The Final Diadem is another fast-paced Hi-Lo installment from Gume Laurel III that is truly captivating, mixes the intersectionality of queer and latine experiences with Ari, a bisexual latine teen who is trying to figure out life. He has a small reprieve from his home by going to this 2-week summer space camp called Camp Juniper. In it, he interacts with other teens and turns out, he realizes he's part of a martian superhero alien group escaping destruction by going through cycles of reincarnations. The central theme is that no matter how many lifetimes you may undergo, being a teenager is hard and that forgiveness of actions you regret is always a possibility.

Novels written in verse can be really hit or miss for me and I struggled to find my footing with this one for a little bit but ended up really loving the camp setting. I didn't love our main character for a lot of the novel but I did appreciate the bisexuality rep!

Well, the cover of this is a hundred per cent sci-fi, or sci-fantasy – so why is so much of this concerned with a Latino guy going to summer camp? Because it's a camp story with a difference, that's why – and it might just be a Latino with a difference. And no, I don't mean him being a bisexual one. Ariel gets driven all across Texas to the camp by an aunt, and settles in, being rather sniffy and snooty about several of the other teens there. It just so happens that the story will concentrate on him and them, as there is a mahoosive secret about them all Ariel is ignorant of. And so should the reader be.

But they really ought to know that this doesn't really work. This is one of those hi/lo novels-in-verse, which I maintain is a way to sell a short story in a book that looks novel-length. The verse really can work – surprisingly so – when it comes to the hormonal teens, and their instant dismissals and instant connections, but the second half, once we know what genre this is and that the whole camp is a bluff? Much less so.

I came to this full of interest in how fantasy could come across in poetic form, and I wasn't really impressed with the result. It's not dreadful, but the genre drama really comes across as a short story idea not justifying the verse, and while it added to the whole establishment of the rug before it's pulled from under our feet, apart from that task it isn't a success. The style is fine while being a red herring, but weaker after that – as is the reason for the author's ruse in the first place. Two and a half stars.

Please make this a graphic novel series! The Final Diadem a sci-fi hi/lo novel-in-verse for teens is by Gume Laurel, III. Ariel gets a special invitation to a STEM camp in South Texas. He is eager to attend and escape his home life where his parents think his bisexuality is an abomination.
Today’s Soujourners, Tomorrow’s Hope reads the sign at Camp Juniper.
Four fellow campers who are ”more random than what a kid picks to eat at Golden Corral”, inform Ariel that he is the reincarnation of the missing 5th superhero from Mars. Yeah right! This must be a prank. The team becomes a bit sceptical themselves when, although his DNA test results revealed 99.99% probability of his martianess, he is unable to unlock his memories and his powers of darkness. Additionally, the rest of the team can’t transform into their uniform until he does. Time is running out because an alien enemy is out to destroy them - again.
Although this author surprises us every year with a new book in a completely different genre, I need more of this, and each one of these kids needs their own origin story!
I have said it over and over again. I have no idea how Gume can pack so much into a high low novel in verse. He is a true writing superhero.

The Final Diadem is published by West 44 and is available now. Special thanks to Gume the book copy and for including me Camp Juniper excitement! It was an absolute blast!

The Final Diadem is the 2nd book I've read by Gume Laurel III, a queer, Latine author.

Like The Brujos Of Borderland High (which I also loved), this book is a Young Adult Hi/Lo book written in verse.

Honestly, I struggled a bit in the first half of this book as I found the characters a bit unlikeable, which is something I tend not to get on with. However, almost exactly halfway through the story takes a turn and the different characters motives and personalities become clearer and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the rest of the story. Definitely one worth persevering with!

Queer sci fi is probably my genre of choice but one I find difficult to find many books of. A huge thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of The Final Diadem.

Hi/Lo books are "high interest/low reading level" and are great for children and adults who may struggle with reading other books aimed older children through to adults (for various reasons). They're also just a great read for anyone who fancies - just as YA books aren't only read by young adults and films aimed at children are often enjoyed by adults too, anyone who fancies reading a Hi/Lo book can!

Cliffhanger again!?! I’m not mad - I 100% want a sequel to this. I pictured it as a cartoon/anime style show in my head as I was reading it. Very clever, over too quickly, but I really enjoyed this one. If you like YA written in verse, outer space, summer camp, sci-fi, Latino rep, and queer rep - then check this one out.

