Adrianna Cuevas

This is delightful. And gross. And very much body-horror/zombie in appeal. I love that it has a smart, capable, socially isolated ADHD Latinx girl at the heart of it. I love that this is a story about finding your tribe and that one of those friends is just a little dead. I love that people get called out for being unkind and that they do better. I love that there is a whole bunch of science and respectful handling of the dead as the context. And I love that out of the box thinking saves the show more day. show less

Full of the kind of creepy crawly gross terror that besets horror films, and some great characters learning about Mari and her beautiful Cuban heritage. Loved the friendship of the Super Ojos, the stories Mari hears about and from her ancestors, learning more about Cuba, and the underlying messages about being proud of your heritage despite microaggressions and the embarrassment of feeling different. I felt like it dragged a bit in the middle, when I wondered when Mari was finally going to show more get on with talking to her family. I also felt like the friendship with Keisha was weirdly up and down. Definitely entertaining for the intended audience. show less

What a great book -- it's original, funny, kinda salty, and has great characters. It's got a little mystery (where are the animals going?) great friends (2!) and enemies (unexpected!), a little magic (talking to animals) and surprises (animal trivia. Also, the animals are kind of jerks, which is funny) and some serious stuff (how to deal with a deployed parent. how to move and move and move again). Fast paced and full of adventure! Love the slightly bilingual nature of the book, and the show more seamlessness of Nestor's Latinx (Cuban) heritage -- as in, it's all throughout the book but nobody makes a big deal out of it and clearly the town he's moved to in Texas is full of kids from a variety of backgrounds. show less

Navigating middle school is tough enough without the additional trauma of watching your mother battle for her life. When Rafa is banished to the wilds of New Mexico due to some misguided "fun" with his friends the adventure really begins. Life at Rancho Espanto is like nothing he has ever experienced and what is with all of these crazy events? Can Rafa and his friends solve the puzzle of why all of these crazy events are happening and bring order back to the ranch? I found this to be a show more really entertaining read. It is a definite must-read for all middle-grade students. show less