A review by dandelionsteph
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

lighthearted slow-paced

3.0

This book was disappointing: its Rick Riordan Presents imprint suggested a different sort of book from the one I ended up reading. I Rick Riordan Presents books, from what I've read so far, tend to have stronger, more overt fantasy elements and a grander scope, in which the protagonist's journey involves multiple distinct far-flung places. City of the Plague God, for example, had locations in both the mundane world and the Sumerian afterlife, and Dragon Pearl had two planets and a spaceship. Rick Riordan Presents books, again based on what I've read, also have a villain that binds the plot together and some sense of mystery. This book, however, had none of those elements: it all takes place in one municipality in Florida, and not a particularly intriguing one, either. It doesn't really have a villain, and the protagonist already has operational knowledge of how his powers work. It's not an epic fantasy, and it doesn't even bring its very premise (of "breaking the universe") to the expected dramatic tension. Between its small scope in locations and plot, this is closer to a "Junie B. Jones: First Grader" book with science fantasy elements and a much longer length than Rick Riordan's own books. 

I feel that this book should have ended 3/4s in: it just didn't have the scope to justify its length.
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