Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Synopsis: 

“How did a raw chicken get inside Yasmany’s locker? When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.

Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he’s capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken–including his dead mother–and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There’s only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.

A sassy entropy sweeper, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a Venetian bauta mask, and heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights that await in his mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter.”

Review:

I wasn’t expecting the experience I had when I first picked up Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. I expected a fun story about wormholes, friendship, and some fantastical elements. You know the ones found in Rick Riordan’s books and in his Rick Riordan Presents titles. What I didn’t expect was a story about life and death, family both the family you’re born into and the family that you choose to create, and a book that made me drool with descriptions of plates piled high with Cuban food!

I loved the amount of Spanish and Spanglish integrated into the story. With just a basic high school understanding of Spanish, I definitely didn’t understand every sentence. But I loved how the story wove together the Spanish and English to make it feel authentic. Plus, seeing a character with Type I Diabetes is not something you often find. And it wasn’t only mentioned in passing but was blended into the day-to-day life and affected the decisions he made. Sal was by no means defined by his diabetes; it was just one part of his complex character.

There’s a great educator’s guide available through the publisher. I always love having a starting point to create a book discussion. You can also get up-to-date information about Rick Riordan’s new projects and books at: readriordan.com. A story that was not only funny but also heart-warming, you don’t want to miss Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez.

Need to Know:

Title: Sal & Gabi Break the Universe
Author: Carlos Hernandez
Publisher: Disney Books
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
Page Number: 382 pgs.