ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

At birth Sonia Ocampo was credited with saving the people of her village, Tres Montes, during a destructive storm. Ever since she has carried the burden of her neighbors' hopes, for they believe that she has angelic powers and often request her help and prayers. When Sonia leaves the village to work in the capital, her brother flees northward, hoping to find work as well, but falls into the hands of thugs. Relying on her nonmagical powers of brains, courage, and love, Sonia reaches out in hopes of saving him. Medina creates a compelling narrative within a Latin American culture where parents cling to old ways and their children thread their paths between hope and despair, trying to find a viable future. Though touches of magical realism appear in the novel, the real magic here arises from the story of a girl struggling to see beyond others' perceptions and find her own way in a society that seems to offer few options.

Horn Book

This is the story of Sonia, a girl who has been chosen to bear the weight of her community's hopes and fears; of Pancho, the boy who loves her; and of Rafael, the brother who dreams of a different life. When Sonia tries to shed her responsibilities and leave the village, their destinies collide in a gripping tale that will leave readers wanting more.

Kirkus Reviews

Laden with the hopes and fears of her village, a 16-year-old girl casts aside her appointed calling to discover her true destiny. "The curse on Sonia Ocampo's life came without warning before she was even born, cleverly disguised as good luck." Sonia's birth marked the end of the colossal storm that had been ravaging the village of Tres Montes. From that day on, she carried the prayers of Tres Montes in the form of milagros, small, metal prayer charms, sewn into her shawl. When her prayers fail to save the life of young village boy, Sonia questions her supposed gifts. With the help of her spirited Tía Neli, she finds a job in the capital city as a wealthy woman's maid. She leaves behind her parents, her brother and her schoolgirl crush, Pancho Muñoz, and joins three other village girls in service at Casa Masón. Soon word of her brother's disappearance reaches her, and Sonia must decide how much she is willing to risk to save the ones she loves. Medina breathes life into Sonia and many of the secondary characters, and the vivid descriptions and touches of magical realism will enthrall readers. However, teens may find themselves with more questions than answers as the novel builds towards a hasty resolution and a tidy epilogue. A worthy effort weakened by a rushed conclusion. (Magical realism. 14-18)

School Library Journal (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Gr 7-10 Because she was born during a terrible storm where not a single person was harmed, 16-year-old Sonia Ocampo is labeled an angel in her small town of Tres Montes. The local people view her as their beacon of hope, offering her small milagros, miracle charms, so Sonia can pray for them in hard times. However, when a local boy is robbed and murdered, Sonia feels like a failure. She takes a job in a wealthy woman's home far away in the capital to escape her shame. The townspeople think her absence will cause turmoil for Tres Montes and her family, and, sure enough, Sonia's older brother is kidnapped. The teen must find a way to produce the ransom money and make the long and dangerous journey home to save her brother. Ultimately, Sonia tries to make the people of her village (and her family) realize she isn't the angel they believe her to be. Medina's writing is fluent and lovely, weaving Spanish words in with the English text to paint a heartwarming story of a girl's journey to find out who she is. However, at times the Spanish is not easily defined in context, and while the climax is fast-paced and moving, the resolution feels too quickly wrapped up. Overall, this is a respectable first YA novel from Medina and might make a good choice for libraries looking for books by Cuban American authors. Lauren Newman, Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School, Columbus, NJ