Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This was such a cool, fun book. It was a little weird at first. I can't say too much because it would be a spoiler, but something happens to the hero that I had never seen and it was kind of hilarious picturing how he looked in my head. But it was also disturbing and I felt really bad for Charlie. He was already dealing with a major loss, and now all of a sudden, some weird changes are happening to him, and his world opens to some very unnatural, downright supernatural occurrences. And it wasn't like he could open up to his friends about everything.
Despite my confusion at first, I really got sucked into this book. I was listening to the audiobook, and the narrator, Giordan Diaz kept it fun. His accent was authentic and that was crucial with this story in which Charlie's Latin heritage is integral. For Charlie is getting dropped right into the world of Latin American creatures of lore. His family has a heritage that makes what was considered legend very, very real. I love folklore, and I was thrilled at getting introduced to characters from the legends, several that I knew, and some that were very unfamiliar and really fascinatingly weird.
I appreciate so much that Latinx kids get a story that speaks to their heritage and takes them on fun adventure in the style of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, but very much unique as well. This was a bit on the short side, but it was an enjoyable introduction to Charlie's world. There are two books so far, and I hope there are more. I recommend it to Middle Grade readers and older folks like me who enjoy Middle Grade books.
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