CANR
WORK TITLE: Camila Nunez’s Year of Disasters
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WEBSITE: https://miriamzperez.com/
CITY: Washington
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COUNTRY: United States
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PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Graduated from Swarthmore College.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Radio Menea, Latinx music podcast co-host; Feministing.com, blogger and editor, worked for four years; founder of the Radical Doula blog; public speaker. Has also worked with National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; consultant for various social justice nonprofit organizations.
AWARDS:Young Woman of Achievement Award, Women’s Information Network, 2009; Barbara Seaman Award for Activism in Women’s Health, National Women’s Health Network, 2010; Emerging LGBT Voice, Lambda Literary, 2010; Sidney J Hillman Prize for Blog Journalism, for work on Feministing.com.
WRITINGS
Author of Radical Doula Guide: A Political Primer for Full-Spectrum Pregnancy and Childbirth Support. Contributor to periodicals and journals, including the New York Times, London Guardian, Truthout, Colorlines, Splinter, the Nation, American Prospect, MORE, Rewire.News, and Talking Points Memo; contributor to anthologies.
SIDELIGHTS
Miriam Zoila Pérez is a Cuban-American writer. They have contributed articles and stories to a range of periodicals and journals, including the New York Times, London Guardian, Truthout, Colorlines, Splinter, the Nation, American Prospect, MORE, Rewire.News, and Talking Points Memo. Pérez worked as a blogger and editor with Feministing.com and also founded the Radical Doula blog, leading them to self-publish the Radical Doula Guide: A Political Primer for Full-Spectrum Pregnancy and Childbirth Support. They are a Latinx music podcast co-host with Radio Menea and a frequent public speaker.
In Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters, the titular Cuban-American teenager is having a bad year, which may result in her parents divorcing. Camila leaves home in North Carolina to spend the summer with her grandparents and cousins in Miami. She also plans to follow her therapist’s advice to set aside some time for self-care. She often accompanies her cousin Mirta on dates with her boyfriend, Juanito. What she doesn’t expect is to develop feelings for Juanito’s sister, Sonia. Just before turning sixteen, Camila has her heart broken by Sonia and uses the opportunity to write a letter to her future self. Her best friend, Cindy, performs a tarot card reading for her, making her wonder what further negative events will happen after such a bad reading. She begins attacking others who are close to her out of fear for what the future holds and being unable to control her anxiety.
In an interview in Rich in Color, Pérez talked about some of the challenges she faced while writing Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters. She confessed: “I tend to write very character-driven stories. Because of that, it can be hard to let bad things happen to them! But I know that plot is so important to creating a compelling story. The tarot reading actually came after I had already started writing the characters, and it helped push me to make the plot higher stakes.” Pérez continued: “The other thing that was challenging was describing what it’s like to live with anxiety. While Camila’s story isn’t my own, her mental health struggles do mirror mine. But when you live with anxiety, it is so normal that you sometimes can’t even describe it. It was challenging but also helpful for me.”
Writing in School Library Journal, Nicolette Pavain reasoned that “with its valuable depiction of relationships and anxiety, this is a good purchase for collections seeking more contemporary LGBTQIA+ books.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that “the intertwining of English and Spanish will feel familiar to many readers.” The same critic found the novel to be “compelling, relatable, and skillfully crafted.” Booklist contributor Fin Leary noted that “tarot lovers especially will find much to love about the structure of this story.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly observed that “Pérez utilizes compassionate and empathetic prose to explore sexuality, the Cuban diaspora, anxiety, and self-esteem.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 2025, Fin Leary, review of Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters, p. 71.
Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2025, review of Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters.
Publishers Weekly, December 16, 2024, review of Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters, p. 62.
School Library Journal, March 1, 2025, Nicolette Pavain, review of Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters, p. 88.
ONLINE
Miriam Zoila Perez website, https://miriamzperez.com (September 20, 2025).
Rich in Color, https://richincolor.com/ (June 25, 2025), author interview.
Miriam Zoila Pérez is an award-winning queer Cuban-American writer and activist. Pérez graduated from Swarthmore College with High Honors in Anthropology and Spanish Literature.
Photo by Fid Thompson
Pérez is a writer whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Truthout, Colorlines, Splinter, The Nation, The American Prospect, MORE Magazine, Rewire.News and Talking Points Memo. Their TED talk: How Racism is Harming Pregnant Women–and What Can Help, has been viewed over a million times. Pérez’s work has appeared in a number of anthologies, including Click, Yes Means Yes and Persistence and Not That Bad, a New York Times bestselling anthology edited by Roxane Gay. They were a 2010 Lambda Literary Foundation Emerging LGBT Voice in Non-Fiction.
