The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Last night, I finished reading The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. This science fiction novel is about Petra Peña, a girl whose family is chosen to go to another planet, Sagan, after a comet destroys Earth. Hundreds of years later when their ship arrives at Sagan, Petra is woken up and learns that she is the only one who remembers Earth. The Monitors who were supposed to watch over the scientists and their children as they slept during the journey have now been taken over by the Collective. The Collective is determined to erase the sins of humanity's past and start completely anew on Sagan, or another planet if necessary. Petra tries to find her parents and her brother, Javier, but discovers that their pods are empty and that she's likely the only one of her family left. Devastated and lonely, Petra begins telling cuentos, or tall tales, to the other children in her unit, called the Zetas, and decides that they need to escape from the Collective for there to be any hope for humanity.

Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, so I totally enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It was so tragic that Petra had to leave her grandmother, Lita, behind on Earth, but I loved seeing the significance of their relationship throughout the book because it's clear that they were really close. Petra was inspired to become a storyteller like Lita, and I thought that was beautiful. I wish they had had more time together, but unfortunately Halley's Comet was coming quickly towards Earth and Lita couldn't come on the journey. I definitely related to Petra's relationship with Javier because I myself have a younger brother and could understand how Petra felt responsible for looking out for hers. It broke my heart that she couldn't protect him from the Collective. Fortunately, it brought me joy as Petra bonded with three other children, Feathers, Rubio, and Suma, who were in the Zeta unit with her. Their excitement whenever Petra would tell them a cuento was one of my favorite parts of the book, and it was wonderful that Petra could pass down Lita's cuentos to the next generation. I was also surprised by the plot twists throughout the story, which built up suspense leading to the climax. As the 2022 Newbery Medal winner, The Last Cuentista shows the importance of remembering and learning from our past and it's a superb choice for anyone who enjoys adventure.

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo. This magical realistic novel in verse is about a Black Muslim girl, Nima, who feels like she doesn't belong and wonders what her life would have been like if her parents named her Yasmeen as they originally planned before her dad was murdered. After her best friend, Haitham, is attacked by an Islamophobic group of men, Nima is pulled into an old photograph of her parents by Yasmeen, the version of herself she imagines. Everything is not all that it seems in the past, though, and Nima must decided if her life is worth fighting for before it's too late.

This novel in verse was different than anything else I've read over the past school year. I was expecting a realistic story, so I was quite surprised with the magical elements. The writing was exquisite and the pictures that Elhillo painted in my head made me want to visit Nima's home country and celebrate with her family. At the same time, this book is about Nima's loneliness and pain. My heart broke for her when she felt unloved by her mother and found out that Haitham was in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. I could also relate to her struggle of thinking that her mom would be happier if she was born differently. I was most fascinated by the appearance of Yasmeen, though. It was very surreal, and I had no idea what was going on, if she was a phantom or a delusion created by Nima, until she pulled Nima into the past. It was really interesting how Nima learned what led her mom to move to America and could cause small changes to the past leading to slightly different present. Overall, Home Is Not a Country is an incredible exploration of identity, heritage, self-love, and family and anyone who has ever wondered "what if?" should read it.

The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron

 

Last night, I finished reading The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron. This historical fiction novel is based on the true story of a Polish teenager, Stefania Podgorska, who hid thirteen Jews in her attic during World War II. At twelve years old, she leaves her family's farm to move to Przemyśl and begins working at the grocery store owned by the Diamants, a Jewish family. By the time she turns sixteen four years later, she is friends with the three youngest sons, Max, Izio, and Henek. She even has a secret romance with Izio. After the Germans invade the city, defeating the Russians, the Jews are forced into a ghetto, including the Diamants. Stefania and Izio are determined for their relationship to beat the odds, but when Izio is taken to a nearby labor camp and their plan for her to rescue him goes devastatingly wrong, he is murdered and she is left alone. Distraught, she goes to visit her family's farm where she discovers that her younger sister, Helena, was abandoned when their mother and brother were taken to a labor camp. Left with no other options, Stefania brings Helena back to her apartment in Przemyśl to take care of her. One night in November 1942, Stefania finds Max knocking at her door and later makes the decision to hide him and twelve other Jews after she moves into a cottage. It is difficult feeding everyone and making sure they are quiet so the neighbors don't hear, but Stefania faces her greatest challenge when the German army requisitions her house for two nurses, coping with the persistent fear of being caught while doing the right thing.

This novel was absolutely amazing, maybe even the best historical fiction novel I've ever read because of the combination of suspense with a dash of slow-burn romance. I've been familiar with Anne Frank's story a long time and knew that many people were caught hiding Jews, but it warmed my heart reading a story of hope that happened during the Holocaust even if some elements were fictionalized. I did some research into Stefania Podgorska while reading the book because I didn't think I could deal with any more heartbreak after she lost Izio, so the ending didn't really come as a surprise to me. I also thought there was some extremely subtle foreshadowing at the beginning of the book, but I wasn't convinced I was right until my research. I love all three of the main characters, Stefania, Helena, and Max, so much. Stefania was so brave doing everything that she did and I really admire her. I wish I had known her story sooner. Helena was the cleverest, though, with her ability to lie and come up with a plan to get notes into the ghetto. I truly enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters and how they worked together to hide their group of Jews. As for Max, I was astounded by his tendency to risk it all in order to survive. I thought he was crazy upon learning that he jumped out of a moving train to avoid dying in one of the camps. Of course, I'm glad that he did it because he made a great leader keeping the group of thirteen organized when it must have been really challenging being in such close quarters with people who didn't always get along. Still, my favorite part has to be the relationship that gradually blossomed between Stefania and Max because of their shared experiences and loss. I would recommend The Light in Hidden Places to anyone who wants to read an incredible story of courage, survival, love, and hope.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper

 

Happy Black History Month! Last week, I read Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. This nonfiction picture book first describes the community of Black people who lived in Tulsa's Greenwood district leading up to the massacre. The story then reaches the turning point when a 17-year-old white elevator operator accused a 19-year-old Black shoeshine man of assault. After a confrontation outside the jail between thirty armed Black men and two thousand armed white men left twelve dead, the white mob attacked the Greenwood community, destroying homes and businesses, murdering up to three hundred Black people, and injuring hundreds more. Some Black Tulsans left, while others stayed to rebuild the community, but the massacre wasn't spoken about for decades afterwards and it took seventy-five years for there to be an investigation into the violence and destruction.

This picture book was very enlightening. I had heard about the Tulsa Race Massacre before, but it was never an event I studied in great detail in school. It made me sad and angry learning what happened to such a thriving Black community. It was also disturbing how quickly the violence escalated after the man accused of assault was put in jail, especially when the white mob decided to spread rumors about the Black community attacking. Unspeakable definitely made it evident that the some of the white people in Tulsa hated the success of Black people in Greenwood, but the violence was so unbelievably senseless. I thought the illustrations were beautiful, though, and my favorite was at the end, seeing a group of people at Tulsa's Reconciliation Park. It added a spark of hope after reading about such a horrific event. I enjoyed the poetic nature of the Weatherford's storytelling, too. I think everyone should read Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre because this tragedy is one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history.