Wychella: Blood Sibllings & The Becoming($14.99Value)

Description

"White magic, an imaginary kingdom, and three teens bound by a blood oath." Three marginalized teens turn to creativity and courage to cope with bullying, racial slurs, and the complexities of their home lives. At the heart of the story is Isabel Sánchez, whose love of fairy tales and legends fuels her dreams of becoming a good witch. Isabel, Phoebe, and Gerald become close friends and quickly discover they share a love of stories about witches and magic. Their bond deepens when, in defiance of the bullies, they make a blood pact, vowing to stand by one another always. In honor of their love of fantasy, they name themselves rulers of the Kingdom of E. Although it begins as playacting, the fantasy world they construct becomes essential to their identities.Isabel's deepest wish is to become a good witch, practice white magic, and do good things for others. Most of all, she wants to cure the bullies of their cruelty. But soon, Isabel undergoes strange and unsettling transformations, and the values she learned from her Poppa and her Granma waverThe transformation comes at a high cost, marking the beginning of a fantastic, unforeseen journey neither she nor her blood siblings could have predicted. C.P. Florez writes with a conversational voice that convincingly captures a twelve-year-old's inner world, mixing humor with real emotional weight, like Isabel's embarrassment over her changing body. The pacing is well handled, opening on the dramatic disappearance before easing into Isabel's backstory, which builds curiosity rather than losing momentum. The most compelling thing is its cast of characters, especially Ralphie's scrappy allegiance and Isabel's own multi-veiled narration, bookish, comical, and crumbling. The fantastical elements are grounded in the theme of familial relationships, as well as in the 'messiness' of youth, making it feel true. I loved the use of East Harlem's particular texture and fairy tale wonder, rather than as discrete worlds. Wychella: Blood Siblings & The Becoming is a warm and loving beginning to a promising series. -Readers' Favorite Florez delivers an enchanting yet emotionally grounded tale that explores friendship, resilience, identity, and the allure of power. Atmospheric, imaginative, and deeply heartfelt . . . @reads.brianna Florez delivers an enchanting yet emotionally grounded tale that explores friendship, resilience, identity, and the allure of power. Atmospheric, imaginative, and deeply heartfelt . . .