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Description
In this middle-grade fantasy set in the remote desert town of Tierra del Sol, Cecelia Rios has always questioned the community's fear of the powerful criaturas that roam the sand. When a formidable spirit kidnaps her sister, Cecelia must defy tradition and master the forbidden art of brujeria to have any chance of rescuing her. Her dangerous journey blurs the line between myth and reality as she confronts both the harsh desert and the superstitions of her people.
Quick Summary
If you love stories where a brave middle-grader fights old myths and learns about her own culture, CeCe Rios and the Desert of Souls will pull you right in. CeCe lives in a desert town where everyone whispers about dangerous spirits, but when her little sister gets taken, she breaks the town's taboo and learns real brujeria to get her back think magical herbal spells, eerie desert creatures, and a lot of heart-pounding moments that never get too graphic. It's perfect for readers who enjoyed the mix of adventure and Latinx folklore in books like *Aru Shah and the End of Time*, especially if they like a sibling-dynamic that's both fierce and tender. Parents will be glad to know the book handles the scary stuff with kid-friendly restraint; the violence is mild and the darker moments are more about tension than gore, so it feels spooky without being nightmare-inducing. The story also weaves in a lot of desert-flavored world-building ceremonies, herbal remedies, and the idea that power can come from respecting the past rather than fearing it.