Their debut Young Adult fiction novel, CAMILA NÚÑEZ’S YEAR OF DISASTERS will be published March 18, 2025. MUÉVELO, a non-fiction book about Latinx music, with co-author Verónica Bayetti Flores, is planned for August 2026.
They got their start as a blogger at Feministing.com, where they were an Editor for four years, during which the site was awarded the Sidney J Hillman Prize for Blog Journalism. They are also the founder of Radical Doula, a blog that covered the intersections of birth activism and social justice from a doula’s perspective. Pérez is the author of the self-published Radical Doula Guide: A Political Primer for Full-Spectrum Pregnancy and Childbirth Support.
Pérez is the co-host of Radio Menea, a Latinx music podcast with Verónica Bayetti Flores. Called “the woke Latinx music podcast you should be listening to” by Remezcla and “the soundtrack to a queer mami’s sancocho” by Latina Magazine, Radio Menea is an entertaining bilingual journey through Latinx life and music.
Pérez got their start in the reproductive justice movement, where they have worked for over a decade, both online and off, including more than six years working with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. They’ve also worked for over a decade as a consultant for social justice non-profits, focusing on digital communications.
Pérez is a frequent speaker nationwide and has spoken at over 70 colleges and universities on topics related to reproductive justice, feminism and Latinx activism. They also gave a talk at TEDx DePaul University in 2012 about what being a doula has taught them about compassion. Pérez is a former member of the Sistersong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective Management Circle, and the former Board Chair of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, where they served for 6 years.
Pérez has received various awards and recognitions for their work, including being named as one of 200 people who embody the values of Frederick Douglass in 2018 (alongside amazing folks like Michelle and Barack Obama, Oprah and Shakira), a 2009 Young Woman of Achievement Award from the Women’s Information Network and a 2010 Barbara Seaman Award for Activism in Women’s Health from the National Women’s Health Network. They were included in a MORE Magazine feature about new feminists to pay attention to, Curve Magazine named them Best Activist/Newcomer in 2010 and Latina Magazine profiled them as part of their 15th anniversary “Future 15.”
Pérez lives in Washington, DC and is cultivating an obsession with houseplants.
Interview with Miriam Zoila Pérez
Posted on25 June, 2025AuthorCrystal
The book cover of Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters has a background of pink lace. The main character is a brown skinned young woman with black slightly wavy hair just past the shoulders. There are three cards - maybe tarot cards - behind her head. One has the words the hanged visible and a bat hanging. One other has multipe sword handles and the final has two cats and a sword.
Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters, the YA debut by Miriam Zoila Pérez, was published earlier this year. If you haven’t read it yet, here is the publisher’s summary:
Cuban American Camila Núñez has always been afraid of the future. She’s been working hard to keep her anxieties in check, but with so many new experiences―her first queer love, trouble with her dog walking job, her mother’s judgments about her body, learning to drive, her father being too busy with work―there’s just so much to worry about.
So when Camila’s best friend gives her a tarot card reading for her sixteenth birthday, she believes it when the cards predict terrible things to come. As the year unfolds, the cards seem to be spot-on―is her papi having an affair? Will her best friend’s love life ruin their friendship? Are all her relationships doomed to fail?
Whether she’s ready or not, Camila will have to reckon with all the ways her fear about the future is ruining her life and learn to find peace amidst it all.
We’re very happy to have Miriam Zoila Pérez with us today to learn more about Camila’s story.
First off, after many years of blogging, journalism, and books for adult readers, what
prompted this move into young adult writing?
So I actually started working on my first YA novel (not yet published) over ten years ago. I
had three months off between jobs and I decided I wanted to try to write fiction. I think that
audacity came from being a YA reader for so long and just really loving the genre. I wanted
to try my hand at it. I came back to it more seriously in 2019, after the first Trump presidency
really forced me to take a step back from political writing. I quite literally could not keep
following the news, it was having such a negative impact on my wellbeing. So I dove back
into that first YA draft, and once that was done, I started what became CAMILA.
Now that we’re facing another Trump presidency, I’m finding writing YA fiction to be such a
source of grounding and focus. I think it’s because I get to invent problems and then solve
them. That’s very different than the way our world feels right now.
What was it like to write about Camila’s queerness especially in relation to family and culture?
So one thing I wanted to explore with Camila was a much more accepting world than the
one I grew up in. Queerness was not accepted in my high school, even in a liberal college
town like Chapel Hill in the ‘90s and ‘00s. I often joke that Ellen Degeneres was the only
lesbian I knew growing up (and I only knew her on TV). But I’ve heard from kids who are
growing up there now that it is really normal to be queer. So it was fun to write Camila’s
experience from that place, rather than what I experienced.
