Thank you West 44 Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I’ll always be impressed by how much depth and excitement Gume Laurel III packs into his books!! Ariel is excited to get the chance to spend a few weeks at Camp Juniper away from the disappointment of his mom and stepdad. Especially when their disappointment is over something as ridiculous as his sexuality. Also going to camp means possibly getting to meet tech genius Professor Cuellar, who runs the camp. But things start off weird when he finds himself both drawn towards and annoyed by four fellow camp members. Convinced to meet Itzel, the one he’s drawn to, at midnight he’s hoping that the two might have a connection. Which is weird because they only know each other for a day right? He’s disappointed to find they are joined by Gio, Celi, and Julianna. To his disbelief they inform him that the five of them are reincarnated from superheroes from Mars. Superheroes that were created to defend the people of Mars from The Gemini’s, an alien race who sought to invade them. They lost, but not before Professor Cuellar sent their life forces to earth. Now that they have Ariel they can resume The Diadem, their superhero group, in case The Gemini ever return. Put is Ariel really who they’ve been waiting for? Can he really trust these four strangers? And if it’s true are the Gemini really gone? A fun queer superhero read that is quick and compelling! I enjoyed Ariel and the others and the surprise twist ending! As typical with Gume’s books it consumed it in one sitting! Action packed with a touch or romance, a heartfelt story about knowing your worth, humor, and found family!

I really enjoy reading from this author! - though I don't generally read much sci-fi so most of this went right over my head, it was a quick fun read! - It was cool to read something a little more out of my comfort zone!

Gume’s writing doesn’t fail at keeping me interested and invested. The world he creates in this hi/low verse novel reminds me of why I want to get lost in a book. I didn’t want it to end and with the ending, I sure hope it isn’t the last time we visit this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Gume Laurel III for the opportunity to read The Final Diadem in exchange for an honest review.

I kind of went in blind with this one because at this point, Gume Laurel III is an auto-read for me. I absolutely love the craft, style, and depth that he takes such short novels through, saying a great amount with few words. P.S. there is a BOOK TRAILER for this novel, and it's super vibing. I absolutely love the character artwork on each side framing the video; it really makes this novel stand out even more to me.

This novel follows Ariel, who is on his way to Camp Juniper, something he is excited about for the summer. As he meets the campers, he finds that there is more to this camp than was advertised on the commercial. Four of the campers approach Ariel and tell him a wildly far-fetched tale: that they believe him to be a reincarnated hero from Mars! All he has to do is touch the Mars soil and his power should activate. This sounds absolutely absurd to him! People from Mars centuries ago, multiple reincarnations, and Martians versus the Gemini (creatures that aim to end the people of Mars)? What?

Another fun ride from Gume Laurel III that did not disappoint. It's mundane beginning into its heroic action-packed sequences, all told in the HiLo novel-in-verse style made for a truly unique and exciting reading experience. A fun sci-fi for teen readers.

in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun fast paced novel in verse just like Gume’s other books. Full of sci-fi action and elements of fighting and friendship, this felt like a space anime I would love. Gume is always able to tell such complex stories in short sections/pages and I’m always so interested in the plot and where everything will go. This like his last books was so good and I’m always ready and excited for what comes next!!

I’m always amazed at how much story and detail that this author (who happens to be a fellow Floptropican) packs into their HiLo verse novels. I can’t quite explain it, but my brain literally just soaks their words up like a sponge. Anyway, this book was fast-paced and exciting, and has a great story to boot! And no spoilers, but the final page clocked my tea into outer space.

I had never heard of Hi/Lo Verse books were before The Final Diadem came into my life, and in case you don’t know what they are: they’re books written in verse that are meant to be extremely readable and accessible to all people. The prose is fairly simple and there’s no heavy vocabulary, making them great reads for people for whom English is a second language or anyone looking for a light, easy read.

The simplicity of the writing doesn’t mean it’s not strong, though, and the story was super engaging. I read it all in one sitting because wdym these teenagers are actually superheroes from Mars? I had to know what was going on with all of that.

I loved that each hero had an elemental power but they weren’t the usual elements, which made it a lot more interesting. I really liked Ariel, who felt like he didn’t belong and couldn’t be his true self around his family, only to find that he had another, wholly accepting family he never knew about. When he connected with them, it was fun and exciting. It felt kind of like watching an episode of Sailor Moon.

And the ending… wut. That better be the setup for a sequel, otherwise I’m mad 😂

Thank you so much to West 44/ Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Ariel goes to summer camp expecting a relaxing two weeks, but soon finds an unlikely group of teens surround him, drawing him in to them. Soon he finds not only is he attracted to a couple of them, he also finds he’s a reincarnated superhero from mars. His summer takes on a whole new direction to what he’d anticipated.

This was wild, it was so full of unexpected twists and turns and never did I expect this would be about teens that were once superhero’s on mars. It was so fascinating and so different to other superhero stories. I was certainly gripped and intrigued where the story was going to go.

