A Tall Dark Trouble

June 15, 2023
Plagued by a family curse to only know doomed love, 18-year-old Cuban American twin sisters descend into a struggle involving magic, traditions, and murder. Despite Mami's efforts to eradicate magic from their lives, Lela and Delfi seek to develop their bruja gifts after they are haunted by strange visions of a woman's death. Aided by Ethan (their best friend and Lela's crush) and Andres (Delfi's jilted ex and an aspiring sleuth), the girls uncover a sinister plot involving some powerful brujos who may have a connection to Mami's family history. What did she run away from back in Cuba? In a separate storyline set in 1980, nearly 40 years before the twins' adventure, 18-year-old Anita grapples with her predestined path among la Orden de las Palomas. Led by Mam� Orti, Anita's mother, las Palomas is a malicious group of formidable magic practitioners who pledge their collective might to serve Castro and secure their place among the Cuban elite. Ordained to ascend as Mam� Orti's successor, Anita gradually repudiates las Palomas and el Comandante's sphere of brutality in pursuit of seemingly unattainable freedom alongside her brother and friends. Featuring nuanced depictions of Afro-Cuban religious practices, Montalban's assured debut goes in heavy with an exploration of multigenerational trauma and its accompanying psychic pain. Richly rendered main characters and a knotty central mystery captivate. Even though secondary characters at times fall flat and some obvious plot twists distract, this is overall a strong page-turner. Utterly bewitching. (author's note) (Paranormal. 14-18)

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June 19, 2023
Cuban American twins Delfi and Ofelia “Lela” Sánchez, 18-year-old brujas, must unravel their family’s history to break a generations-old curse in Montalban’s captivating debut. Each sister has their own special skill set; Delfi can taste emotions in the air via her emotional perception, and Lela catches glimpses of the past, present, and future through objects’ memories. Both also carry the Sánchez curse, which causes all of their romantic endeavors to fail. When they inexplicably begin having the same dream of a woman in danger, the siblings resolve to save her, only for her body to wash ashore in their Miami hometown. Recruiting close friends and romantic interests Ethan and Andres, the twins uncover the circumstances behind her death, and realize that their family history is somehow tied up in the situation. This dual-POV narrative, set in 2016, features additional historical interludes depicting a young woman in 1980s Cuba attempting to escape the clutches of a magical cult that is dedicated to upholding Fidel Castro’s regime. Montalban respectfully weaves religion and Latinx culture into a mystical tale that highlights the importance of family and freedom, and incorporates the harsh realities of Cuba’s history and the determination of its people. Ages 14–up. Agent: Danielle Burby, Mad Woman Literary.

August 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 Twins Ofelia and Delfi have a family legacy of magic, but because of a mysterious curse that hurts those they love, they stay away from the supernatural. But when a series of murders comes to their Miami town--and the sisters begin having premonitions of the crimes--they decide they have no choice but to embrace their magical gifts to get to the bottom of what's happening. While working with Ethan, their best friend (and, for one of them, maybe more), and Andres, the son of a detective, the girls dig up family secrets and learn more about their magic. Told through the alternating POVs of the sisters, who have unique, almost opposite personalities, this novel introduces a third perspective from Anita, a girl living in 1980s Cuba who is trying to break free from a deadly magical cult and whose story gradually converges with the twins' present-day experiences. This action-packed fantasy about discovering a magical inheritance and unearthing long-buried family secrets adds an appealing touch of romance.

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Starred review from December 15, 2023

Gr 9 Up-The heart of this novel is the relationship between two sisters who overcome evil. Two plots twine through the text: Anita's expulsion from Cuba at the Port of Mariel in April of 1980, and the story of twins Delfi and Lela awakening to their magic as the clock winds down to the death of Fidel Castrol in November 2016. Montalban writes about Cuba, but el Comandante never appears in the text. Rather, it is the work of the enablers that the author unravels, for no dictator can rule without them. Montalban brings this political history to readers through the vehicles of horror and fantasy. Powerful brujos prop up el Comandante, and for the brujos to hold onto his tangent power, generational sacrifice is expected. Another layer of text addresses the culture surrounding santer�a. Mama Ort� manipulates the magia del alma with santer�a, and her corrupt intentions breed a dark setting. What is a beautiful cultural legacy becomes a tool of destruction in her hands. The climax of the novel allows for swift genre shapeshifting: horror and fantasy become a fast-paced thriller with boat chases, explosions, and a rescue at sea. The twins have created their own circle of power, and their pure intentions, along with their strength in numbers, bring a close to the long and evil tentacles of the Orden de las Palomas. Readers will ugly cry for all that Anita loses, and then cheer for Delfi and Lela as they conquer both internal and external crises. VERDICT Hand to YA readers who enjoy their history told with an abundant dose of horror.-Stephanie Creamer

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