Fans of the first book will love re-entering Sal and Gabi's world!  It's a fantastic blend of science fiction and humor with some perfectly-pitched emotional punches.  Get ready to laugh AND cry.

Please excuse the delay in sending you this review. The review ran on May 5, 2020.

https://marziesreads.blogspot.com/2020/05/review-sal-and-gabi-fix-universe.html

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There's nothing like a humorous middle-grade book to cheer up kids at home from school during a pandemic and the second installment of the adventures of Sal and Gabi is likely to provoke plenty of laughter. Remember how Sal came up with a clever plan to help Gabi's baby brother Iggy? Well, plans like that in the multiverse come with plenty of complications. And nothing is as complicated as more Sals and more Gabis showing up and creating confusion. Why just Fix Gabi (an ectoplasmic Gabi) and Extra Gabi alone are a handful. But Stupid Sal? Whoa.

While I am sure that middle graders are going to have fun with this one, I felt that the novel's plotting was overly complicated and I have to say that there were things in the novel that just bothered me. The dash of Spanglish for ethnic color would be better if the Spanish was actually correct. Witness "cacaseca" which is two words in Castillian Spanish or just about any other brand of Spanish. We see more of this, like "rompenoche" instead of rompe noche, and basically, I feel like the Spanish is being reduced to hashtags, which is troubling. I had listened to the audiobook of the first book in the series (Break the Universe) so I went back and looked at the print edition and this is indeed the spelling that is being presented in the finished novel. I was also distressed to have Type 1 Diabetes mislabeled an autoimmune deficiency, which is really not correct. It can be a feature of some immunodysregulation syndromes but it is, strictly speaking, an autoimmune disease in which antibodies destroy islets of Langerhans cells in the pancreas. That is not an "autoimmune deficiency."

The audiobook is narrated by Anthony Rey Perez, who did a smashing job on the first book in the series.

P.S. Did love the shout out to Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah series, though.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Want to buy a copy of Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe from your local independent bookstore? Click HERE.

Want to buy the audiobook copy of Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe and have a portion of the sale benefit your local independent bookstore? Click HERE.

Follow Marzie's Reads on Bloglovin'

Sal and Gabi are unlikely heros. He is not the strongest due to having erratic asthma attacks and Sal is a detective in training.  There are many twists and turns within the story. You will think you have it figured out and surprises will have you clinging to the pages. I loved the themes of family, friendship, the push for STEM learning and inclusion of many Latin elements and language. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe is a WILD ride, but that is to be expected if you read the first book, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe. The wacky cast of characters, including AIs, is back for another hilarious adventure across the multi-verse.  Sal's voice is full of heart and humor. There is a LOT of humor, for kids who have the stamina for a long book with multiple plot points. The storytelling is compelling, and both Sal and Gabi can be hard to predict, so the frequent plot twists and surprises maintain a level of suspense that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. While the tone is lighthearted, there are serious themes that are included, without weighing the story down.  Themes like child abuse/neglect, environmental consequences, nontraditional families, ethics are handled sensitively, but without those being the main focus of the plot.. I loved the celebration of Cuban culture throughout both books. 
Carlos Hernandez's incredible storytelling is a worthy addition to the Rick Riordan Present Imprint and to school/classroom libraries everywhere.

Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe is the perfect addition to the Sal and Gabi series and is quite possibly the most delightful book I’ve read all year.


Sal and Gabi Fix the UniverseSal and Gabi have to try to make everything right with our world when there is a rogue Gabi from another universe running loose.

Sal Vidon creates wormholes. But Sal’s father, a calamity physicist, is trying to shut down all the wormholes Sal creates, because Papi thinks they are eroding the very fabric of our world. All of Papi’s efforts are in vain, however, because a Gabi from another universe has gone rogue and is popping up all over the place, seeking revenge for the fact that her world has been destroyed. While Sal and Gabi work together to keep both Papi and Rogue Gabi under control, they also have to solve the mystery of Yasmany, who has gone missing from school. Could it have something to do with the wormhole in the back of his locker? (Goodreads)
Goodreads

I received an eARC of Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you haven’t read the first novel in this series, I highly recommend that you do that first, or at least read my review.


