

"Seeking to make amends with his Uruguayan mother and childhood best friend Maya, Antonio yearns to obtain redemption and absolution, and to start over…. Poetic flashbacks by Flores-Scott (American Road Trip) detail Antonio’s downward spiral while also presenting his reflections about the world around him, and time-stamped chapters add urgency, intensity, and excitement as the thrilling plot progresses, making for a page-turning story about forgiveness and personal evolution."

"The fast pace of the book will keep readers engaged as they bounce between the present and the past …. the energy of Antonio’s story will sweep interested readers along, and they will sympathize with his desire to become the person he knows he can be throughout this novel focused on friendship, loyalty and redemption."
 

"Fast-paced, poignant, and poetic, Patrick Flores-Scott's No Going Back tracks rage—its sources, disconnects, misjudgments, and consequences—without flinching. This is a book of unexpected hope."

"A deep look into the heart of being misunderstood, told with prose you just can't fake. Flores-Scott has achieved something vital here, a lyrical take on self-reclamation laid out over a weekend of cold reality. With honest voices, a flow of poetry, and a satisfying conclusion, this book is a gift with a purpose, the kind you hand to a reader that both wants and needs it."

"A gripping and heart-wrenching novel about family, friendship and second chances—will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end."

"Poetry, resilience, unflinching honesty, a steady undercurrent of hope, plus a wild adventure with a ticking clock, this book packs it all in for a three-day turbulent ride that’s full of heart. Tonio does all the wrong things for all the right reasons, and I rooted for him every step of the way. His story explores the many places love can come from, and how our family, friends, and community keep us afloat during the toughest of times."

"A powerful story of the push and pull between doing what’s right and being there for the people we love."

"No Going Back showcases how difficult it is to successfully navigate both parole and the reentry process when your past isn’t done with you, and when you aren’t quite done with your past. Through it all, Flores-Scott delivers a beautiful exploration of familial love, the idea of healthy friendships, and the long-term impacts of trauma."

Praise for American Road Trip:
Printz Award Longlist 
Latinidad List, Best YA Novel 
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List 
Bank Street College Best Book of the Year 
TAYSHAS Reading List Selection 
Teen Vogue Best Gift Book for Teens 
Little Free Library Action Book Club Pick 
Connecticut, Nutmeg Award Finalist
Evergreen Teen Book Award Finalist
Georgia Peach Finalist
Arizona, Grand Canyon Reader Award Finalist
Licensed to Webtoons for Graphic Digital Serialization
 
* "In a story about mending broken ties, making sacrifices, and visiting landscapes and loved ones from the past, Flores-Scott (Jumped In) invites readers to follow T on a road trip that brings to life the Avilas’ Latino heritage and Manny’s disorder. In addition to the book’s serious subject matter, it celebrates many things: family love, realized dreams, and the taste of a green chile cheeseburger." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
* "This powerful story also reminds readers that the paths to their dreams may have to take detours but are still attainable." —Booklist, starred review
 
* "Adeptly provides a window and a mirror of Latinx culture and reimagines the American road trip as an individual journey, one deeply anchored in sacrifice for those we love." —School Library Journal, starred review 
 
"Written in T's vulnerable, observant voice, American Road Trip holds true to classic road-trip themes like the emotional power of sing-alongs and unexpected detours, but it also wades into the darker waters of mental illness with both realism and sensitivity."