A review by immovabletype
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

i really respected what this book was trying to do. it did occasionally come close, but ultimately its reach was beyond its grasp. i think the downfall for me was the tone, which seemed to want to be darker than it was allowed to be. one of the biggest strengths of middle grade is its use of metaphor and sparsity of language to address heavy topics for a young audience. but there wasn't much in the way of metaphor here. it was all clearly laid out for the reader, nothing to really read between the lines  — a problem not just because it makes for a less immersive story, but because in this case it tended to create more questions than answers. and yet, so very, very predictable. there were no revelations save one that i didn't see coming. i may have a leg up as a more experienced reader than its intended audience, but i also believe a truly good novel for children can be just as wonderous for grown ups. i found myself wishing it weren't middle grade so the author could delve a little deeper into the effects of its themes on the characters. but that's not really the right wish, because it can still be done. ultimately there was some lovely stuff that hinted at what this book could have been, but the rest wasn't it.
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