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purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Perfect balance of magical to real, traditional to contemporary, horrific to heroic!
Nestor, a middle grader whose dad is deployed to the Middle East, is used to moving around with his mom a lot, never putting down roots, never making real friends, and never letting anyone know that he can talk to animals. Until they move in with his abuela, who is being blamed for witchcraft in the woods and the disappearance of beloved animals. It'll take the help of all of his new friends (humans and animals) to defeat the evil in the woods, clear his abuela's good name, and give him the courage to find his community and his home.
Nestor, a middle grader whose dad is deployed to the Middle East, is used to moving around with his mom a lot, never putting down roots, never making real friends, and never letting anyone know that he can talk to animals. Until they move in with his abuela, who is being blamed for witchcraft in the woods and the disappearance of beloved animals. It'll take the help of all of his new friends (humans and animals) to defeat the evil in the woods, clear his abuela's good name, and give him the courage to find his community and his home.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: War
gold_star_reader's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
shellycbuchanan's review against another edition
4.0
An adventure story with heart. Nestor is a sweet middle school boy resisting settling in at his tenth school while his father is stationed in Iraq. Through their letters we witness a playful but deep and loving relationship. Meanwhile at school Nestor and his peers get involved in a neighborhood mystery involving missing animals. Lucky that Nestor talks to animals on the regular and is able to spearhead solving what becomes a dangerous situation. In doing so, he makes friends of all ages, strengthens family connections and learns about himself.
librarydancer's review against another edition
skimmed book. Cute, with lots of humor.
dexkit10's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Bullying
Moderate: Death
zoes_human's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
greenlivingaudioworm's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishrealm's review
4.0
Overall, this was a good story. 3.5 stars.
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez focuses on a young boy named Nestor who ends up moving with his mother to live with his grandmother after his father is deployed. While there Nestor and the community notice that animals start to go missing. His grandmother is being accused of making the animals disappear so he works with his friends to figure out the true culprit. One of the most interesting aspects of this book is that Nestor can talk to animals. At first I thought it was going to give me Dr. Dolittle vibes, but it definitely didn't. I thought it was a cool element to add to the book; however, Cuevas should have spent a little more time exploring where Nestor gets his abilities from. It is connected to family; however, there isn't a true explanation for the magic system so that leaves readers a little in the dark. I absolutely loved that this book partly focused on the relationship between a young main character and a parent that's deployed. I'm not sure that I've read many children's or middle grade books that center the narrative around a military family. The absence of Nestor's father is definitely a big part of the book, but I truly enjoyed seeing the fun and amazing relationship that the two had with each other.
This book has a strong foundation in Costa Rican and Panamanian myth and folklore which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED because I've never read a book that covered it; however, once again I wish that Cuevas would have spent a little more time exploring it and incorporating it more into the story. There is a great relationship between Nestor and his grandmother who was sent to America via Operation Peter Pan which was responsible for sending thousands of Cuban minors to the US after the rise of Fidel Castro. This is definitely a little chunk of history that is often discussed so I was glad that Cuevas alluded to it within the text. Nestor also had a strong support system within his friends who would eventually become aware of his abilities.
Overall, I thought that it was a solid read. The magic incorporated with the real life events made it an interesting read. I just feel as though there were certain elements that Cuevas could have explored in a little more detail in order to make the book more dynamic and interesting.
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez focuses on a young boy named Nestor who ends up moving with his mother to live with his grandmother after his father is deployed. While there Nestor and the community notice that animals start to go missing. His grandmother is being accused of making the animals disappear so he works with his friends to figure out the true culprit. One of the most interesting aspects of this book is that Nestor can talk to animals. At first I thought it was going to give me Dr. Dolittle vibes, but it definitely didn't. I thought it was a cool element to add to the book; however, Cuevas should have spent a little more time exploring where Nestor gets his abilities from. It is connected to family; however, there isn't a true explanation for the magic system so that leaves readers a little in the dark. I absolutely loved that this book partly focused on the relationship between a young main character and a parent that's deployed. I'm not sure that I've read many children's or middle grade books that center the narrative around a military family. The absence of Nestor's father is definitely a big part of the book, but I truly enjoyed seeing the fun and amazing relationship that the two had with each other.
This book has a strong foundation in Costa Rican and Panamanian myth and folklore which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED because I've never read a book that covered it; however, once again I wish that Cuevas would have spent a little more time exploring it and incorporating it more into the story. There is a great relationship between Nestor and his grandmother who was sent to America via Operation Peter Pan which was responsible for sending thousands of Cuban minors to the US after the rise of Fidel Castro. This is definitely a little chunk of history that is often discussed so I was glad that Cuevas alluded to it within the text. Nestor also had a strong support system within his friends who would eventually become aware of his abilities.
Overall, I thought that it was a solid read. The magic incorporated with the real life events made it an interesting read. I just feel as though there were certain elements that Cuevas could have explored in a little more detail in order to make the book more dynamic and interesting.
jacjac9000's review
5.0
This book was delightful!
Nestor Lopez's character development throughout the book is perfect and real. Even as he resolves many of his issues through the story, I appreciated that Cuevas still leaves some problems unsolved but accepted. The realism of this magical realism tale is just as great as the fantasy folklore woven in.
Nestor Lopez's character development throughout the book is perfect and real. Even as he resolves many of his issues through the story, I appreciated that Cuevas still leaves some problems unsolved but accepted. The realism of this magical realism tale is just as great as the fantasy folklore woven in.