I really liked that each person in the group was so different to each other, it really made the whole of them being friends thing work more, because they wouldn’t generally be friends but they once were many centuries ago. It really also help heighten the bewilderment of Ariel when he found out, because he really thought it was all just a prank and not actually real in any way.

This was such a fun fantasy, sci-fi, futuristic book, I honestly didn’t predict the way the story was going to go at all, but I throughly enjoyed it. It was so clever and creative and unique. I enjoyed going on this adventure with Ariel and learning the truth, seeing their abilities and all the shocking revelations and twists throughout.

A iconic blast of a story about reincarnation & superheroes that will leave you obsessed! Gume is an author to watch!

I always have such a good time with Gume’s YA hi-lo stories that blend real life with sci-fi vibes. I adore his signature South Texas humor and angsty teens with big feelings, and this reincarnated superhero story was no different. I loved the queer and Hispanic representation and the action packed ending delivered exactly what I hoped for.

Thank you, Rosen Publishing Group | West 44 Books and NetGalley, for this arc.

The Final Diadem is written in verse, so it’s super quick to read, but still really powerful. Ariel goes to summer camp to escape the chaos back home, but instead of peace and quiet, he finds out he might be a superhero from Mars, in a past life.

The other campers are weird and awesome, and they have powers that make Ariel start to believe maybe this whole “you used to fight aliens on Mars” thing is real. And now the whole team is depending on him to remember who he used to be.

And the verse format? So good. It makes the story quick to read and easy to follow.

If you’re into:
✅ Queer sci-fi
✅ Verse novels
✅ Found family
✅ Camp with a side of cosmic fate
✅ Secret pasts and future battles
...this book will be for you!

The Final Diadem is a whirlwind of a novella, told through an inventive format that propels you straight into a planet-saving quest led by a band of resourceful teens. Its brisk length leaves little room for deep backstories, yet the author still sketches characters vivid enough to make you root for them. If you’re after a quick, refreshing read that delivers high stakes in under an afternoon, this one’s well worth the detour.

THE FINAL DIADEM by Gume Laurel III

Ariel expected a quiet summer at Camp Juniper, not to be told he’s the reincarnation of a Martian superhero. But when four fellow campers reveal strange powers and a shared past, he starts to wonder if they’re right—and if he’s the missing piece of The Diadem, a team once defeated in an alien war. Now, with old enemies stirring, Ariel must uncover his past before it’s too late.

I picked this one up without even glancing at the synopsis—because when it comes to Gume Laurel III, I don’t need a map, I trust the ride. I was expecting a quiet, earthy little bonding story set at summer camp, with a gentle Gume-style supernatural twist. You know, nature, stars, a bit of longing, some queer teens discovering themselves in the woods. Cue mosquito bites and emotional breakthroughs. Well. That is not what I got.

Instead? Martian reincarnation. Alien threats. A mysterious camp director with secrets. Five teens with the fate of a planet on their shoulders. A superhero team called The Diadem. And a boy named Ariel who just wanted to escape his mum’s disappointment and maybe make a friend or two (preferably the cute kind). And I was not mad at it, not in the slightest.

Told in Gume’s signature verse style, The Final Diadem is sleek, sharp, and fast-paced, but never shallow. It somehow balances pulpy sci-fi goodness with genuine emotional depth. Found family, queer joy, and some mandatory chaos wove together in this extraterrestrial story featuring superpowers from Mars.

Ariel is a darling protagonist—funny, vulnerable, prickly in just the right way—and his bewilderment at the situation feels so grounded, even as the plot blasts off into the stratosphere (quite literally). The group dynamic is charmingly messy; you can feel their tentative bond beneath the teenage awkwardness.

Laurel continues to push the limits of what hi-lo fiction can be, and The Final Diadem might be his most ambitious offering yet in terms of continuity. It’s Power Rangers meets Sailor Moon meets Latine queer coming-of-age, but make it verse. There’s romance, action, identity, legacy, and more than one twist that promises answers in future instalments.

If you’ve ever wanted your summer camp novel to end with a cosmic showdown and some gloriously nerdy heroics, this one’s for you.

And as always, I’ll be eagerly watching the stars (and the release calendar) to see what Gume Laurel III gives us next in this new universe—nunca mejor dicho.

A latine, queer hi-lo verse novel with superheros that met all my expectations!

I read this in one sitting. ✨️ The pacing is excellent, it moves quickly but still answers questions. There is a little plot twist at the end that I really enjoyed too. 😌

I could read a prequel and a sequel, which is how you know it's good!

Gume was my introduction to hi-lo verse novels and I am really enjoying them! This one was a YA, sci-fi novel. Easily digestible and a fun read! 🫶🏼

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.

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!

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 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.

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!

A hi-lo YA scifi novel in verse by @tx.author
🚀
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.
🪐
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

'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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.