But her time in Miami, where she isn’t comfortable being out to her family, reflects the fact
that many different experiences can exist at once, and the queer-friendliness we see in one
place might not show up in another place we also consider home. I think that’s the reality for
a lot of kids today, and I wanted to show that nuance, while also exploring a pretty positive
family acceptance experience.
I have only read a few books for young adults dealing with polyamory and your
characters are definitely learning as they go. Is there anything you would like to share
with young readers about navigating polyamory?
This was something I really wanted to explore, because I know that it is a part of how kids
now date. Diversity of sexual orientations and relationship styles are becoming more
accepted, and dating as a teenager is hard, so I wanted to explore both those things
together.
I don’t necessarily have any advice for young readers about polyamory, except to say that I
don’t think one relationship style is better than another, as long as everyone is open and
consenting about what they want and need. And people fail at monogamy just as often as
they fail at polyamory. We’re all just learning.
What were some of the challenges you dealt with while writing Camila’s story?
I tend to write very character-driven stories. Because of that, it can be hard to let bad things
happen to them! But I know that plot is so important to creating a compelling story. The
tarot reading actually came after I had already started writing the characters, and it helped
push me to make the plot higher stakes.
The other thing that was challenging was describing what it’s like to live with anxiety. While
Camila’s story isn’t my own, her mental health struggles do mirror mine. But when you live
with anxiety, it is so normal that you sometimes can’t even describe it. It was challenging but
also helpful for me to try and put words to this very physical and internal experience.
What do you most admire about Camila?
She’s so brave! Even though she struggles with confidence and trusting the world around
her, she’s also willing to be herself in all her imperfections. She knows herself, and she
knows what is important to her. I wish teenage me could have been a little more like her!
And I could have used a best friend like Cindy.
Do you think you will be writing more young adult books in the future?
I hope so! I have one unpublished manuscript that my agent and I are working to find a
home for, and a third that I just started working on recently. It would be a dream to get to
keep writing these stories.
Is there anything you wish I had asked you about?
One thing a lot of people – especially family and friends – want to know is whether the
characters and experiences are real. None of them are, and the things that happened are all
invented. But the one part of the book that is real is the dogs! They are all based on actual
dogs that exist in real life, and their personality traits are authentic. I hope they all feel
accurately represented in the book!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us about your writing!
Camila Nunez's Year of Disasters
Miriam Zoila Perez. Page Street, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 979-8-8900-3219-5
Over the summer--during which 15-year-old Camila Nunez travels from Raleigh, N.C., to Miami, where she spends the season with her maternal Cuban American family--Camila meets her cousin's friend Sonia. Camila and Sonia soon pursue a romantic relationship, the emotionally tumultuous nature and dissolution of which takes a toll on anxious Camila. Returning to Raleigh, Camila's best friend performs a tarot reading that fills Camila with foreboding. Her anxiety comes to a head upon meeting nonbinary, self-assured Devon; as she attempts to start a romance with them, Camila realizes she must reckon with her past with Sonia, as well as insecurities about her body. She also notices growing tension between her parents that leaves Camila worried that her negative tarot reading will come to fruition. Eschewing stereotypical depictions of religion, prejudice, and their effects on one's identity, Perez utilizes compassionate and empathetic prose to explore sexuality, the Cuban diaspora, anxiety, and self-esteem as Camila grows and matures over the course of a year in this introspective debut. Ages 14-up. Agent: Elizabeth Copps, Copps Literary. (Mar.)
We Are Villains
Kacen Callender. Amulet, $19.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-4197-5689-4
In this propulsive and shocking mystery from Callender (Infinity Alchemist), a boarding school's brutally enforced social hierarchy crumbles following a student's death. Returning to Yates Academy in Upstate New York after a brief absence, Black, transgender scholarship student Milo endeavors to probe the mystery behind the campus fire that killed his best friend, Ari, also a Black scholarship student. Meanwhile, Liam--the king of Yates and illegitimate half-Black and presumed half-white son of a magnate--has been receiving threatening messages relating to Ari's death. As the crowned king, Liam is able to mark other students as targets for intense, physical bullying without worry of school administrators interfering; he offers to call off Milo's mark if he can uncover the sender. Meanwhile, Liam's white friend Preston, who is in love with Liam's girlfriend, shows growing irritation with not being king himself. Then incriminating texts linking Liam to Ari's death go viral. Alternating chapters shift seamlessly between myriad confidently crafted characters, each contending with challenges surrounding class as well as sexual and gender identity. Hair-raising plot twists conjure a sinuous tale of harmful traditions and the institutions that uphold them. Ages 14-up. (Mar.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Camila Nunez's Year of Disasters." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 48, 16 Dec. 2024, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A820624879/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8844aeb3. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
Camila Nunez's Year of Disasters. By Miriam Zoila Perez. Mar. 2025. 352p. Page Street YA, $18.99 (9798890032195). Gr. 9-12.
