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The Last Cuentista is S T U N N I N G, both as a physical book and as a story. Petra Peña is a young girl who embarks on a journey as humanity’s last hope when Halley’s comet officially heads on a collision course with earth. Petra and her family of highly trained scientists are put in status for the 300 year journey, but the some of the monitors who will live out their lives on the ship carrying for those in status form the Collective—a society that evolves physically and erases the history, cu...
Q:“I can’t believe we’re leaving you.” ...“It’s impossible for you to leave me. I’m part of you. You’re taking me and my stories to a new planet and hundreds of years into the future. How lucky I am.” (c)Q:I don’t want to imagine them being so afraid they’d try to hide from something they can’t hide from.Instead, I picture Lita and Tía Berta lying under the red-and-black fringed blanket, drinking coffee with “secret sauce” as they watch the nagual snake come home.“Berta! This isn’t the time to b...
I don't know how to formulate the words to describe how beautiful this book is. This book is about how important it is to not only remember the stories of our ancestors, but to create our own as well. This book is about knowing where you came from and having the free will to decide where you're going. This book is about embracing our differences, flaws and all, because that is what makes us human. Maybe I'm just an emotional person, but it's 4;30AM and I'm crying about how much I love this book
By my count, it's been twenty years since a dystopian novel was recognized by the Newbery Committee. The Last Cuentista is my top pick this year.
Actual Rating: 4.5/5I don't know what I expected when I picked this one up. I do not normally read middle grade stories and the last ones I have read were fun enough but were not written for me (understandably so) but this one was extremely engaging for me from beginning to end. It was similar to the experience I have watching an engaging family weight animated movie where it was very well paced plot wise and I was invested even though I was not the intended audience. The story of a young Lati
The amount of tears and snot I have shed over this book!!!!
I don't see too much middle grade science fiction, so I loved getting the chance to read this. It's an excellent generational spaceship story that explores the importance of history and storytelling in defining who we are as people even as we move to new planets and leave our earth behind. The main character, Petra, is resilient and caring and does whatever she can to protect the people around her. I especially loved that she is dealing with a sight disability which is very much a part of her li...
Phenomenal. I'm actively mad I hadn't heard about this until it won the Newbery. Why have more people not been talking about this?For one, it's got that old school sci fi vibe that I LOVED as a kid (and still do). It reminded me of Monica Hughes' Devil on my Back and The Keeper of the Isis Light. But then, the heartbreaking beauty of Petra, her beloved Lita, and the stories that she tells to comfort herself and others . . . AH! I can't stand it! So good! And can we talk about the DESIGN of this
The worst thing you can do to your dystopia is to let it grow stale. After all, the true joy of science fiction is its capacity for variety. Say the term “science fiction” and it conjures up images of robots and space rockets and the like. All fine and good things but the whole point of the genre is to think up things that could be. And what could be is infinite. That’s why it’s so silly when science fiction books for kids get all samey. The sky’s the limit (a silly phrase in this case since a l...
My hold on the audiobook came in right after this won the Newbery, so I definitely went into it with high expectations. This often leads to disappointment. And...yep. I was not into it. I can't help being more critical when a book has just won the biggest prize in children's literature. But I think even if it hadn't won the Newbery, it would still be a 3-star book for me. Here are some reasons why: 1. Early in the book Petra's dad says, "Equality’s good. But equality and sameness are two differe...
THAT’S how you tell a story. Higuera knows how to write a book with stakes! There was so much on the line at every turn keeping you on the edge of your seat (or curled up in the fetal position empathizing with the main character’s many losses). This book definitely expects a lot from its readers as far as piecing together complex ideas and drawing conclusions. I would say it’s for voracious 11-13 year old readers. (I happen to live with one who will love this.)
The good*The action sequences. They are the best I can remember reading in kids' lit. *The way the main character used stories showed a deep understanding of symbolism in folklore.*The setting was fully realized and mostly made sense.The bad*The parts that were not chase scenes or sneaking around scenes felt sluggish. The main character just kind of pondered the plot at length. * I felt like the ending was setting up a conflict in which the main character was using the Collective's methods (lyin...
Get some tissues ready for this one! I'm not an avid reader of science fiction, but Higuera makes it tangible. A middle grade title, but easily enjoyed by older teenagers and adults alike. After Halley's Comet hits earth, Petra, her family, and select others are whisked away on ships to Sagan, a planet where people may safely live. The problem: it takes hundreds of years. While they sleep, they are programmed with the information needed to live in Sagan. Petra, however, is awake and knows what's...
