“This is precisely the type of book that would be correctly marketed as “suitable for all ages” because it provides a gap to connect the 45-year-old reader with the 12-year-old reader.”

Review by Rayleigh Gray

There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.

But Petra’s world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity’s past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether.

Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?

"The stories we tell ourselves make us who we are." 

I stumbled onto this audiobook through my library and I won't lie, I borrowed it completely based off the cover and vibes. I knew nothing about it going in, so imagine my surprise when it consumed my headphone time and demanded my attention all the way to the last page. 

The Last Cuentista is a dramatic, science fiction tale of preserving humanity on a new planet, but on a middle-grade level. However, this book is only "middle-grade" because the main character is 12; it is absolutely a book that has enough depth to enrapture any reader of any age. This is precisely the type of book that would be correctly marketed as "suitable for all ages" because it provides a gap to connect the 45-year-old reader with the 12-year-old reader. Teachers and parents, this one is for you. 

If I had to pitch it with comps, I would say that the concept of Wall-E (Disney movie) collides with The Giver (Lois Lowry) and weaves Mexican folklore into the fabric of the story. It's a beautifully told tale filled with emotion, suspense, cunning, and Spanish heritage. Petra is the last human who remembers Earth due to problems with her stasis pod, and she wants to be a cuentista--a storyteller. The Last Cuentista is a love letter to stories and those who tell them.

Content notes: No cursing, no gore, and no sexual content at all. The only notes that I would make for readers' discretion is religion has a minor role in the story (Catholic), God is referred to as "her" once, one of the characters is seen in a photo album with two moms, and there are strong themes of parental loss. Again, these notes are only mentioned as a reader's notice since the book is marketed towards kids.

Content Ratings:

2. Very mild action (mentions common injuries, like broken bones, without gruesome details).

0. None.

0. None.

Other Trigger/Content Notices:

Content notes: No cursing, no gore, and no sexual content at all. The only notes that I would make for readers’ discretion is religion has a minor role in the story (Catholic), God is referred to as “her” once, and one of the characters is seen in a photo album with two moms, and there are strong themes of parental loss. Again, these notes are only mentioned as a reader’s notice since the book is marketed towards kids.

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