 
It needs content warnings for discussions of the death of a parent (mother, diabetic ketoacidosis before series begins), severe illness of an infant, discussions of an abusive parent, discussions of a neglectful guardian,

If you have read Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, you will understand just how unique the voice is in this series. There is no fourth wall in these books and Sal’s voice is so young and ridiculous that you can’t help but fall head over heels for everything about this universe.

This book was a lot more complex than the first in terms of the plot because it deals with the multiverses in unexpected ways. We get multiple Gabis, multiple Sals, and multiple problems because of it. I won’t say a lot more about that, but I loved the way that Hernandez dealt with a very complicated problem.


 
Despite the plot being complex, the side characters never got left behind. Readers get to see more of the Reál family, which was absolutely delightful. I’m still not sure if they’re polyamorous or just a large found family, but I love them either way. In addition to that, Yasmany got a happy beginning for himself, which I was glad for. He really deserved it.

Something I really wanted to mention was the easy way that Hernandez made it clear that Sal was aro. He did this without making a big deal out of it or making it a teachable moment. He just included a delightful pun in a conversation about friendship and let that be that. It was heartwarming and perfect for the story.


 
I cannot say how much I loved reading this book. I look forward to whatever comes next from Hernandez. You can pick up a copy on Bookshop, Amazon or The Book Depository through our affiliate links.


ABOUT SAL AND GABI FIX THE UNIVERSE
Title: Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe

Series: Sal & Gabi #2

Author: Carlos Hernandez

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Length: 432 Pages

Release Date: May 5, 2020

Rating: Highly Recommended

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Science Fiction

Representation: Cuban American Type 1 Diabetic aromantic MC, polyamorous? side characters, Cuban American side characters.


 

Want to help support Let’s Fox About It and help it go ad-free? Subscribe to our Patreon!

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound, The Book Depository, The Ripped Bodice and Amazon are affiliate links. If you buy through those links, LFAI will make a small amount of money off of the sale.

Sal and Gabi may have broken the universe, but can they fix it? And, more importantly, does it even need fixing?

Sal Vidon is many things: Cuban-American, magician, diabetic, Level 4 friend to Gabi Real, and breaker of universes. Not that he means to do it. It's not his fault, really. Most of the time, anyway... His Papi, a calamity physicist, believes he has found the answer to fixing the universe using his remembranation machine, which can repair the holes that Sal has ripped in the multiverse. The machine seems to be a success... until Sal encounters another Gabi, who says that--in her universe--the machine has caused more problems then they were supposed to fix. And she is not happy about it...

Rogue Gabis, talking toilets that don't like cussing, friend problems, the most epic Parent-Teacher Night to ever exist, a new Gabi-Dad, and more await in this second Sal and Gabi novel, "Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe".

Hernandez's hilarious and heartfelt writing combines with science to create an adventure of a lifetime (or, technically, several lifetimes. Depends on how you want to look at it). You're never sure what you'll be more surprised by: what comes from the multiverse, or what the kids at the Culeco Academy of the Arts come up with (Seriously, this school is nuts in the best possible way. So many theater and arts kids. So much Extraneous Extraness.) While so many aspects of this novel can clearly be labeled as science-fiction, fantasy, humor, and more, Hernandez also hits hard on real issues and real life problems such as child neglect, living with a chronic condition, addiction, grief, and making mistakes that hurt the people you care about. And then there's familia. Found families, blended families, so many families. I laughed with delighted surprise then about cried at chapter 37 1/2. It's perfection, my friends... At the heart of it, this book is about friendship, families and teamwork, all wrapped up in this perfectly delightful blend of smarty-pants sciency-stuff and fart jokes that you don't have to be a middle-schooler to laugh at.

