Running

When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz’s father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero—while the whole country is watching.
In this thoughtful, authentic, humorous, and gorgeously written novel about privacy, waking up, and speaking up, Senator Anthony Ruiz is running for president. Throughout his successful political career he has always had his daughter’s vote, but a presidential campaign brings a whole new level of scrutiny to sheltered fifteen-year-old Mariana and the rest of her Cuban American family, from a 60 Minutes–style tour of their house to tabloids doctoring photos and inventing scandals. As tensions rise within the Ruiz family, Mari begins to learn about the details of her father’s political positions, and she realizes that her father is not the man she thought he was.
But how do you find your voice when everyone’s watching? When it means disagreeing with your father—publicly? What do you do when your dad stops being your hero? Will Mari get a chance to confront her father? If she does, will she have the courage to seize it?

This discussion guide was posted in partnership with the book's author, Natalia Sylvester.

Book club questions for Running by Ronnie O'Sullivan

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

In the beginning of the book, Mari feels like "people" are always watching her. What people does she mean? How does the question of privacy come up throughout the book?

Although Mari has supported her father all her life, she doesn't know much about his policies at first. What kept her ignorant to them? What do you think becomes the catalyst for her awakening to their realities?

Water comes up several times in the book. How is water important to the setting? The conflict? What does water represent for Mari?

What are ways that Mari's journey to speaking up are influenced by privilege, culture, and gender?

Who are the characters who most surprised you, and why? Which of her friends appealed to you most and why?

Did you ever deal with Mari's same struggles with speaking up? How did you overcome them? If you are still struggling with them, what are some ways that Mari's journey might inform your own?

Running Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Running discussion questions

Follow Natalia Sylvester on Twitter @NataliaSylv and Instagram @nataliasylv

“Sylvester's YA debut embodies the theme of our decade: to stand up and speak up for what we believe in." — Mahjabeen Syed, BOOKLIST (Starred Review)

"This powerful novel will provoke much discussion on topics like the political machine, youth activism, and environmental justice. Highly recommended for all libraries." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (Starred Review)

Kirkus Reviews calls RUNNING "a timely call to stand up for your beliefs," adding that "Sylvester adeptly delves behind the scenes in political families' lives while presenting the complexity of a young woman realizing that her parents are not the heroes she always believed them to be."

The Guardian spotlights RUNNING as one of the Best Books to Understand Latinx Culture, saying it "investigates the complexities that exist within immigrant communities, rejecting the notion of the community as a monolith."

RUNNING was named a 2020 Junior Library Guild selection!