Review – Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

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Synopsis
How did a raw chicken get inside Yasmany’s locker? When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.

Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he’s capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken–including his dead mother–and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with.

There’s only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk. A sassy entropy sweeper, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a Venetian bauta mask, and heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights that await in his mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter.

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book so much! I think it is safe to say, even with it being the beginning of March, that this book is going to go down as one of my favorites of the year!

Sal and Gabi are both amazing characters. I felt a particular fondness for Sal, since I am a diabetic also. Even though Sal is a Type 1 Diabetic and I’m a Type 2, it was nice to see some diabetic representation in this book. Sal and Gabi are both amazing role models. We could all learn a little something from them.

One of my favorite quotes from this book was, “Emotional literally changes your eyesight. I would have to remember that.”

This book was such a nice surprise in so many ways. There were so many things that I loved about this book:
*I found myself laughing out loud numerous times.
*I never would have imagined that the bully we met at the beginning of the book would be one of the many characters I loved by the end of the book.
*The teenagers in this story are all dealing with very real real-life issues that were all handled very well.
*Culeco Academy of the Arts, the school in this book, was absolutely amazing! The teachers, the classes, even detention! There needs to be schools like this all over the country!
*I love the diversity and representation in this book. One of my favorite aspects was all of the Gabi Dads.
*Speaking of the Gabi Dads, the adults in this book were pretty amazing too. They were so supportive and loving. Papi, American Stepmom, and Mrs. Reál were my favorites.
*I love the Cuban culture!

My heart is so full after reading this book and I am already looking forward to the next one!

*I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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