In her YA novel, Richards takes readers through a scavenger hunt which reveals clues Cleo must use to solve the mystery of who is sending her the clues and why. The clues all center around landmarks and experiences Cleo had with her ex-boyfriend Declan who she believes died in a rafting accident the year before. As the clues unravel Cleo, her friend Hope, and her brother Connor begin to question whether Declan is actually dead. Texts and videos begin to surface that shed light on the clue sender's motives and what actually happened during the rafting "accident". If you enjoy mystery and suspense, you might want to add this read to your list. Approximate Grade Level - 9th grade+ - Although this is considered a YA novel, there were some pretty "heavy" issues included within the pages such as physical abuse, drugs, blackmail, and violence. Because of aforementioned issues, I would not personally recommend the novel for middle schoolers despite it potentially being on the reading level of some 7th and 8th graders.
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The Last Cuentista has won several awards and received accolades. I wanted to love it, but I just didn't. To be fair, the novel is science fiction, and I am rarely a big fan of science fiction, but it was more than that really. I just did not connect with the characters or the storyline. I did enjoy how the author embedded folklore within the storyline and emphasized the importance of creativity and storytelling. Oftentimes the novel seemed to have a magical realism feel to it despite the overarching dystopian and science fiction elements. The plotline centers on the Earth being destroyed by a comet and only a few hundred people and their families being chosen to travel to a new planet. where the storyline lost me was the ship and the pods they traveled within culminating in them arriving hundreds of years later. It was all too much of a reach for me; however, if you are a science fiction lover, you might enjoy this book. Approximate grade level - 5th-9th - Sensitive readers might be disturbed by the plotline since the Earth is facing destruction and only a few are chosen to live, and the main character's family does not all reach their intended destination. |
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