Review by Booklist Review
As an apprentice trapper, Rosa Coelho has seen (and smelled) more monster infestations than she cares to count. Her avó (grandmother) has raised and trained her to carry on the family business of eradicating monstrous pests, but Rosa dreams of being a keeper (magical locksmith) like her father was before he disappeared. Unfortunately, keeper certification is far too expensive for someone like Rosa. When she and her best friend receive invitations to audition for an elite gang of thieves, the Tea Leaves, both see it as an opportunity to save their families' floundering businesses and have a better life. In her debut, Mendonca draws upon Portuguese culture while crafting her stratified, magical world, where wealth and power are held by an elite few. Secondary characters don't see much development, but Rosa comes to important realizations about herself and how to be a better friend. The story's excitement ramps up when the Tea Leaves enter the picture, bringing with them a risky heist plot that inadvertently reveals deep government corruption. Recommend to fans of Deva Fagan's A Game of Noctis (2024).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Though she aspires to become a keeper, a magical locksmith, tween Rosa Coelho instead practices her keeper skills in secret and earns money for her family by capturing the magical beasts terrorizing her town. Then the corrupt Ministério dos Monstros informs the Coelhos that they have two weeks to pay a seemingly insurmountable debt or lose their magic Encantadora shop. After Rosa successfully completes a keeper task for a strange girl, she receives a mysterious invitation to join the Tea Leaves, an infamous group of thieves, as their keeper. Despite realizing that the Tea Leaves mistake her for a professional keeper, Rosa saddles up with the thieves, hoping she'll be able to save enough money from heists to pay off her family's debt and elevate them to a new economic status. But as her secret criminal dealings drive a wedge between Rosa and her family, fear of being discovered as a false keeper mount. Debut author Mendonca's characters are a standout feature of the novel; Rosa's difficultly balancing personal desires and familial loyalties alongside unflinching depictions of harsh financial realities resonates throughout this unique, complex fantasy adventure whose world- building draws inspiration from Portuguese origins. An endnote concludes. Ages 8--12. (July)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A desperate monster hunter gambles on a magical heist. Twelve-year-old apprentice trapper Rosa, whose "not-quite-black hair" goes in "at least seventy-three different directions," removes deadly monstros under the direction of avó Leonor, her grandmother, but she wishes she could be a keeper and use charms on locks. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic Ministério dos Monstros' heavy fees squash social mobility, limiting opportunities for people like Rosa and her pickpocket best friend, Tiago, an aspiring tailor, whose hair has "tight coils" and skin is "cork bark--colored." Right before the Festival of Lights, an unfair Ministry financial demand threatens to destroy Rosa's family business. Luckily, her keeper abilities have caught the eye of the mysterious band of thieves the Tea Leaves. All she has to do is pass her audition, pull off the greatest heist of all time, and bond with her teammates--trust is essential for their work. But Rosa struggles with the ways she hasn't always been a good friend and the lie she told about her keeper status. A late twist adds additional urgency for her success. Rosa's interpersonal struggles balance perfectly with daring heist sequences, where sudden obstacles strain the Tea Leaves' abilities and cool. Mendonca's worldbuilding is exquisite and meticulous--the Portuguese-flavored fantasy world's history and society (which is grounded in corruption and conspiracy) is as well developed as the fresh magical system. The epilogue teases an exciting sequel. A phenomenal debut with smooth execution, exciting capers, and heaps of originality.(Fantasy. 8-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