This is the second book in the Sal and Gabi series! If you are a fan of the first book (I sure was) then you have to read the second book. It contains all of the humor, action, and sci-fi mysteries as the first one. Can Sal and Gabi fix in book two what they broke in book one? Read to find out!

I absolutely loved this book, as did my nine and fourteen-year-olds. We read it aloud and it is a fantastic read-aloud. We had read the first one together and loved this one just as much. It is my favorite of the Rick Riordan Presents books, and honestly I think they're all great. But Sal & Gabi are really special. The book is hilarious, inclusive, and really fresh and unique. Sal is described as Aro on the page, and consent is depicted beautifully.

I really enjoy this book as the sequel to Sal and Gabi Break the Universe. The characters are well developed and the plot is easy to follow for children. A great middle-grade novel. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[excerpted from full review linked below]

The quest to make things right with the multiverse continues in Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, only here, we realize that the stakes are bigger than anyone realized: if the multiverse becomes completely impermeable, it could wipe out reality all across the multiverse. It’s up to Sal and Gabi—or, at least, one version (or more) of Gabi from elsewhere in the multiverse—to save everything. (And, meanwhile, they also have to save back to school night from being dreadfully boring. Because while saving the multiverse is important, middle school at one of the coolest schools in the multiverse must go on.)

The success of Into the Spiderverse with young viewers and adults alike makes it clear that middle graders have no trouble navigating the concept of the multiverse. But, just like adult viewers were hooked on that film, the “Sal and Gabi” novels have a lot going on for adult readers. Sal is at once a totally authentic seventh grader, making the kinds of bad (and good!) choices that a seventh grader really would make, but he’s also wise beyond his years. Some of that comes from having experienced death at a young age, but some of it also comes from his ability to “branesurf,” to see the multiverse for the wide, expansive place that it is.

Gabi, too, manages to be exactly a middle schooler and also well above adult expectations for that grade level. She’s the type of student who not only exceeds every expectation, but also manages to, in the guise of student body president, perform as the lawyer for students in need of representation when facing down the principal. (The principal is so amazing it’s hardly necessary, but Gabi’s initial appearance showcases her mad courtroom skills.) The Gabi in this part of the universe seems at least as likely to become president as an adult as she does become a weird-news reporter, and the nation would be in very capable hands.

Along with the main characters, Hernandez’s world is populated with genuine characters (both human and artificial intelligences) who are talented, clever, and good-hearted, without ever being too-good-to-be-true. The novel is full of found family, and embracing different ways to belong with the people you love. You’ll believe, after reading these novels, that the world is full of good people, who just have to find each other and a way to work together in order to fix the multiverse.

I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of story I need right now.

My 11 year old daughter read our review copy, and she enjoyed it despite not having read the first book in the series! She had expected it to be about a video game when she heard the title, and was very pleased to discover that it is actually a sci-fi book about a multiverse. They had very interesting robots and the school for the arts was cool. If there is a 3rd book in the series, she will look for it, and we're waiting to get the first book from the library now!

Sal and Gabi are back! This is the sequel to Sal and Gabi Break, the Universe, and it picks up right where the first one leaves off. You must read the first book, or this one won't make much sense. I like this new series because it does not fall into the typical Riordan method of demigods etc. This is pure Middle-grade SciFi that can be read aloud to younger kids and would be a great goofy entire family listen on Audible. The science can provide you with tons of rabbit trails, and there is silly bathroom humor. How many books can boast both of those?

This book is kind of crazy, but is somehow works really well. All of the characters have this really chaotic energy that makes a story a really exciting one to read, and although the characters do seem a bit unrealistic, that fact can easily be forgiven by the fact that every single character in the book is completely lovable. 
Another thing, this book is hilarious. It was exactly the kind of quick, funny, light-hearted read that I needed during this time when everything in the world is so overwhelming. 
I really liked the mix of English and Spanish used in the book. It is not seen often enough in books, and children need to see more of what they actually experience in their own lives.

