A review by sashahc
The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Now, cuz young teens deserve Pride, too, I have an early YA for you.  "The Diablo's Curse" by Gabe Cole Novoa is about Dami, a gender fluid teenage demonio trying to finish out his contracts so he can become human again.  But this inconvenient and stubborn cute boy with a curse keeps dying....  There are adventures to mysterious isles!  Shipwrecks!  Pirate's treasure!  A wise cracking trans woman who takes no shit.  And a healthy dose of queer teenage longing.  I can't tell you how pleased I am that these books exist for my kiddo.

Gabe Cole Novoa: “I really love writing queer historicals, specifically because it gives a sense of legacy. I think oftentimes it’s easy to forget that queer and trans people have always been here.  And so being able to write these stories and put these characters in, you know, a hundred, 200 years ago helps to add to that narrative to say that even though traditionally, in media, we haven’t seen queer characters in historicals as often. They were there. They existed, and we have always been here."

Gabe Cole Novoa (he/him) is a Latinx transmasculine author who writes speculative fiction featuring marginalized characters grappling with identity. Now leveled up with an MFA in Writing for Children, when he isn’t being nerdy at his day job, or buried under his TBR pile, you’ll likely find him making heart-eyes at the latest snazzy outfit he wants to add to his wardrobe.