Iveliz Explains It All

Content Warning: The section discusses self-harm and suicidal ideation.

Iveliz is the titular character—the Iveliz in Iveliz Explains It All. She’s 12 years old, and she’s starting the seventh grade. A few years ago, she was in a traumatic car accident with her father, Dad. The crash left her with PTSD and depression, and the mental health conditions define Iveliz’s character. She refers to her past as the “dark time,” and wants to believe that she is in a better place. She claims, “I’m fine now. FINE” (90). Yet Iveliz is a misleading narrator, as her journal reflects her keen emotions and her sometimes overwhelming mental health condition. Thus, what Iveliz thinks and feels, while valid, doesn’t always reflect reality. Iveliz isn’t “fine,” and the main conflict centers on her accepting that she needs help.

Iveliz has an array of good and bad characteristics. She’s creative and articulate, and she regularly sticks up for herself. She constantly reminds people how to pronounce her name, and to educate people about Puerto Rico’s status as a United States territory, she gives her class an informative presentation. She’s sensitive, and she feels like adults treat her differently because she’s a younger person. She notes that people let Mami “fall apart” after Dad’s death, but she was “supposed to hold it together” (206).