I absolutely loved Gume Laurel III’s newest YA hi-lo novel! If you don’t know what hi-lo is, it means that the book is written to appeal to older teens, with the language being accessible regardless of a person’s reading level. Like his other YA books, it’s also written in verse, making it even more readable for teens who might be daunted by books with high text-to-page ratios. What really impresses me though, and this is true for all of Laurel’s novels, is how he truly packs his punches so concisely throughout the story. The Final Diadem is another study in how to have a 15-word sentence reveal several things. I’m spending all this time telling you about the language of the book because I find it fascinating and POWERFUL.
The story itself though is so fun and creative. I love a grump and Ariel delivers (we get to see him feel feelings though 🥲). The action unfolds at a fast pace and is exciting and clever throughout, and there are so many moments that tug at your heart. So many reasons Laurel is an auto-buy author for me and I want to see his books getting in the hands of more and more folks!

This was my first experience with a HI/LO novel. If you are unfamiliar with this term like I was, it stands for "high interest/lower reading level."
While I am not an expert, I feel like this book did a great job of being simple yet engaging. Because of the writing style, this was a really quick read. This novel was also told in verse, so there was never much text on the page, which made the story quick and easy to digest. One thing that did annoy me though about the writing was the dialogue tags. I'm used to books following the structure: "quotation," he said. Essentially the dialogue comes first then the tag. But in this book, the dialogue tag always came first then the dialogue. Every time this would happen, my brain would freeze up for a second before remembering the structure. This might just be a me thing though.
I was really impressed with how this novel was able to be simple without feeling like it was spoon-feeding the information. Instead of stating the characters emotions or feelings, the text just describes their facial reaction or gives a descriptive dialogue tag. Managed to embrace "show, don't tell" with not a lot of text.
Story wise, I found myself fully engaged from the start. I don't really have a whole lot to say about it, as it was pretty short and direct, but I still enjoyed it. I wasn't really the biggest fan on the ending though. As I mentioned, this book does a good job of not spoon-feeding information, but then it ended up having a long villain monologue at the end. I feel like that could have been done better to fit the writing style of the rest of the book. The ending was also a bit cheesy and "after-school special."
While I wasn't the biggest fan of the execution, I did still like the ending. I will likely check out more of Gume Laurel III's works when I'm looking for a quick read.

This was my first time reading a HiLo book and I really enjoyed it! It was fun to read, and for it only being 200 pages, I feel like it achieved a lot. There were parts where I felt it was a bit fast-paced and left me wanting more, but given the format of the book, I was okay with it. I feel like I would have liked to explore more with possibly a longer story, but given the ending, maybe there's a possibility for a sequel?

Overall, this was a fun read and makes me want to branch out into other HiLo books in the future. I liked the variety of characters we had, and I found myself truly liking Ariel as our main character and being in his point of view.

Let’s start with the cry rating
😭😭=This hurt my feelings a lot
🥲🥲=I am kicking my feet with the sweetness

Ariel is a precious baby and must be protected at all cost. I have so much anxiety about what is going to happen 🫠 I will just be a puddle of goo for the next 46 business days.

TL;DR
The vibes were perfect. I wish I could read this again for the first time. The MC’s are my personality now and I had so many feelings I will probably never touch this book again, definitely recommend!

'The Final Diadem' is a fast-paced verse novel that weaves together sci-fi, superhero lore, and LGBTQ+ themes. Ariel, a queer Latinx teen heading to summer camp, expected peace but gets tangled in a story of reincarnation, Mars heroes, and cosmic battles. The story skilfully changes tone from mundane camp life to epic space adventure. It’s a quick read, but one that packs a punch.

A hi-lo YA scifi novel in verse by @tx.author
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Ariel is struggling in Houston so when the opportunity to attend Camp Juniper for two weeks pops up, he’s all in. What he wanted was time to recharge and refresh in the mountain air. What he got was four teenagers who have been searching for him for hundreds of years. Ariel was once part of The Diadem, a five-piece superhero team that fought aliens on Mars, but was ultimately defeated by The Gemini. As they begin to unlock Ariel’s memories they realize someone else is looking for him too.
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I can always count on Laurel to write fast-paced poetry novels that are high-interest and have great representation for our tweens and teens. Happy pub day, Gume! Grab this one from @west44books today!
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CW: violence, biphobia

Gume has done it again! He's written another magical story that grabs you and doesn't let go until it's done. It's a quick read, full of mystery and suspense from the first page. The depth of his stories are always so amazing. I read it in one sitting. I love the ease of reading the Hi/Lo verse style. It makes the story so engrossing. I had to know who Ariel really was and what was going on. And I wasn't disappointed.

