An absolutely amazing piece if Indigenous literature!

The hook, the Lake house meets native history is to die for and the execution makes it an amazing story.

The co authors do an amazing job of weaving these two together and tying the knot on their relationship.

Epic, sweeping, the sort of thing I wanna see an Asian drama style adaption of, you won't be disappointed reading this!

So far I’m still reading this one but it comes out today so I figured I’d give my opinion as of now. It’s definitely very deep with good development of the characters. It’s hitting home a lot deeper than I expected. The story dives right in and immediately makes you care about the characters. Eager to see where it goes but so far I like it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. This book is beautifully written and the history that is presented to the reader is done in such a way that it makes you want more. It brings forth ideas/concepts that one may not know about that need to be known, whether present or past.

Sitlali and Calizto are just.. near dear to me. I loved that despite all the hardship they endured, they persevered and strove to make things better not just for themselves but for everyone.

Highly recommend this book.

Across the sands of time, two teenagers are desperate to flee the danger surrounding them. In 2019, seventeen-year-old Sitlali has been watching crime and violence edge its way into her hometown of Veracruz, and with both of her parents and her grandmother gone, she is finally ready to seek solace in the United States. Meanwhile, and 500 years before, seventeen-year-old Calizto is fighting to protect his home from the conquistadors who have taken nearly everything he loves. A mysterious conch shell connects the two youth, uniting them in their shared struggles in two similar yet disparate worlds.

This historical fiction novel is initially compelling, when characters are introduced and the setting begins to unfold. Unfortunately, this engagement fizzles midway through the book. Short chapters alternate between the primary characters, whose voices are clear despite both speaking in the first person. A primary difference between the two is that when Calizto is speaking, he often intersperses Nahuatl language among the English, while Sitlali uses Spanish. Though fantastic in its premise, the connection between Calizto and Sitlali is nonetheless palpable and believable thanks to the similar experiences the two are facing. Due to the challenges faced by and the ages of its protagonists, the book does include strong language, romance, and scenes of violence, which make it best suited to more mature audiences.

At the beginning of the book, readers find an assortment of helpful additions, including maps, a list of historical figures, and several Nahuatl terms. These set the stage for the rest of the novel, and readers will find themselves returning to them several times to reinforce moments within the story. Readers interested in Mexican history will appreciate the detail included within this novel, especially as Calizto is faced with the European colonization of his home of Tenochtitlan. Likewise, the danger Sitlali faces in her home is familiar to many who have escaped violence in their own way. Together, this is at once an exploration of human survival across time and a rich love story. This is a unique addition to library collections for young adult readers.

"When what was broken is healed
and She who is destined to weild
and He who is commanded to shield
hold the conch in their hands
in two different lands
and each other in their hearts
through leagues and eons apart--
then I will reveal to the staunch
the secret of the moon conch."

Following the 500th anniversary of the Fall of Tenochtitlán comes this sweeping YA supernatural romance between a teenage Mexican girl in the present and an Aztec boy in the past.

Magical realism can be a bit trite and formulaic after it revolutionized fiction back in the 1960s with Garcia Marquez, Cortazar, Fuentes and others (my abuelita doesn't levitate, does yours?) but when handled with a deft touch, as Bowles and Garcia McCall have done here, it remains as vibrant and dazzling as ever.

"Secret of the Moon Conch" is destined to become a classic of YA literature.