By Rabeetah Hasnain
Often, the concerns plaguing the minds of young adults are not that different from their adult counterparts. In The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky (Henry Holt and Company, 2024) by Josh Galarza, a young adult novel with wide literary appeal, we open with Brett, the book’s sixteen-year-old narrator. He’s drunkenly ordered an Uber to drive him through various fast food restaurants in town so he can buy the right combination of foods to fill a hole that transcends hunger. Fueled by his hidden “Costco-sized bottle of vodka,” Brett requests a lineup of Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Jack in the Box for his “drunk drive-thru’ing” itinerary for the night (1). While Brett is funny and charismatic, both the fictional Uber driver (Reynold, Red Toyota Camry, 3.8 stars) and we, the readers, can sense that something deeper and more troubling is happening. Our suspicions are confirmed when Brett has a sudden, but brief, moment of self-awareness with a Dr. Pepper in one hand and an Oreo shake in the other: what he’s doing is not healthy. Brett has no trouble stuffing the fleeting realization away, deep past the food he is now consuming and the limits of comfort. After this opening scene, a couple of things are clear: Brett is struggling and masking it, both the causes and effects, with a charming personality and outward bravado which serve as both shield and deflection. The facade won’t last.
Brett lives with his adoptive mother, Evelyn. Their connection is deep and loving but has been impaired since cancer weakened her physically and strained their relationship. Much of the first half of the novel concerns Brett’s coping strategies. In moments where the narrator is most open with his feelings (usually with his best friend, Reed) we learn that Brett is close to spiraling out of control and letting his grief overcome him, which is where his creative outlet, Kid Condor, comes in. Brett immerses himself in making his intergalactic comic book series, where Kid Condor, a lone space traveler, navigates a universe shaped by food-themed constellations—most notably, the Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky, a celestial landmark that echoes Brett’s own search for direction and solace amid his grief. Through his comic book series, Brett weaves his own life into the story—but with one key difference: nothing bad ever happens to Kid Condor.
Brett is kind, reflective, gentle, and still makes a ton of mistakes that hurt himself and those he cares about. With Evelyn, he seems to cope in healthy ways: through art, journaling, and with the guidance of his school counselor. But privately, Brett copes in unhealthy ways: excessive drinking, binge eating, detachment. This nuanced characterization lets the reader identify with Brett, in his honesty and duality. We are reminded that healing is not linear, and for a teenager battling with grief and disordered eating, it is also not predictable. Healing for Brett is a tangle of progress and setbacks, where emotional wounds and behavioral patterns are deeply intertwined.
Galarza excels at showcasing characters who are young and forging their way through complex emotional landscapes. Friendship and love are healing, but often manifest through imperfect but genuine attempts at understanding. Brett is surrounded by friends and peers who give him the space and grace he needs to come to them for help.
Your guilt is making you feel like you’re a bad person, right? That you might not be capable or worthy of change? But forgiveness turns your guilt into remorse. Remorse is more like, If I knew then what I know now, I’d have done better. I would have made a different choice. The difference is subtle, but remorse acknowledges that we have the capacity to change, to become better, more compassionate, empathetic people—and to overcome our harmful habits. I myself carry a great deal of remorse, but I don’t carry any guilt.
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This book has been well researched, and approaches layered subjects and disorders that necessitate deep care: mental health, addiction, eating disorders, and the complexities of grief. The exploration of trauma and its long-lasting effects on relationships is grounded in psychological research. The depiction of substance abuse offers a candid look at its emotional and societal toll.
Galarza’s stunning debut novel The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky, a 2024 National Book Award finalist, stands as compelling evidence that exceptional young adult literature transcends age categories.
These are lessons that, if we’re lucky, return well past youth.
