I read this book as an eARC from Net Galley. While I enjoyed this book quite a bit for some reason I didn't love it as much as the first one. Maybe it simply boils down to expectations... Sal encounters a Gabi from another universe (Fix Gabi) that tries to convince Sal that what his Papi is doing to fix the multiverse is actually ruining it.. As Sal tries to figure what is going on, he encounters challenges with "his" Gabi, Yasmany, and Papi and others. A good solid read.

This is an engaging follow-up to book 1 that I am excited to get on the shelves for my students. I love how culture is infused into the story and exposes readers to a background that is different form their own.

A thrilling sequel to an amazing book. Fans of Sal and Gabi will be delighted to read more of their adventures. Reading the first book first is highly recommended, but both are an absolute delight.
Plus there's more Gabi. How could that be bad?

Carlos Hernandez hits it out of the park with this one. A sequel to Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, it picks up where the first story ended. Sal and Gabi find out more information about the calamitrons and the Remembranation machine and that knowledge may not all be good. It is up to Sal and Gabi to save the universe before it all collapses without missing out on the school's new play. The introduction of new characters (Voragine and FixGabi were the best) brought new life to the story. The inclusion of Spanish vocabulary blends so well into the narrative. This would be a great book to use as a novel study in the classroom. I can't wait to see where Sal and Gabi end up next.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book! #SalandGabiFixtheUniverseASalandGabiNovelBook2 #NetGalley

Sal and Gabi are back for another multiverse adventure in this follow up to SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE. This time, there are multiple Gabi’s, an AI toilet with a dramatic flair, a friend in need of help, and more.

While it would be far too long to explain everything that makes SAL AND GABI FIX THE UNIVERSE supremely magical, I’ll cover the highlights at least. First, Sal and Gabi are characters who feel so authentic. Sal’s voice is honest, hilarious, and thoughtful. It’s amazing witnessing the story from his perspective because there is never a dull moment, and there is always a certain amount of tenderness behind his actions. He and Gabi are both characters who feel like your own friends just a few chapters in.

Beyond their individual strengths is the heartwarming strength of their friendship together, and their friendship with Yasmany. More than anything, I think this series is about the love of friendship and family (in all forms- found, made, genetically linked, etc). It examines what it means to be a good friend, to be a good family member, and to make sure you reach out to your support networks when you need them. It also shows what can happen when you lose some or all of that love and the pain that comes with it.

Another favorite element in this series is the humor. It’s rare I actually laugh out loud when reading, but this had me full on snort-laughing. I nearly lost it every time someone was called a sandwich.

Packing love, humor, and a quick paced plot, SAL AND GABI FIX THE UNIVERSE is one of my favorite middle grade reads of the year. This is absolutely a series that will go on my “to re-read” shelf.

A thrilling sequel to the first Sal and Gabi, I felt for Sal as he struggles with his friendship with Gabi and the consequences of their actions at the end of the last book. A fun romp through Miami from the perspective of two pre-pubescent teens whoa re still learning about who they are and who they're meant to be. Truly wishing this would be expanded to a trilogy, as I'm not ready to part with these wonderful kids.

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.

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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.




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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.