Sonido Reyes: Imposter Syndrome Is Actually Not Inevitable
In this interview, author Sonido Reyes discusses writing their favorite book yet with their new YA dystopian novel, To Our Untamed Core.
Sonido Reyes is the award-winning and bestselling author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, The Broposal, and The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar. They also have contributed short stories to the anthologies Transmogrify! and For the Rest of Us. Sonido writes fiction celebrating queer and Mexican stories in a variety of genres and age categories. He serves as the vice-president of My Galvanized Friend, a nonprofit focused on providing access to and amplifying LGBTQ+ writing, art, and creators. Sonido also co-hosts the podcast Bidi Bidi Book Pod, which celebrates queer and trans BIPOC authors and stories. Follow them on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.
In this interview, Sonido discusses writing their favorite book yet with their new YA dystopian novel, To Our Untamed Core, their advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Sonido Reyes
Literary agent: Alexandra Levick
Book title: To Our Untamed Core
Publisher: Versify with HarperCollins
Release date: September 22, 2026
Genre/category: Dystopian young adult
Previous titles: The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, The Broposal, The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar
Elevator pitch: The Hunger Games meets The Sunbearer Trials in bestselling and award-winning author Sonido Reyes’s YA dystopia about a boy who survives by hiding his truth until his boyfriend is sentenced to El Torneo—a brutal, fight-to-the-death game—where he must risk everything to save him.
What prompted you to write this book?
Someone asked me if there was any book I wish I had written, and instinctually I told them The Hunger Games, but with the caveat that I’d make it Mexican and queer. From there, the gears started turning, and I imagined a world where the “Capitol” was more inspired by the conquistadores, and the world-building was both Catholic and Indigenous. Without yet knowing the characters, I rambled on about themes of propaganda and detribalization. The person who asked told me I had to write the book now that I’d said all of that out loud, and they were right!
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It was mid-2023 when that first conversation happened, and I finished the book later that same year. It’s coming out in September of 2026, so it will be just over three years by the time it’s finally published. This is actually the fastest any book has gone from idea to publication for me! The idea stayed almost exactly as I pictured it from that very first conversation. It grew and grew, but the heart of the story never really changed.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
This book was originally part of a two-book deal with my last book, The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar, but the second book was unspecified at the time. I was expecting to publish another contemporary coming-of-age novel after Golden Boy, but my acquiring editor moved to a different publisher before we settled on that next book. When I found out I’d be working with Carolina Mancheno Ortiz, I checked her manuscript wish list and saw that she was looking for nuanced dystopian centering characters of color, and I immediately pitched my “trans Mexican Hunger Games.” She loved the idea, and here we are!
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I learned that imposter syndrome is actually not inevitable! This was the first book that I never once felt unworthy during the writing process. From the very first moment, I felt like I could see this story’s full potential. Even when I was drafting, which is usually my least favorite part of the process, I knew this was a story I connected with deeply.
I’ve never experienced that lack of imposter syndrome before. In the moments where I noticed something was missing, I’d just get so excited to find the puzzle piece that would make it all click. It was my favorite book to write, and even if no one ever reads it, I’m so glad I wrote it. I feel more motivated, more confident, and like a better writer after working on this book.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope readers can look at history through a more nuanced lens, keeping in mind the biases we have when we’re taught. Who is telling the stories, and whose version of events have been erased?
I also hope they come away from this book feeling like they have permission to celebrate, even in what feels like the darkest moments. Resistance and celebration go hand in hand, because every ounce of joy sustains the fight, and we fight so we can continue to celebrate.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
My favorite advice to give is that no advice is for everybody. Any time you get a piece of advice, ask yourself what the core of the advice is, and make your own workaround for how that can apply to you.
For example, when someone says, “You’re not a real writer unless you write every day,” I think the core of that advice is to build a consistent writing habit, which can look different for everyone. Maybe you have kids, or a job, or a disability that makes writing every day impossible, but what does consistency look like for you?
If any piece of advice feels off, just ask yourself how you can make it useful to you, and if there’s nothing useful to extract from it, just toss it! It’s OK that not everyone has the same kind of brain or writing process.
