Dominique Franceschi shines with her enthusiastic narration of this fun and creepy mystery. All the characters have distinct and realistic voices. Omega Morales feels that she doesn’t fit into her hometown, Noche Buena. The human townspeople are wary of her because she is half-human, half-empath. She straddles both worlds without fully feeling part of either one. Omega's best friends are the ghost Clau and her cousin, Carlitos. When cats start to disappear from Noche Buena, Omega suspects La Lechuza is the cause of it. In trying to learn more about La Lechuza, Omega discovers secrets about her town, family, and herself. Franceschi's slight accent pairs perfectly with the characters of Noche Buena. She beautifully incorporates Spanish when necessary. A.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza
Narrated by Dominique Franceschi
Laekan Zea KempUnabridged — 8 hours, 10 minutes
Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza
Narrated by Dominique Franceschi
Laekan Zea KempUnabridged — 8 hours, 10 minutes
Audiobook (Digital)
Free with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime
Already Subscribed?
Sign in to Your BN.com Account
Related collections and offers
FREE
with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription
Overview
Editorial Reviews
★ 10/17/2022
Mexican 12-year-old Omega Morales feels like the odd one out in the small town of Noche Buena, and in her tight-knit magical family of empaths. While her cousin Carlitos is a natural at controlling his powers, Omega—who’s half human as opposed to fully magical—can barely keep her abilities from giving her a stomachache. When an ex-friend accuses Omega of being behind the recent disappearances of neighborhood cats, she wonders what could be stirring up trouble. Accompanied by Carlitos and their best friend Clau, a ghost from Venezuela, Omega digs deeper into the terrifying mystery behind folkloric witch La Lechuza, uncovering long-buried secrets about her own family, and her powers, along the way. Kemp (Heartbreak Symphony) skillfully follows even the most antagonistic characters’ interiority throughout, cultivating empathy and understanding around experiences contributing to their behavior. Silver linings balance emotionally fraught moments involving bullying, death and grief, and hate in this well-crafted tale that manages to both deliver scares and elicit laughs. Ages 8–12. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Sept.)
A Junior Library Guild Selection A Bank Street Best Book of the Year * "Silver linings balance emotionally fraught moments involving bullying, death and grief, and hate in this well-crafted tale that manages to both deliver scares and elicit laughs."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Full of dark mystery and unique and memorable characters, Kemp’s middle grade debut will enchant readers. Heartfelt and suspenseful, this title is an excellent choice for middle grade collections." —School Library Journal, starred review
“Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza is a masterful adventure filled to the brim with magic, myth, and mystery. Laekan Zea Kemp’s propulsive writing, relatable characters, and action-packed plot make this book unputdownable. It’s the story I needed as a child.”
—Alex Aster, award-winning author of the Emblem Island series“Absolutely captivating. Shimmers with the warmth of family and friends and mesmerizing magic.”
—Julie Abe, author of the Eva Evergreen series"Kemp’s middle-grade debut is an entertaining, sometimes frightening, and thought-provoking story that comments on generational trauma, bullying, friendship, and family. Readers will relate to Omega’s struggles to trust herself in difficult situations."—Horn Book
"With a fun mixture of the supernatural, Mexican folklore, and generational magic, Kemp creates an entertaining story that touches upon family, friendships, and loss."—Booklist
"Kemp weaves a page-turning plot while executing a satisfyingly slow reveal of the story’s core secret and the characters surrounding it….A satisfying mystery with depths to plumb."—Kirkus
★ 10/28/2022
Gr 4–7—In the small, south Texas town of Noche Buena, magic folk live alongside non-magic. The Moraleses are empaths, able to feel the emotions of others around them. Unlike her family, Omega has not yet obtained the ability to successfully manipulate those feelings, something that has overwhelmed her and caused her to become ill more than once. After her best friend Abby broke off their friendship, Omega finds comfort and company with her cousin Carlitos and Clau, a ghost who suddenly appeared one day and has been living with them. When cats in the neighborhood start disappearing, Omega, Carlitos, and Clau try to dig deeper into the mystery—one that leads them to suspect that a legendary creature known as La Lechuza has arrived in their town. Omega unearths truths about her family, her abilities, how La Lechuza is connected to her, and who truly is behind the dark happenings. This fast-paced and fantastical middle grade novel will envelop readers in its magical but also familiar world as Omega deals with the complexities of friendship, bullying, and first love—all while trying to control her magical abilities. Along with Omega, tweens will discover the power of memories and love, as well as the reality that not all monsters are supernatural. Full of dark mystery and unique and memorable characters, Kemp's middle grade debut will enchant readers. VERDICT Heartfelt and suspenseful, this title is an excellent choice for middle grade collections.—Selenia Paz
Dominique Franceschi shines with her enthusiastic narration of this fun and creepy mystery. All the characters have distinct and realistic voices. Omega Morales feels that she doesn’t fit into her hometown, Noche Buena. The human townspeople are wary of her because she is half-human, half-empath. She straddles both worlds without fully feeling part of either one. Omega's best friends are the ghost Clau and her cousin, Carlitos. When cats start to disappear from Noche Buena, Omega suspects La Lechuza is the cause of it. In trying to learn more about La Lechuza, Omega discovers secrets about her town, family, and herself. Franceschi's slight accent pairs perfectly with the characters of Noche Buena. She beautifully incorporates Spanish when necessary. A.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
2022-07-13
Deep empathy is a special power but a double-edged sword for a Mexican American girl in this middle-grade debut from Kemp.
The town of Noche Buena is precariously divided between families with magic and those without. Omega Morales, whose best friend is a ghost from Venezuela, is a descendant of a long line of magic practitioners who use their abilities to empathize in a variety of ways to assist others, but Omega feels out of place as she struggles with her burgeoning power while it appears to come so easily to others. Amid this internal and external turmoil, an ominous creature of myth has been spotted in the community: La Lechuza. Hoping to mend rifts, Omega sets out to discover the truth of La Lechuza’s identity and the meaning behind her appearance. At each turn adults seek to stymie her efforts, yet Omega feels drawn to La Lechuza in an inexplicable way. As her ties to the town’s tormentor are revealed, so too are generations of secrecy and trauma alongside the true power—and dangers—of Omega’s empathic abilities. Kemp weaves a page-turning plot while executing a satisfyingly slow reveal of the story’s core secret and the characters surrounding it. Readers will be eager to discover what Omega does next and to unveil more of the magical world of Noche Buena.
A satisfying mystery with depths to plumb. (Paranormal. 9-13)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940174976764 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dreamscape Media |
| Publication date: | 09/27/2022 |
| Series: | Omega Morales , #1 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
Videos
