Kirkus Reviews

An open heart leads a girl to what she needs in this page-turner embedded in Filipino mythology.Corazon Lopez comes from a family of babaylans, mortals "who guarded the boundaries between the human world and the realm of spirits." She must wait until her 12th birthday for her powerful magic to awaken so she can be trained by her aunt Tina. Corazon is especially eager to develop the ability to bring her deceased parents back to life instead of just having weekly dinners with their ghosts. Despite the presence of Saso, her anito or spirit companion who takes the form of a small lizard, and being cared for by Tina's sentient home, Corazon feels lonely. Things take a turn for the worse when Corazon encounters Flordeliza, a vengeful ghost who steals her soul key, a token of powerful magic gifted to her by her mother that is essential to bringing her parents back. Soon the Library of Mirrors that contains portals to the spirit realms shows warning signs of an imbalance between worlds. Corazon, Saso, and their new ghost friend, Leo, must attempt to surmount daunting obstacles before it's too late in Chokshi's action-packed quest that balances tragedy and grief with comical antics. Family secrets, folktales, and the cultural diversity of the Philippines add interest to this story that ends on a hopeful note.A thrilling tale brimming with magic and love. (author's note, glossary) (Adventure. 9-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Featuring a Filipina protagonist coming into her powers, Chokshi (the Aru Shah series) writes a memorable spin on a tween’s looking-glass adventures. Three years after her parents’ deaths, 11-year-old Corazon Lopez lives with her magically powerful but emotionally distant aunt Tina in a wondrous House “that tucked her in each evening and made sure she always had a sweater when it got cold.” Like the women in their family, both Corazon and Tina are babaylans—mortals who guard the boundaries between the human and spirit worlds—but two days before her magic-manifesting 12th birthday, Corazon’s specific power remains unknown even to her. She waits impatiently on the cusp with her wisecracking companion anito, an earth spirit named Saso who resembles a blue lizard, and a soul key that allows her to visit with her parents’ ghosts each Saturday. She plans to bring them back to life once she gains, and trains in, her powers, but when Corazon and Tina travel through the Library of Mirrors en route to the spirit realms’ marketplace, a figure pursues Corazon and steals the soul key, and Corazon must work to put the worlds-threatening specter to rest. Filipino folklore and a smart magical system of “bargains and balances” thread this wholly original narrative, which employs laugh-out-loud humor, sensory-forward prose, and deliciously dark threats to explore personal identity and tweenhood. Ages 8–12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 3–7 —About to turn 12, Corazon Lopez is ready to learn what magical powers she possesses and begin her training. Corazon is a babaylan, a rare mortal guarding the boundaries between the human world and the realm of spirits. Her constant companion, the wisecracking Saso, is an anito (spirit of mountains, rivers, streams, and trees) who looks like a glowing blue gecko, with powers also yet unknown. Three years ago, when Corazon's parents died, she moved into the magical house of powerful Aunt Tina. Corazon despairs that she only sees her ghostly parents for weekly Saturday visits, with the aid of the soul key her mother left her, and hopes that once her powers reveal themselves, she will find a way to bring her parents back to the mortal world. The Library of Mirrors is where the two worlds collide, and the mirrors there are guarded by the powerful Librarian. When a ghost steals the soul key from Corazon, she learns she must gather blessings to lay the ghost to rest and awaken her own powers. Corazon, Saso, and their ghostly friend, Leo, must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to right the imbalance between the two worlds. An author's note discusses Filipino folklore and the history of babaylans. VERDICT Chokshi's tale weaves Filipino mythology and language throughout this spellbinding fantasy, creating a thoroughly original and heartfelt story of family, grief, and new beginnings.—Michele Shaw