I listened to this via audiobook and loved it. LOVED IT. Cece is such an amazing character: compassionate, courageous, curious, and kind. While her physical journey was tons of fun and I loved the criaturas she comes to befriend, it was her emotional journey and character growth that blew me away.

There’s so much at work in this story from themes of slavery and power dynamics to what it means to be a friend and standing up for what is right to questioning the history we’re taught. A lot of the lessons Cece learns are appropriately named for the target audience but nuance still resides in them, too.

I do wish there had been a bit more scaffolding of the folklore and the world-building and there’s a relatively big storyline that has zero resolution, but overall, this was a brilliant read. I cannot recommend it enough. I adored it.

Please ask if you'd like more info about the content warnings I added.

Kaela Rivera's novel Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls is full of adventure, heart, and mythology that any reader will love. I was floored by how easily it was to fall in love with the characters in this story, who all have distinct personalities and ambitions. My favorite part was how seamlessly Latinx folklore was incorporated to highlight not only Cece's culture, but the entire narrative. It is a love song to the stories that Rivera was taught by her grandparents, and the love that the author has for her heritage shines in this ambitious and action packed story. Even those unfamiliar with the stories of criaturas and bruja will soon find themselves enthralled with the magical world Rivera has created.

Cece Rios is a girl who has become an easy target in her village due to her soft and caring heart. When her sister is taken by a criatura known as the Bride Stealer, Cece swears she will do anything it takes to get her sister back--even if it means becoming braver and breaking the social expectations of her home. On her journey, she picks up a slew of reluctant allies (and later friends) using the very weakness she was ostracized for. 

 All major aspects of this story are nearly flawless. The pacing, plot, characterization, and imagery are all a joy to read and watch develop. The diversity of this story, combined by it being a middle grade Own Voices novel, make this story particularly valuable to any home or school library. The only aspect to the story I found myself wishing there was more development of was when

Cece's father was revealed to be abusive at home

as it appears very late in the novel without much foreshadowing. 

This story is full of adventure, requiring Cece to sneak out to dangerous places and fight against many dangerous people and criaturas in order to prove she has what it takes to bring her sister home. On her journey, she learns more about criatures, her family, and herself in the process. The biggest lesson that Cece learns of all is the strength and beauty of believing in yourself.