The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky

(national Book Award Finalist)

Josh Galarza

Square Fish · Print & ebook · July 22, 2025

A National Book Award Finalist!

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Who it’s for
A funny, hopeful story about anxiety, grief, and finding the courage to face what hurts.
Genres
Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens, Mental Illness for Teens, Death & Grief for Teens
Published
Square Fish, July 22, 2025

About this book

A National Book Award Finalist! A Kids Indies Introduce/Next List Selection! Perfect for fans of Mark Oshiro and Adam Silvera comes a fiercely funny and hopeful story of one boy's attempts to keep everything under control while life has other plans. Ever since cancer invaded his adoptive mother’s life, Brett feels like he’s losing everything, most of all control.

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To cope, Brett fuels all of his anxieties into epic fantasies, including his intergalactic Kid Condor comic book series, which features food constellations and characters not unlike those in his own life. But lately Brett’s grip on reality has started to lose its hold. The fictions he’s been telling himself – about his unattractive body, the feeling that he’s a burden to his best friend, that he’s too messed up to be loved – have consumed him completely, and Brett will do anything to forget about the cosmic-sized hole in his chest, even if it's unhealthy. But when Brett’s journal and deepest insecurities are posted online for the whole school to see, Brett realizes he can no longer avoid the painful truths of his real-life narrative. As his eating disorder escalates, Brett must be honest with the people closest to him, including his new and fierce friend Mallory who seems to know more about Brett’s issues than he does. With their support, he just might find the courage to face the toughest reality of all.

Humor Meets Heart

A funny, hopeful story about anxiety, grief, and finding the courage to face what hurts.

Come here for

  • A fiercely funny voice alongside grief, anxiety, and body-image struggles
  • A comic-book imagination set against painful truths

Expect

  • An intimate look at control, insecurity, and asking people close for support
  • Humor that shares the page with difficult emotional territory

Where it sits

Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens95%
Death & Grief for Teens75%
Mental Illness for Teens52%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Stories About Boys & Men
  • Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens
  • Emotions & Feelings for Teens
Authors
Josh Galarza
Publisher
Square Fish
Published
July 22, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
YA Stories About Boys & Men