From the Publisher
Each entry completely transforms its source material into a fresh, culturally specific, and relevant new version. An expertly executed anthology remixing classics into empowering, modern vignettes.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“In the many ways that science fiction and fantasy can broaden the dreams of any young person, this short story collection more than earns its spot on a shelf.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
MARCH 2024 - AudioFile
An ensemble of narrators delivers this collection of 16 classic stories, poems, fairy tales, and myths reimagined with a Latinx spin and frequent genre bending, mostly into sci-fi and fantasy. Each short story utilizes one or more narrators who mostly fit the gender identity of the main character. Each narrator fully commits to their story, emotionally connecting with teens who are experiencing love, claiming autonomy, and fighting fate. Karla Serrato is particularly delightful as she portrays a popular teen vlogger in space and her prejudice toward another shipmate. She also narrates a version of Goldilocks with fangs and a lust for blood. Andrew Joseph Perez's kaleidoscopic performances utilize an impressive range of accents and tones to differentiate characters in both short stories he narrates. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-02-03
The 16 short stories in this fantasy and science fiction collection center Latinx teen protagonists and their nuanced coming-of-age experiences through genre-bending reimaginings of classic tales.
Saraciea J. Fennell’s “Goldi and the Three Bodies” is a horror retelling of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” that explores monstrousness and adolescent girlhood. “Shame and Social Media” by Anna Meriano offers a take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that’s set on a spaceship carrying intergalactic teen vloggers. In “Evermore,” NoNieqa Ramos remixes Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” into a story told in prose and verse that examines memory and coming out as queer. The contributors include many other popular and acclaimed Latinx authors, including Olivia Abtahi, David Bowles, Zoraida Córdova, Amparo Ortiz, Laura Pohl, and Ari Tison. Each entry completely transforms its source material into a fresh, culturally specific, and relevant new version. Woven throughout the stories are details that express each character’s Latinx heritage and traditions, even within fantastical settings. Propelling each original tale are undercurrents emphasizing themes such as the importance of personal autonomy, fate as a driving force in our lives, the power of love, and the transformative, freeing effect of believing in your own power. A diverse cast of characters leads each story, including a nonbinary protagonist and people from different socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.
An expertly executed anthology remixing classics into empowering, modern vignettes. (contributor bios) (Speculative fiction anthology. 13-18)
