Fall of the Fireflies by Gaudalupe García McCall
Publisher Summary: From Pura Belpré Award–winning author Guadalupe García McCall comes the first in the Seasons of Sisterhood trilogy: a reimagining of Sophocles’ Antigone set in the world of her bestselling Summer of the Mariposas.
As fifteen-year-old twins Delia and Velia plan the launch of their Magic-Twin Tour with their father’s Tejano band, a sudden supernatural attack on their father derails the family. Papá is delirious with a susto, a fright so awful that it allows a mysterious supernatural being to begin slowly sucking the life out of him.
As the twins hunt down his attacker, a wider world of borderland monsters opens up to them. Each twin has her own decision to make, with her own guide from the Aztec pantheon–Quetzalcoatl guiding Velia, and Xolotl advising Delia. Soon the girls must choose: Should they follow a divine mandate to become monster hunters for the goddess of death?
Can the sisters obey the will of the gods while saving their father’s life? Anything can happen within the magical realm of the borderlands.
My Thoughts: This is another beautiful story of family love and the monsters they must confront for each other. It is a fascinating adventure with Aztec deities and many other interesting creatures. Throughout readers will be wondering which beings are truly monsters because appearances and assumptions can get in our way.
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of the twins Delia and Velia. There is a slight difference in font, but it was usually pretty clear since the chapters begin with the name of whoever is telling their part. It was nice to get to know these older versions of the characters from Summer of the Mariposas. If someone hasn’t read the other book, this still works alone. I hadn’t read Summer for so long that it was pretty hazy in my mind, but anything referring to the events of the first book is briefly explained for reminders to those who have read it and also to give context for readers who haven’t. I still think it’s a good idea to read Summer first, but this one could stand alone.
Anyone who appreciates supernatural beings in a contemporary setting will love this one so this would be a good book to hand to fans of Rick Riordan titles. The revealing of both worlds is delightful and adds suspense with the layers of the unknown. It also dances along the edge of horror with such terrifying beings balanced with some powerful deities that may or may not assist.
The book deals with mortality and takes place leading up to Halloween and Day of the Dead so it will likely and rightly end up on future Halloween and Día de Muertos reading lists.
Recommendation: Get it soon especially if you appreciate family focused stories, monster hunting, and the beauty of fireflies.
Extras:
Spanish edition – El otoño de las luciérnagas (Las estaciones de la sororidad #1)
Publisher: Tu Books
Pages: 352
Availability: On shelves now
Review copy: Final copy via publisher