Como siempre con Gume, I am obsessed with this book! Gume Laurel’s The Final Diadem is a fast-paced, queer, hi-lo novel that is incredibly accessible and a mind-bending, heart-pounding adventure. The premise is pure genius: a boy escaping his past on Earth while going to Summer Camp, only to discover his actual past is on Mars, where he was a part of a five-piece superhero team. The fate of The Diadem rests on his shoulders, and you can't help but be completely invested in his journey to remember his power. Laurel has a gift for creating immersive, queer adventures that you can get lost in and think about long after you've closed the book. Highly recommend his catalogue for queer teens and everyday readers who look for fun, easy reads with queer representation and entertaining plots!

“The Final Diadem” by Gume Laurel III was such a fun and fast read, perfect for younger readers or anyone looking for a quick sci-fi adventure. Written in verse, it’s super easy to follow and tells the story of Ariel, a queer Latinx teen who goes to summer camp and finds out he’s part of a superhero team from Mars in a past life. What starts as a simple getaway turns into an action-packed journey full of powers, aliens, and big discoveries. I loved how exciting and fast-paced the story was, and the characters were all so cool and interesting. The queer and Latinx representation made it feel really special, especially in today’s world, and it was so nice to read a story where someone like Ariel could be the hero.

This was my first foray into HiLo Verse, and this book had turned me into a fan! This book was such fun and a the twist at the end was something completely unexpected but the best way to leave the story open for future exploration (which I would very much appreciate). The exploration and establishment of Ariel's character was well done, and I was immediately drawn to him. The plot played out like an episode of a superhero TV show, and while the pacing was something I enjoyed, I would have liked to have seen the action play out a little longer. But overall, a wonderful story about a boy finding identity and friends, and of course, his cosmic powers.

The type of text, as verse, was original i have to admit it. But it didn´t make me be all in the story, yes it was fast and that sometimes is so good, but in this moment i don´t think i kind of like that rhytm.
Although the book was good and i enjoyed it.

Ariel heads to Camp Juniper to find peace from his home in Houston, hoping to do the normal camp stuff. He meets four other campers that latch on to him, mostly because they’ve been searching for him for hundreds of years and multiple lifetimes. In a past life, the five were known as The Diadem, a superhero team from Mars that was defeated during an invasion by The Gemini. Ariel is understandably skeptical at first, until he sees that the other four have supernatural powers - and aren’t the only ones that have been searching for him.

I admit this deviates from the typical books I read, but after reading Gume Laurel III's #SolarPunks and being exposed to YA novels written in verse, I knew I had to read this one too! It’s such a fun Hi-Lo novel with queer and sci-fi themes that are equal parts creative and captivating. There’s so much jam-packed into this concise work: queer and Latine representation, world-building, twists and turns, and so much more! The author is truly an expert in doing so much storytelling in so few words. Even if you’re not a huge sci-fi reader, the themes and storytelling in The Final Diadem will resonate and its construct will leave you in awe.

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to West 44 Books for the opportunity to read and review.

Read this book if you like:
🪐 found family from outer space
🌠 star-crossed lovers (literally) and superheroes
📝 Hi-Lo verse with a beautiful story


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This review will be posted to Instagram @AutobiographiCole on or around the release date!

It was very fun to read a story written in verse. Felt like a speed-date, but for books (speed-book? speed-read?)! The page background was also very pretty.
The story is told by the MMC, a teenager on his way to summer camp to get away from his family for a while. His family does not support his sexuality, and we first meet him in the car with his aunt on the way to camp. At camp he connects with several other campers, but goes out of his way to keep to himself. 
This is a story of found family, queer joy, aliens and teenage superheroes. It is fun and fast and entertaining. It feels like a story told by the camp fire. Loved the feel, the vibe and the characters.

Heartfelt, Fun, and Full of Surprises.

From the very first page, I was hooked!
This Hi-Lo Verse is packed to the brim with action, shocking twists, and high-stakes adventure. Gume truly knows how to blend bold storytelling with jaw-dropping surprises.
The pacing is fast and thrilling, layered with heartfelt drama and laugh-out-loud moments. Ariel’s journey is a rollercoaster of rediscovered powers, powerful new (and old) friendships, found-family vibes, and even a spark of romance that makes your heart flutter!
That ending, though... I did NOT see it coming.
If you’re looking for a fun, emotional, and adventurous read, this one’s a gem!