Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
By Carlos Hernandez
Disney/Hyperion, 2019. Fiction.

After his mother passed away, Sal Vidon learned to meditate to help himself cope with his sadness. No one was expecting he would be able to "relax" so far as to reach into parallel universes and carry things across time and space - including versions of his deceased mother "Mami Muerta" who aren't always very nice. Now Sal, with his American stepmom and physicist father, is in a new city with a new school and all new bullies. Befriending Gabi Real - the know-it-all, do-it-all, student body president at Sal's new school - may be either a good or bad thing, especially when their friendship threatens to break the multiverse. Gabi's baby brother is very sick and Sal's special talent may be just the thing to save him.

This is a wildly unique and very appealing new middle grade novel from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. To say that this book - part science fiction, part Cuban mythos reimagined, and part character-driven fantasy - is unlike anything else is an understatement. This is a book with a lot going on - balanced with comic relief, likable characters, and an adventure that spans universes.

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