APRIL 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Almarie Guerra delivers a versatile performance of these 17 short, speculative stories by authors spanning the Latin American diaspora. These short works contemplate real-world social and political issues through tales of magical space princesses, witches, and werewolves, along with glimpses of a postapocalyptic future. Each story features a unique setting and cast of characters. Guerra deftly commands them all. Throughout genre-spanning stories full of romance, magic, space travel, and even horror, Guerra delivers authentic performances that will resonate with listeners. Her bilingualism enhances this collection, as several stories infuse Spanish words and accents. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Best Anthology at the Ignyte Awards 2023
One of Bustle's Most Anticipated Books of 2022
One of Pop Sugar's Best New YA of 2022
One of The Nerd Daily's Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases to Devour In 2022
One of Electric Lit's Books by Women of Color to Read in 2022
One of Frolic's Our Top YA Reads for February 2022
One of Shondaland's Best Anthologies (So Far) to Read This Year
One of HipLatina's 19 of the Best Audiobooks by Latinas
"Full of immersive and imaginative stories that will transport you to worlds and realms of adventure, love, friendship, community, and the fantastical that lives in all of us." - Shondaland, The Best Anthologies (So Far) to Read This Year
"Those reading [...] will be overjoyed to venture to distant lands and times with these distinct, imaginative tales." - Booklist, starred review
"Magnetic and artfully curated [...] [A] visionary anthology." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
"There is a little something for everyone in this powerful, essential anthology." - Kirkus, starred review
"Read this one cover to cover." - Lightspeed Magazine
"Latinx teens will relish the opportunity to be seen and heard by members of their own community while other teens will see new or different experiences and perspectives." - Locus Magazine
"The Latin American diaspora is awe-inspiring in this SF/fantasy anthology depicting strong-willed teens seeking love, justice, acknowledgment and selfhood across spectacular settings." - Shelf Awareness
"A much-needed and magical anthology." - Buzzfeed, 23 New Fantasy And Science Fiction Novels To Read This Winter
School Library Journal
04/01/2022
Gr 10 Up—Justice, prison reform, polyamorous love, feminism, toppling dictators, and other timely topics populate the pages of this collection of short stories set in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, magical realms, and distant planets. While the characters in each of these stories are children coming of age, the apocalyptic and magical settings force them to become wise before their time. "The Tin Man" puts Alida in the desperate position of either remaining on Earth where she has memories of her family or getting into an ark destined for unknown parts and beginning again. In "Killing El Chivo," Yesenia, Zaria, and Milagros are left to fend for themselves under a dictatorship that kidnapped and killed their parents. The teens becoming adults in this short story have to grapple with the difference between justice and revenge, and how both still twist the survivors into something they don't want to be. Yesenia learns that to destroy a monster, one must become a monster as well. "Leyenda" by Romina Garber revisits the domain of werewolves and witches, and in it, the main character, Zaybet, tackles patriarchal systems of oppression. In each of these entries a sacrifice is negotiated in order for the protagonist to evolve into a hero and a survivor. VERDICT This collection is recommended for older teens due to the intimate nature of the various characters within the stories. A solid choice for YA shelves.—Stephanie Creamer
APRIL 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Almarie Guerra delivers a versatile performance of these 17 short, speculative stories by authors spanning the Latin American diaspora. These short works contemplate real-world social and political issues through tales of magical space princesses, witches, and werewolves, along with glimpses of a postapocalyptic future. Each story features a unique setting and cast of characters. Guerra deftly commands them all. Throughout genre-spanning stories full of romance, magic, space travel, and even horror, Guerra delivers authentic performances that will resonate with listeners. Her bilingualism enhances this collection, as several stories infuse Spanish words and accents. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-11-30
An anthology that collects 17 speculative fiction tales written by both new and well-established authors representing the Latin American diaspora.
Editor Córdova presents a hearty collection—including a story of her own that closes the book—that celebrates different perspectives and voices from a diverse, wide-ranging community. The anthology follows a recipe for resounding success: The stories feature Latinx characters and include fantasy and science fiction peppered with plenty of romance, a dash of horror, and a pinch of magical realism—but, above all, a copious amount of warmth. This volume hits the ground running with the beautiful prose and even more beautiful queer love story of Anna-Marie McLemore’s “Reign of Diamonds,” set in space with magic added. Readers’ hearts will be broken by Daniel José Older’s “Flecha,” a futuristic tale of family and diaspora, and “Eterno,” J.C. Cervantes’ story of an impossible love between a human girl and a not-so-human boy—only to be put back together by David Bowles’ “The First Day of Us,” a fun and heartwarming take on polyamory set on a space station. There is a lot more here about finding oneself in tales of empowerment and growth, of letting go, punching up, and celebrating love in all its incarnations and colors of the rainbow.
There is a little something for everyone in this powerful, essential anthology. (contributor bios) (Speculative fiction. 13-adult)
