In Cece Rios’ world, there are criaturas, half person and half animal beings. Brujas (and brujos) are witches that steal the souls of criaturas and use them to gain power. Brujas are forbidden, and because of their abuses, criaturas hate humans, and avoid them at all costs. But when Cece’s sister Juana is stolen to become the Bride of El Sombrerón, Cece decides to become a bruja in order to get her back.
But Cece has a water soul, not a fire soul like everyone else in her town. She hates to see the criaturas hurting and being abused. So she makes a deal with Coyote. She feeds him and he agrees to help her. Will Cece’s kindness be her undoing, or will it turn out to be the greatest strength of all?
I was attracted to this book because of its Spanish influence. Even my familiarity with the Spanish words Rivera uses didn’t help much, as I felt a bit lost trying to get into Cece’s world. But perseverance paid off. Soon I was very invested in Cece’s story, and anxious to find out what would happen next. I love Coyote stories (I particularly love Patricia Briggs’s transmutation of Coyote), and I enjoyed how Rivera translated Coyote into the Great Namer and pulled different elements of Spanish folklore in (Tzitzimitl, I’m looking at you!) to create a unique story.
Despite the rocky start (maybe I was too grounded IRL?), this is definitely worth a read. Give to kids who like #ownvoices stories, Spanish influence, or strong female leads. Oh, and kids who like slightly creepy stories. Some of the criaturas are pretty dark. For grades 4-7.
The Librarian Is on The Loose 