Overview
Yolanda Alvarez is having a good year. Sheās starting to feel at home at Julia De Burgos High, her school in the Bronx. She has her best friend Victory, and maybe something with JosĆ©, a senior boy sheās getting to know. Sheās confident her initiation into her familyās bruja tradition will happen soon.
But then a white boy, the son of a politician, appears at Julia De Burgos High, and his vibes are off. And Yolandaās initiation begins with a series of troubling visions of the violence this boy threatens. How can Yolanda protect her community, in a world that doesnāt listen? Only with the wisdom and love of her family, friends, and community ā and the Bruja Diosas, her ancestors and guides.
The Making of Yolanda la Bruja is the book this country, struggling with the plague of gun violence, so desperately needs, but which few could write. Here Lorraine Avila brings a story born from the intersection of race, justice, education, and spirituality that will capture readers everywhere.
P R A I S E
Common Sense Media Selection for Teens
ā āInspiringā¦full of heart and spirituality.ā
āShelf-Awareness (starred)
ā "A sharply rendered portrait...Avila's striking debut is not to be missed."
āBooklist (starred)
ā āUnabashedly politicalā¦A remarkable, beautifully rendered debut.ā
āKirkus (starred)
ā āSuspensefulā¦A boldly characterized protagonist whose intersectional identities as a queer and Deaf person of color informs her sharp-witted narrative voice and conviction around combatting racism within her community.ā
āPublishers Weekly (starred)
ā "A heartbreaking climax...thoughtful and gripping...[a] lyrical debut novel."
āSchool Library Journal (starred)
āImpressive and urgent. [Avila] takes on racism, violence and injustice with a mix of magic, spirituality and care that few have attemptedāand sheās captivatingly successful.ā
āMs. Magazine
āExplores gun violence, race, justice, education, and spirituality, which holds this book like a canopy, enclosing and exposing layers of Blackness and the growth and sense of belonging community can provide.ā
āAl Dia
āA necessary story about gun violence, race, and education.ā
āRefinery29
āGrippingā¦skillfully depicts the reality of growing up as a Black Latinx teen in the midst of racial violence and social upheavalā¦ Avila carefully demonstrates the tremendous strength in Yolandaās community and the deep roots of her spiritual life, which keep her grounded as she steps into her full power.ā
āHorn Book
"Written in stunning prose, this sharp examination of education, race, violence, and spirituality is a must-read."
āThe Mary Sue
This book title, The Making of Yolanda la Bruja, ISBN: 9781646144488, by Lorraine Avila, published by Levine Querido (August 13, 2024) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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