Publishers Weekly
03/25/2024
Seventeen-year-old Ana and her mother live in their car in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a rewilded military outpost. Most of her botanist mother’s government salary is being allocated to locating Ana’s disappeared father. While walking through the park one night, Ana encounters a puma, as well as a Cuban boy named Leandro, whose service dog, Cielo, helps him manage panic attacks, which have become more frequent since his family’s dangerous journey to the states via boat. Though Ana leaves before they can exchange numbers, Leandro’s transfer to a new high school, and a serendipitous job offer for Ana’s mother, ensure that their paths cross again. Distinctive verse by Engle (Wings in the Wild) portrays Ana and Leandro’s alternating perspectives to fully immerse readers in this sweetly rendered romance, adding depth to the teens’ parallel journeys. Additionally, sections titled “Cielo the singing dog” contribute levity to serious moments. It’s a heartwarming and inspiring eco-centric read that addresses timely issues such as conservation of wildlife and emphasizes the importance of people’s connecting to nature—and each other. Ages 12–up. Agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. (Apr.)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
★ "Emotions run deep and true in the concrete poems and free verse, which offer complex relationships that are familial, cultural, romantic, and environmental, appropriately blurring the lines between them for readers already invested in effecting heartfelt change."
Kirkus Reviews
2024-02-03
Traumatized teens find each other and bond over a shared passion for conservation.
Ana, a Cuban American 17-year-old, is living in a car with her mother. Her mom’s job doesn’t pay enough to cover the cost of living in California’s Bay Area, especially now that they’re hiding from her dangerous father, who’s wanted by the FBI for domestic terrorism. A chance meeting with Leandro, a recent refugee from Cuba who’s also 17, leads to instant attraction, and a romance grows. Leandro witnessed his father drown during their dangerous journey to Miami from Cuba, and he can’t shake the guilt and psychological scars. Service dog Cielo is his constant sidekick, helping with Leandro’s panic attacks. Cielo proves to be a wise companion, sharing observations on emotions, nature, and the human condition in chapters written from her perspective, which are interspersed with chapters voiced by each teen. Ana and Leandro care deeply for the natural world around them, and they start a rewilding club at school to help support the work of environmental scientists and wildlife rescuers. The pair become involved with a pregnant puma who needs immediate support, and they work to make changes for the puma population. Verse in various forms, including beautiful concrete poems, effectively conveys this story’s themes of sustainability, resilience, and activism.
A transformative journey celebrating the power of overcoming personal struggles to make a lasting impact. (author’s note) (Verse fiction. 12-18)
