Review by Booklist Review
Graciela Lima was 12 years old when a gust of wind knocked her into the sea, where she sank and slept for 100 years before awakening as a sea spirit. Under the tutelage of a Spirit Guide, Graciela begins to learn the ways of the deep and takes on work as a glazier, grinding broken bottles into beautiful sea glass. On land, in a nearby fishing village, the blacksmith's son secretly works metal into delicate, whimsical creations. While Jorge Leon's artistic endeavors suit his gentle disposition, his cruel father and mother don't approve. Indeed, Jorge is searching the brush for his latest project, which had been thrown out the window by his mother, when he uncovers an old harpoon. Instinctively, he knows this must be the cursed weapon forged by his great-grandfather and once used to kill a sea spirit. Jorge's attempt to dispose of the harpoon in the harbor coincides with the awakening of the very same drowned souls who killed the sea spirit all those years ago. This full-circle moment binds Graciela and Jorge together in a mission to save the underwater realm. Medina effortlessly builds a magical marine world that feels fished from folklore, and the manner in which each story in the narrative informs the others is beautifully crafted. Rich in compelling characters, complicated emotions, and originality, this epic writ small will dazzle its readers.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Medina delivers a beguiling aquatic adventure in her first fantasy offering, set in a fictional Spanish-inspired landscape. A poetic prologue details how, on her 13th birthday, "wind gusted sharply" and knocked fisherman's daughter Graciela off a cliff and into the ocean, where "she rested at the bottom of the sea" until awakening as a ghost 100 years later. Now she makes sea glass and helps friend Amina--an ethereal being with kelp-like hair and jellylike limbs--guide spirits into the afterlife. Meanwhile, in the fishing village of Pesca Grotta, blacksmith's son Jorge finds a hand-forged harpoon. Recalling the weapon's nefarious origins and connection to his ancestors, Jorge tries to dispose of it. But his efforts go awry, and when the harpoon ends up in the cruel clutches of its intended wielder, and Jorge finds himself in the ocean depths with Graciela, blacksmith and sea ghost must work together to thwart evil entities that threaten the living and the dead. Intricately interwoven timelines and perspectives provide riveting background while maintaining suspense and forward momentum. Fusing elements of magical realism with introspective, high-stakes plotting, the Newbery Medalist tackles subjects such as parental neglect and abuse, jealousy, and greed in this richly imagined tale. Haunting b&w illustrations by the Balbusso twins (Sisters in Science) depict Graciela's underwater world and indicate narrative shifts. Ages 10--14. Author's agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--Graciela's 13th birthday picnic on the bluffs with her older sister turns tragic when she falls into the water below. A hundred years later, she awakens to Amina's gentle guidance: "You are part of the deep now." Graciela settles into her aquatic eternity, "making transformations" by turning broken glass into sparkling treasures. Nearby on land, gentle Jorge, too, prefers to create beauty, but his abusive parents demand he follow his ancestors' blacksmith trade in forging weapons for oceanic destruction. When Jorge finds a long-missing harpoon made to murder, he attempts to shatter its power but instead triggers cataclysmic confrontations. Jorge and Graciela become an unlikely dynamic duo to purge evil and restore safety. Rey empathically follows Graciela's growth from mischievous youth to brave and honest hero, and Jorge's metamorphosis from bullied victim to selfless champion. She's also energetically and notably affecting as Jorge's acidic mother, dramatically shrill Elizabeth, and thieving brothers Afonso and Bernardo. VERDICT Rey deftly complements Medina's first fantasy with graceful fluidity.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Graciela fell to her death into the sea as a girl, she became, after a one-hundred-year sleep, a sea spirit. Now she's impatient to earn the markers of experience in this watery realm as she learns from Amina, her Spirit Guide and friend. In the world on shore, Jorge toils as a blacksmith alongside his antagonistic parents but longs to create metal toys. His family is hated for the magic sea-spirit-slaying harpoon his great-grandfather made that sent a fisherman to his watery grave nearly a century before -- and Jorge has just discovered the weapon. In a quick-paced chain of events, Graciela hides a huge secret from Amina; the fisherman awakens as a sea spirit; and Jorge tries to destroy the harpoon, in the process tumbling into the water and striking Amina accidentally. Jorge and Graciela must team up to save Amina and the rest of the sea spirits from the evil harpoon and the fisherman's band of Needlers -- menaces of the spirit world. Medina has devised an intricate underwater world full of fanciful explanations for ocean-related phenomena and unusual characters who would feel at home in Baum's Oz (especially the taunting Needlers), matched by the Balbussos' gorgeous, layered, mixed-media illustrations in grayscale. Graciela is imperfect and relatable as she learns to process loss from both her life before and now, and Jorge is endearing, from the book's start through its heartwarming conclusion. Monica de los ReyesSeptember/October 2025 p.69 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An ocean-dwelling ghost girl confronts powerful forces. Graciela is dead. She fell from a cliff into the ocean in a terrible accident, only to awaken as a ghost in an underwater community of spirits--souls of those who have died at sea. Her Guide and friend, Amina, teaches her how to navigate this new existence, from performing duties that make "the living world more bearable by keeping the sea in a delicate balance," to the rules that protect them from the living. Amina dreams of joining the Almas, powerful spirits who guard the ocean's secrets from the castle Salemúria, but Graciela is desperate for Amina to stay with her. Meanwhile, Jorge Leon, a boy from a long line of blacksmiths, is trapped by his brutish parents in a life of cruelty. His only joy is crafting whimsical toys from metal scraps. When Jorge discovers a sinister harpoon forged by his treasure-hunting ancestor--one capable of killing sea ghosts--he attempts to render it harmless but accidentally sets off a dangerous chain of events. When Graciela's and Jorge's paths cross, they must work together to confront and defeat evil forces. With breathtaking underwater worldbuilding and eerie details, Medina's latest immerses readers in Graciela's ghostly realm, and they'll root for the unlikely duo on their perilous quest. The Balbussos' hauntingly beautiful illustrations enhance the story. The characters and setting evoke Spanish and Portuguese cultural influences. A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits. (map, color guide, glossary)(Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