Once again, a fantastic book by Carlos Hernandez! I really love the way he portrays the friendship between the two main characters so well. This is my favorite series of the new Riordan imprint that has been pumping out fantastic #ownvoics content.

I started off thinking I'd probably be giving this book a solid 3 stars. I think part of the problem is that NetGalley ARCs sometimes format really badly on a Kindle, and that was the case here. It was just plain hard to read. The capitalization and punctuation were all over the place. But I also felt that some of the humor early on felt a little forced and I just didn't feel the magic of the first book. But as I progressed through the book it got better and better. I wasn't fully satisfied by the ending (it just felt too sudden) but overall I enjoyed the story, the character development, and the far out sci-fi elements.

I also have to add that I found the gender identification side-notes a bit distracting. They weren't really important to the plot and didn't really add anything. 

I purchased the audio book from Libro.fm and I am going to listen to the story when I finish my current audio series.

This is a sequel to Sal and Gabi Break the Universe and it picks up right where the first one left off.  If you hadn't read the first one, you might be a bit confused at the beginning (I DID read the first one and I was still confused) because some of the characters have more than one name and some of the characters have more than one incarnation.  It's worth the effort of re-reading and making sure you know exactly what's going on.  It's a wild ride, with hilarious, face paced dialogue full of puns, slang, and Spanish words that sometimes get translated and sometimes don't.  This is a really fun book.

**4.5-stars**

My favorite Middle Grade magician, Sal Vidon, returns in this second installment of the Sal and Gabi series.
Pairing with his whirlwind best friend, Gabi Real, and their wild and wacky families, this installment continues to bring the humor and good heart.
There is no other way to describe these stories, but: FUN, FUN, FUN!!
Low-key scifi ideas are explored and allow for a lot of flexibility with reality. Magical and heartwarming, I think so many kids are going to fall in love with these characters.
Even as an adult reader, I was fully engaged the entire way through. You just never know where it is going or what is going to happen next.
There are so many important lessons woven throughout as well; just tidbits on how to be a good human and put your most positive side out to the world.
Sal and Gabi attend a private school in Miami called, Cuelco. My interpretation is that it is a kind of performing arts school. This school is an absolute utopia for kids that are different.
I love reading everything about the school and how it functioned. The kids in this one prepare a performance for their parents based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and it was EVERYTHING!
Although I did enjoy this so, so much, I didn't love it quite as much as I did the first book. It did have all of the humor, seriously, I laugh all the time reading from Sal's perspective, and all of the great characters, but I found the plot to be a little choppy.
It didn't flow as well as the first one did scene-to-scene, in my opinion. Obviously, this is coming from the perspective of an adult, I think for kids reading this, they will likely not feel that same way.
Overall, I am obsessed with this Middle Grade series. I am not sure how many more of these books are in the works, but I do know, I will read any that are released!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group and Rick Riordan Presents, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

I liked the first book a lot, so I was really excited for the sequel. I think it lived up to the first one. One thing I loved in book one was the character dynamic between Sal and Gabi. I was thrilled that it not only continued in this book but grew. Really I think this series expanded my love for middle grade even more than it already was. Great read, highly recommend.

First they broke it…NOW Sal & Gabi have to fix the universe.  This science fiction trip through the multiverse gives readers the opportunity to experience artificial intelligence (AI) in a unique way as this dynamic duo try to fix the universe, help their friend Yasmany, and create the BEST Rompenoche all while navigating through middle school.  Hernandez introduces the reader to a ton of characters and an imagination that help to make this book an incredibly entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sal's narrating voice is honestly one of my favorites - he is hilarious! My students requested that I buy the first book for our classroom library a few months ago, so I was super excited to read the second book in advance. This was so much fun to read, and I loved the amount of action we got in this sequel! I can see my fourth grade Rick Riordan fans falling in love with this one, too. 

Highly recommended for middle-grade fans of books with magic, friends, and fun adventures!