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The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
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The Last Cuentista (edition 2021)

by Donna Barba Higuera (Author)

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7564130,036 (4.02)29
Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Folklore. Había una vez . . . There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again? Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Donna Barba Higuera presents us with a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.… (more)
Member:drmom62
Title:The Last Cuentista
Authors:Donna Barba Higuera (Author)
Info:Levine Querido (2021), 336 pages
Collections:Anthony's books, Your library, Wishlist, Currently reading, To read, Read but unowned, Favorites
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Tags:to-read

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The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

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» See also 29 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 40 (next | show all)
Gr 5 Up—It's 2061 when 12-year-old Petra Peña and her family board the last spaceship before Earth is destroyed.
Petra awakes from her 400-year stasis to find that a group of zealots seeking homogeneity and equality via the
eradication of heritage have overtaken the ship. Petra is the only original traveler who retains her memory, and she
proves a protector of both people and history. This powerful sci-fi saga boasts massive appeal across age groups.
  BackstoryBooks | Apr 1, 2024 |
Representation: Latino/a, Asian and implied Brown, Black, multiracial and First Australian/Canadian characters
Trigger warnings: Implied murder and death of parents in the past and mass death mentioned, near-death experience
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

I wanted to read The Last Cuentista for a while but never got around till now. I saw it a few months back at a library before someone transferred it to another. Months later, I transferred it back for me to read it. The blurb made The Last Cuentista seem intriguing. It appeared that the book was a dystopian targeted at a younger audience. I've read novels like that, with mixed results. Fortunately, this one was enjoyable.

Spoilers ahead. I've warned you.

It starts with the first character I see, Petra Peña, leaving Earth in 2061 before a comet destroyed it and most of humanity. Only a select few get to board spaceships whose destination is Sagan, a new home planet for humanity to restart themselves. The only catch is that during the journey, an organisation formed: The Collective, whose sole mission is to erase all traces of Earth so no one remembers their history when they arrive on the new celestial body, all in the guise of removing all struggles, wars and pain. Only a few pages in, Petra discovers the organisation has purged her parents, much to her dismay, but conveniently, she survives, alongside a handful of other minor characters. The Last Cuentista shines in its intriguing worldbuilding and how realistic the science fiction elements are, like when I saw how humans have built spaceships, but none of them can go faster than the speed of light--they haven't discovered wormholes yet so it takes a while for them to get anywhere. The middle was enjoyable, but the conclusion was less so. All the characters were likable, but I couldn't connect or relate to them. They didn't have much depth beyond their protagonistic nature. At least it was heartwarming as Petra escapes The Collective and hears another community (the first settlers,) but it unsatisfyingly peters out. ( )
  Law_Books600 | Mar 18, 2024 |
I just found the premises hard to accept. The theme of the importance of stories and libraries and librarians was great. I felt like the caretakers position on the ship was not really fair. I could t understand why they would need to preserve actual scientists when, according to the story, you could pretty much just download the knowledge into anyones brain ( )
  cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |
This middle level chapter book is a dystopian adventure about family and storytelling. Its a perfect middle level chapter book that has great themes and a thrilling plot, definitely a must have in a middle level class!
  kaylee.dicey | Feb 28, 2024 |
A wonderfully imaginative premise with a strong focus on cultural memory, storytelling, and holding on to your family. I wish the ending was a little more concrete, but really such a great read overall! ( )
  deborahee | Feb 23, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 40 (next | show all)
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Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Folklore. Había una vez . . . There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again? Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Donna Barba Higuera presents us with a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.

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