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.