Last Canto of the Dead

Two Brooklyn teenagers from the mysterious Caribbean island of San Madrigal face battles on different fronts. In an engrossing sequel that starts right where Ballad & Dagger (2022) left off, Mateo Matisse opens by reflecting on what Chela Hidalgo means to him. In the few short weeks they've grown close, and now there's nothing he wouldn't do to keep her safe. Their love and partnership encompass more than any ordinary adolescent love, however--they used to be powerful but formless spirits, but they have taken the forms of teenagers. Now that San Madrigal has reemerged from the sea, Mateo and Chela must figure out how their powers work, because new enemies are waiting for them, and the struggle to vanquish them and heal divisions in their community will test them. The contrast between their godlike natures and the limitations of inhabiting young human bodies is an element that is well balanced throughout the book, and it makes the protagonists both flawed and sympathetic. Each strength of the former book is present in this volume: the musicality, the effortless racial and ethnic diversity, the themes of anti-colonization, and, perhaps most important, Older's narrative choices. Mateo and Chela truly sound like teenagers in their alternating first-person point-of-view chapters, making it easy for readers to be immersed in their reality and root for them. A fierce and thrilling duology closer. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-18)- Kirkus (Mar 1, 2023)

Gr 7 Up-In this novel that picks up where Ballad & Dagger left off, Mateo and Chela must figure out how their past as spirits connects to their godlike powers and the reemergence of San Madrigal Island from the sea. Being contained in human form makes it difficult to control their magic, and their struggles mirror a traditional coming-of-age story as they try to heal the divisions in their community from Ballad & Dagger. Mateo and Chela's romance is a strong subplot that manages to add layers to the worldbuilding and provide authentic teen voice to the narration. Anti-colonialism ­remains a primary theme in this book, which features the same diversity seen in its predecessor. VERDICT A satisfying and suspenseful end to the ­duology. ­Recommended for purchase.- SLJ (June 1, 2023)