FANTASTIC FRIDAY: The Cursed Moon by Angela Cervantes
REVIEW
Rafael Fuentes discovers he will be attending summer school just as he's getting ready for his mother to be released from jail. He dreads both things. But he loves writing and telling scary stories. Even after he's warned by a neighbor to avoid telling scary stories during the blood moon, Rafa can't resist telling one after an argument with his grandparents about his mother, whom he refuses to forgive for the neglect he and his sister experienced. But it quickly becomes clear that the warning Rafa received was all too real and now elements of the stories he told are coming to life threatening his sister and his friends. Rafa teams up with his school nemesis who is also being haunted to try to figure out what's going on and what they can do about it. A chant that he included in his story seems to be at the heart of the matter, along with a girl standing by a pond asking for someone to retrieve a book thrown in the pond. As Rafa discovers, the Caretaker, the ghostlike figure at the heart of the story seems determined that Rafa and his friends will be his next target. And if Rafa doesn't figure out how to stop the Caretaker, someone else will end up dead.
Cervantes' storytelling is fabulous, she pulled me right into the story from the first page as Rafa rides to meet his sister after learning about summer school. I immediately empathized with Rafa and his sister who have a very close relationship. The resentment he feels toward his mother contrasts with his sister's eagerness to have her home. And then the scary stories blends into the real parts of the story quite well with a variety of different elements that come together at the end. Blending real life, horror elements, and the fantastical, The Cursed Moon is bound to appeal to young horror fans. The great writing, appealing characters, and blended plot made for a fabulous read that I can't wait to share with young readers.
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