A wonderful blend of stories of ancient folklore and near-future sci-fi whose imagination captures your spirit.
I loved how the author created such a wondrous atmosphere with the storytelling setting; a log fire, a starry sky and stories handed down from grandma to grandchild; storyteller to storyteller. This draws you in right from the start, as does the colourful cover.
There's a special, heartfelt relationship between siblings Petra and Javier, as well as with Abuelita. It seems a very human story with so much heart, exploring the grief of leaving those we love behind. This keeps the beginning of the story feeling very grounded and real and makes you feel deeply for the characters.
I really like the interwoven Spanish phrases, establishing it as a core part of Petra's identity, and know I will enjoy learning some new words and idioms. I am impressed by how seamlessly different views and issues have already been raised in the story. These include; chronic illnesses and how Petra is not supposed to be there because of hers, tensions between different political groups, political activism and how equality does not mean sameness and forgetting our different histories and cultures. I really want to see where these go!
There's a special, heartfelt relationship between siblings Petra and Javier, as well as with Abuelita. It seems a very human story with so much heart, exploring the grief of leaving those we love behind. This keeps the beginning of the story feeling very grounded and real and makes you feel deeply for the characters.
I really like the interwoven Spanish phrases, establishing it as a core part of Petra's identity, and know I will enjoy learning some new words and idioms. I am impressed by how seamlessly different views and issues have already been raised in the story. These include; chronic illnesses and how Petra is not supposed to be there because of hers, tensions between different political groups, political activism and how equality does not mean sameness and forgetting our different histories and cultures. I really want to see where these go!