Camila Nunez has always been afraid of her future, and she has a right to be--her mami is always worrying about her, she's learning to drive, and she's figuring out her first queer romance. So when her best friend Cindy gives her a tarot reading for her sixteenth birthday, she's not surprised that the cards predict awful things to come. Maybe her papi really is having an affair. Maybe she's going to get her heart broken again. Maybe Cindy's romantic prospects are going to ruin the friendship they've always had. As the year of disasters unfolds, Camila must face her fears about the future and reckon with the reality that one can never truly know what's coming next. This layered, emotionally charged debut tackles mental health, family relationships, and queer and Cuban American identity. Camila will capture your heart from page one, and her anxieties about the future are portrayed with empathy and compassion. Tarot lovers especially will find much to love about the structure of this story that's centered around the birthday tarot spread and Camila's unfolding future.--Fin Leary
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
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Leary, Fin. "Camila Nunez's Year of Disasters." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 11-12, Feb. 2025, p. 71. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A846924858/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3e03a77b. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
Pérez, Miriam Zoila CAMILA NÚÑEZ'S YEAR OF DISASTERS Page Street (Teen None) $18.99 3, 18 ISBN: 9798890032195
Camila Núñez, a Cuban American teen from North Carolina, faces what might be her worst year ever.
An ominous tarot card reading, her parents' crumbling marriage, and a recent heartbreak might all be too much for Camila. Her annual summer in Miami was meant to consist of family time with her abuelos and self-care using tools suggested by her therapist. While playing third wheel to her prima Mirta and Mirta's latest boyfriend, Juanito, Camila develops an unexpected friendship that turns into a secret summer romance with Sonia, Juanito's sister. But Sonia breaks her heart just before Camila turns 16. Camila writes an optimistic letter to her future self, but the results of best friend Cindy's birthday tarot reading lead to a surge in Camila's anxiety, and she is left wondering when the misfortunes she believes were predicted by the Hanged Man, the Three of Swords, the Seven of Cups, and the Justice card will manifest. Between the pain of breaking up, her parents' trial separation, and her anxiety flaring into anger, Camila, who has a caring heart, empathy, and tendency to worry about others, lashes out at people close to her. In their debut novel, Pérez delves into anxiety, body shaming, familial dynamics around queerness, and teenage relationships. The thoughtful exploration of mental health, self-preservation, and developing interpersonal skills shows Camila's anxiety while making clear her inner resilience. The intertwining of English and Spanish will feel familiar to many readers.
Compelling, relatable, and skillfully crafted.(Fiction. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Perez, Miriam Zoila: CAMILA NUNEZ'S YEAR OF DISASTERS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A827100952/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e67da20f. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
PEREZ, Miriam Zoila. Camila Nunez's Year of Disasters. 352p. Page Street YA. Mar. 2025. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9798890032195.
Gr 9 Up-This novel shows a year in the life of a modern, queer teen facing the anxieties of life and relationships. Camila, who is Cuban American and lives in North Carolina, spends her summers with her abuelos in Miami. After a summer romance turns toxic, her anxiety is worse than ever. When her friend Cindy gets Camila a tarot deck for her 16th birthday, they draw a spread to reveal a year's worth of disasters. Unable to get the cards' foreboding images out of her head, Camila spends the next year anxiously analyzing her life and her relationships. Whether it's her new relationship with the artistic, nonbinary Devin, her parents' increasingly tense marriage, or Cindy's exploration into polyamory, Camila fears doom is imminent. The novel's depiction of what toxic relationships can look like provides valuable insight to readers, especially when paired with descriptions of healthy relationships. Camila's discomfort is further compounded by her mom and abuela's constant talk about food and weight, making her self-conscious about her size. With most of the novel's conflict being driven by Camila's perceived threats of potential issues, the story is repetitive at times and the supporting characters somewhat underdeveloped. That said, the resolution is satisfying, and many readers will see themselves in Camila, relating to her growth as she learns to make peace with what she can and cannot control. VERDICT With its valuable depiction of relationships and anxiety, this is a good purchase for collections seeking more contemporary LGBTQIA+ books.--Nicolette Pavain
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Pavain, Nicolette. "PEREZ, Miriam Zoila. Camila Nunez's Year of Disasters." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 3, Mar. 2025, p. 88. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A836878388/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3c8d4036. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.