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A review by alenka
The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Córdova
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a really sweet, emotional story about Danny Monteverde, a young orphan who believes strongly in magic. He and his sister Pili were stuck in the foster system together after losing their parents, and their prized possession was a book of fairy tales called The Way to Rio Luna. Pili always promised that the magic was real and they'd go to Rio Luna together, but when the children are separated Pili disappears and is branded a runaway. Danny doesn't believe she would ever leave him, and instead thinks he must find the magic and the way to Rio Luna, so he can reach her again.
This story is an epic fairy tale quest, complete with magical princes and kings (including one awesome gay king!) and a terrifying Shadow Queen. Cordova has no problem transitioning from YA to writing for younger readers - I think this is her debut? - and has created a quest story that is emotional, fresh and has me excited for the second book. Danny is a sweet kid who sees the good in people, and a lot of the problems the kids stumble across along the way involve learning to empathize - a fact that makes me curious about their future encounters with the Shadow Queen.
There are also some early Harry Potter vibes in how Danny is a mistreated orphan stuck with a cruel family, so if you're looking for HP alternatives to give to kids since, y'know, Rowling is a giant transphobe/TERF, this is a great option.
This story is an epic fairy tale quest, complete with magical princes and kings (including one awesome gay king!) and a terrifying Shadow Queen. Cordova has no problem transitioning from YA to writing for younger readers - I think this is her debut? - and has created a quest story that is emotional, fresh and has me excited for the second book. Danny is a sweet kid who sees the good in people, and a lot of the problems the kids stumble across along the way involve learning to empathize - a fact that makes me curious about their future encounters with the Shadow Queen.
There are also some early Harry Potter vibes in how Danny is a mistreated orphan stuck with a cruel family, so if you're looking for HP alternatives to give to kids since, y'know, Rowling is a giant transphobe/TERF, this is a great option.