Bilingual book review time! I just finished listening to this audiobook and LOVED it!

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe is a humorous fantasy/sci-fi novel with a bilingual Cuban twist. It tells the story of Sal, a 13-year-old who recently moved to Miami from Connecticut. Sal is an aspiring magician, and has just begun attending an arts school that sounds like an incredible place. Upon arriving, he quickly meets Gabi, the student council president. The two precocious 7th graders form a fast friendship, learning that they also share a very important talent that nobody else has: They can see tears in the fabric of the universe. But will messing with the fabric of time and space "break" their own universe for good?

There were so many pieces that I truly enjoyed about this story. I absolutely loved the bilingual aspect, and the way that Spanish was woven so perfectly into dialogue. Certain words like "caca seca" are explained once and then used throughout the rest of the book, adding a very unique tone. The narrator on the audiobook did a brilliant job moving between both languages, different accents, and characters.

I loved the way the story made my brain spin a bit as I tried to understand the interdimensional alternate realities described. It was just confusing enough to be interesting, yet the story was still easy to follow and enjoy. There were other mentions of AI technology that made me question whether this was supposed to take place in the future or just a different version of the present.

Another very endearing aspect of the story was the characters. This duo is funny and smart. Their interactions were generally very positive and well-intentioned; nothing like the teenage angst in so many books these days. Sal and Gabi are intentional about kindness and graciousness, and their interactions with adults are respectful and positive. I found this very refreshing, and would feel good about my own kids reading this book.

Note: I did NOT love the second book and would not recommend it personally.) 

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