The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía

January 2, 2023
Colombian 12-year-old Valentina “Vale” Mejía would rather spend her summer working on her art portfolio for the Bogotá Academy of Arts than searching for a patasola in the Andes with her folclorólogo father and younger brother Julián, who still believes in the Colombian myths and legends their father tells them. When they get caught in a sudden earthquake, their dad falls into a crevice and is injured. While trying to get help, Vale and Julián stumble upon a mysterious cave that leads to a fantastical version of Colombia seemingly straight out of their father’s stories. The siblings journey across the Land of the Forgotten—through a brujita’s magical house, an armadillo’s cozy burrow, and a village of playful duende—to the castle of the Madremonte, protector of the land, keeper of the only portal back to their world, and known for disliking humans. Vale’s pragmatism paired with Julián’s effervescent sense of wonder helps them to navigate a world full of danger and magic. Through their adventures, Alessandri (Isabel and Her Colores Go to School) expertly weaves an immersive tale bursting at the seams with folklore, enchantments, and spirit. Ages 8–12. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary.

January 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 Featuring an artistic and brave protagonist of Colombian descent, Alessandri's first novel seamlessly weaves magical and cultural elements into its adventurous narrative. Valentina, 12, dreams of attending art school in her native Bogot�, but when reports of a patasola (vampire woman) reach her papi, Valentina's life is uprooted again. Determined to prove creatures from folklore are real, Papi takes Valentina and her brother, Juli�n, to the Andes as he seeks to find the patasola himself. What follows is a tale that mixes folklore with fantasy that plunges Valentina and Juli�n into an alternate Colombia infested with magical creatures. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they root for the siblings to return to the real world in the face of many dangers. Beautiful prose combines with gripping adventure in this magical ode to Colombia and its legends. Fans of Roseanne Brown's Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting (2022) and Zoraida C�rdova's Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter (2022) will adore this book, for both its mythic monsters and its plucky heroine.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2023
As a young girl, Valentina loved the Colombian legends her father told about the magical creatures inhabiting their country. Now that she's twelve ("almost thirteen"), however, she finds the stories childish fantasies, and she's less than thrilled when her father brings her and her younger brother on an expedition into the Andean jungle to investigate a sighting of a mythical female vampire-like creature. Valentina dreams of attending the Bogota Academy of Arts, and she'd prefer to stay at home and work on her drawing portfolio. When a massive earthquake hits the jungle, the siblings fall into a deep crevice that leads to an alternate world -- one that mirrors theirs but is inhabited by mythical beings. To get home, the two must travel through the magical land and beg Madremonte, the mother and protector of Earth, to help them. The only problem is that Madremonte hates humans and will stop at nothing to eliminate them from her realm. Alessandri embeds Colombian folklore into a thrilling tale that centers sibling relationships, eco-justice, border crossing, and intergenerational family wounds. Readers who love mythology, adventure, and suspense will root for Valentina as she embarks on her hero's journey. S. R. Toliver

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 15, 2022
Valentina has grown up with Papi's fantastical stories of Colombian monsters and magic. Now she's 12, she thinks the stories are a bit outlandish. When she and her brother, Juli�n, accompany their dad on a hunt in the Colombian Andes for la patasola--a vampiric demon woman with one leg--the siblings become separated from their dad by a sudden earthquake that leaves him gravely injured. They find themselves in a world beneath their own, one that's similar to Colombia but filled with the mythical creatures from the stories they grew up with. This world is unwelcoming to humans, and they must travel to find Madremonte, the ruler of the land, to convince her to help them before it's too late. In this story skillfully infused with Colombian folklore, Juli�n and Valentina encounter a variety of beings, including la mano peluda, a hairy hand that lurks beneath children's beds; duendes, or trickster elves; and el moh�n, who has the power to bewitch you. A terrifying encounter with el silb�n, a harbinger of death, has Valentina running for her life, and she'll need all the bravery she can muster to save her captured brother, reunite her family, and unravel the mystery of Madremonte's discontent. With the action beginning on the first page, this fast-paced adventure set in a well-realized world will keep readers on their toes. Modern kids meet traditional tales with thrilling results. (Adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 29, 2023

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Valentina Mej�a marvels at how different her parents are: her scientist mother who shares the changes and harm occurring to the Earth's climate and land, and her historian father who could spend all day talking about the myths and legends of Colombia. While Valentina listens, she doesn't really believe like her little brother Juli�n does. While out in search of a patasola with Papi one day, Valentina feels that something awful is coming, and soon the land is torn open by an earthquake, leaving Valentina and Juli�n separated from their injured father. As they try to get help, they find themselves in an incredible land where they come across the very creatures from her father's stories. As they make new friends and avoid danger, Valentina and Juli�n must reach the Queen of this beautiful land, Madremonte, and try to convince her that humans are not dangerous in order to get back to help their father. On this incredible journey, Valentina discovers that these legendary creatures are more a part of her than she could have imagined. Readers will enjoy the adventure and humor in this breathtaking fantasy which depicts not only legendary creatures of Colombia, but also centers this beautiful country's environment, lands, and animals. Alessandri weaves a story that brings attention to the harm and destruction occurring to the lands while also sharing legends that are an important part of Colombia's culture. Readers will enjoy meeting each legend, the sibling dynamic, and watching Valentina grow and embrace the lore her father has shared. VERDICT This magical middle grade novel is an homage both to a country's beauty and its legends, with a fantastical adventure that will leave readers wishing for more.-Selenia Paz

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
As a young girl, Valentina loved the Colombian legends her father told about the magical creatures inhabiting their country. Now that she's twelve ("almost thirteen"), however, she finds the stories childish fantasies, and she's less than thrilled when her father brings her and her younger brother on an expedition into the Andean jungle to investigate a sighting of a mythical female vampire-like creature. Valentina dreams of attending the Bogota Academy of Arts, and she'd prefer to stay at home and work on her drawing portfolio. When a massive earthquake hits the jungle, the siblings fall into a deep crevice that leads to an alternate world -- one that mirrors theirs but is inhabited by mythical beings. To get home, the two must travel through the magical land and beg Madremonte, the mother and protector of Earth, to help them. The only problem is that Madremonte hates humans and will stop at nothing to eliminate them from her realm. Alessandri embeds Colombian folklore into a thrilling tale that centers sibling relationships, eco-justice, border crossing, and intergenerational family wounds. Readers who love mythology, adventure, and suspense will root for Valentina as she embarks on her hero's journey.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)