The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar

By: Sonora Reyes, Sonido Reyes

Narrated by: Alejandro Antonio Ruiz

2026 Schneider Family Book Awards Honor MPIBA's Reading the West YA Longlist "This is Sonora Reyes at their absolute best." — Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys

From bestselling author Sonora Reyes comes a poignant and searingly honest companion novel to the multi-award-winning The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, following beloved character Cesar Flores as he comes to terms with his sexuality, his new bipolar diagnosis, and more mistakes than he can count.

Seventeen-year-old Cesar Flores is finally ready to win back his ex-boyfriend. Since breaking up with Jamal in a last-ditch effort to stay in the closet, he’s come out to Mami, his sister, Yami, and their friends, taken his meds faithfully, and gotten his therapist’s blessing to reunite with Jamal.

Everything would be perfect if it weren’t for The Thoughts—the ones that won’t let all his Catholic guilt and internalizations stay buried where he wants them. The louder they become, the more Cesar is once again convinced that he doesn't deserve someone like Jamal—or anyone really.

Cesar can hide a fair amount of shame behind jokes and his “gifted” reputation, but when a manic episode makes his inner turmoil impossible to hide, he’s faced with a stark choice: burn every bridge he has left or, worse—ask for help. But is the mortifying vulnerability of being loved by the people he’s hurt the most a risk he’s willing to take?

A voice

I read the lesbiana’s guide to catholic school. Even though I’m an adult, I can relate so hard. Thank you to Sonora for giving us the voice we weren’t always allowed to have. Love the stories from Yami and Cesar. Can’t wait to hear more from this author

a beautiful heartache

Wow, Sonora Reyes does it again in this sequel to The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School. I was already intrigued by Cesar's storyline and was so excited that we would not only get to hear more from him but also in the process get a peek at how Bo and Yami are doing. The portrayal of bipolar disorder is eye opening-- at least for someone who doesn't have it. Thee way Cesar's spiral unfolds sheds light into the struggle. I found my heart literally aching at Cesar's internal thoughts. I hope this book reaches the right people and listening to it helps someone out there. I hope people find the beauty, pain, and healing in Cesar's story and are kinder to themselves for it.

Lastly, the narrator was perfect. He's read other books I've listened to and he nails it everytime! The emotion, inflection, and slight changes in voices for characters is subtle, and not overdone or exaggerated.