e-ALC, 06:16:25
Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Published by: Tantor Media, Inc (Sourcebooks Young Readers)
Read from: July 31-August 22, 2025
Stand-Alone
Source: Library’s Libby (The publisher also sent me a hardcover copy which I read in tandem. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: N/A
For Readers Interested In: MG, Adventure, Audio, Fantasy, Mythology, Racial/Ethnic DiversityFrom the author of Time Villains comes a new fantastical adventure about family, tradition, and seeing things for what they truly are.
Nico wants to be a famous film director. He’s pretty sure if he can make the right movie, and soon, his life will completely change. The catch? His parents are sending him to Puerto Rico for the summer to stay with his iconic, but old-school, Abuela Luciana, and his awesome, but unpredictable cousins. Still, the show must go on.
Until Nico and his cousins awaken a monster. A monster that looks an awful lot like the infamous Chupacabra. And it turns out this isn’t a chance encounter. The creature begins stalking them all over Puerto Rico, turning up on every dark corner, sandy beach, and moonlit night. To make matters worse, a shadowy cult enters the chase, intent on capturing them before the Chupacabra can.
Soon they are thrown into an adventure that brings them face-to-face with the ancient Taino people, even more ancient Taino gods, and the mysterious Chupacabra, who is somehow linked to everything. Nico keeps his camera rolling, hoping the epic documentary will catapult him to stardom. But in the end, it’s the island’s fate that hangs in the balance, as they face down the very gods that created Puerto Rico.
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I first heard about this I was SO EXCITED! I needed it. And it was just as good as I thought it would be. I had a reall good time with this one and I think the kiddos will too. The audio was amazing! The narrator really sounded like a 12 year old. It was just good all around.
Ok so the only complaint I really had was the pacing. It was a slow burn, but it was really slow. And then at the end, all the gods turned up and then everything started happening and then it was over. I would have prefeered to see some of those gods throughout the story and learn more about what they were and what they did, etc. That’s what I was expecting honestly, so I did like that it was a little different, but I still have questions about what some of them did. And those questions could have been answered in the book if that makes sense.
The world-building was ok. Nothing special. I think I would have preferred more descriptions on the Taino people and the Chupacabra and all the things that made this Puerto Rico, different than the one we have in real life. Does that make sense? We got such gorgeous glimpses of the island that might actually be there, like the caves, the beach, etc. I just wanted to see more of the world that he had in his head. What’s the point of having a fantasy novel where you don’t show off the magic that you’ve made up?
But even still, I think this is going to be a great intro to Puerto Rico and the Taino people for kiddos. This adventure filled novel is definitely going to get them interested in the culture and the Chupacabra. If nothing else, I hope they ask about that. Because the scary of it all is what draws this all together. I loved how they handled this myth too. It had the right amount of scary but still had them (and me) trying to see what else they were doing. It had just the right balance and it worked out great. Also, with this book I learned that the legend of the Chupacabra is different in different countries. I really thought they were all, the same.
This was so much fun. Although I had some criticisms, I really had a lot of fun with this. I hope the kiddos who find this do too. There’s something for everyone in this book, from the Chupacabra, to the mythology, to the fantasy, you’re bound to find something you like in this one.
Overall, I give this
