Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: ALEBRIJES by Donna Barbra Higuera
Introduction by Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Casey Grenier:
Donna Barba Higuera’s ALEBRIJES is a story that will stick with readers; it is a thought-provoking journey through a dystopian future, filled with all the beauty, evil, and desperation that humanity has to offer, incorporating the rich details of Mexican folklore, and set in a world facing the consequences of environmental destruction and resource scarcity. Higuera finds a way to create a foreboding sense of fear and anxiety while wrapping readers in a velvety blanket of love, loyalty, and family.
ALEBRIJES begins in the city of Pocatel, where we find young pickpocket Leandro and his little sister, Gabi, trying to get to sleep despite the chilling screams of wyrms just outside of their encampment. The murderous nocturnal wyrms surrounding the city confine Leandro and Gabi, as well as the rest of the impoverished Cascabel people and the Pocatelan citizens, to their homes at night. The shrieks of the wyrms also serve to remind the citizens of what awaits them should they be exiled from the city; a fate that comes easily to the Cascabeles for crimes as innocuous as a failure to harvest enough potatoes or possessing money and that the Pocatelans may receive for questioning the city’s ruling Imperator or Directors.
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The Cascabeles survived the end of the old world as foragers, hunting and gathering in the wilderness. When faced with famine while searching for La Cuna, a fabled land of plenty, they took shelter in the city of Pocatel. The Pocatelan elite took the Cascabel in, but at the cost of their freedom and human dignity. Confined to the pox encampments on the edge of the city, forced to work long, backbreaking hours in the potato fields for rotten scraps of food, and stripped of their own culture, the Cascabel existence in Pocatel is one of endless fear and despair. Leandro dreams of one day escaping the city so that he and Gabi can forage as their people did in the past.
But tomorrow, once again, Franco will call me names and steal my papas. And he will be right. Once again, I will be too small to fight back. Soon, what I pick won’t be enough to save Gabi or Jo or myself.
Gabi’s hand slips into mine. What are you thinking?
Just another great joke I will tell you later, I say, lying.
I won’t let you have the smallest pile, Gabi. I’ll find a way to get us out of this valley sooner than we planned, even if it means leaving our own people. Soon, we will be free. (p 27)
When Gabi is caught stealing a strawberry in the city market, Leandro takes the blame to spare his sister from exile. Since he is a minor, his punishment is to be banished from the city, not physically, but mentally. His consciousness is confined to an ancient technology hummingbird drone and sent out of the city to serve his 1,095-day sentence in solitude. While fighting to survive in the Outlands, Leandro discovers that not all is as it seems in Pocatel and that there is more to fear, and to hope for, than he’d ever believed.
The characters, settings, and plot of Alebrijes draw us into a world that is simultaneously completely incomprehensible and familiar. The strengths and weaknesses of human nature, bonds of family and culture, and the evil that can result from unchecked power are woven in a way that allows this dystopian future to feel like a cautionary possibility. Leandro is a model of selflessness, bravery, and loyalty. The echoes of our own history and present-day social justice movements can be found throughout the tale as Leandro and his allies fight beyond the known world to create something better for all of humanity.
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!
Filed under: Book Discussion, Heavy Medal Mock
About Steven Engelfried
Steven Engelfried retired from full-time library work a couple years ago and now works as a part-time Youth Librarian at the West Linn Public Library in Oregon. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.
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The scale of this novel was interesting to me. It’s dystopian sci fi, so we’re dealing with world-scale civilization collapse, and the epilogue ties the story into the one found in Higuera’s Newbery-winning THE LAST CUENTISTA, which was a fun add-on detail. But the story in the book is city-scale – even the promised land outside of it is maybe a day’s journey by flight. The same goes for the timeframes involved. The collapse happened centuries ago, but the situation of the novel, with the Cascabeles coming upon Pocatel, was just a few years earlier, and the events of the novel itself take place over just a few days.
In some ways, I understand the approach – a good story should be about specific things happening to specific people – but I think the small scale undermines the impact the actions could have had. How serious could the problems have been if Leandro could fix them almost immediately upon getting his alebrije? How deep could the character development be for someone like Selah, if they are able to flip from enemy to friend so quickly? Of course we know that the hero will save the day from the beginning, but it feels like shortcuts were taken with that assumption in mind.
This is mostly nit-picking. Alebrijes had a lot of interesting concepts, and the action at the end was a fun ride. The cultural dimension is also important – the Cascabeles speak Spanish, the Pocatelans speak English. There’s even a decent amount of untranslated Spanish used, which is a feature I think will challenge non-Spanish-speaking readers in a way that enhances the themes of the book. Clearly, a lot of people loved The Last Cuentista, and I think those people will also find Alebrijes engaging.
Brian, I had similar thoughts about the condensed timeline of the novel. I agree that it undermined the scope of the world Higuera (a world I admired and enjoyed!). It’s interested to compare ALEBRIJES in this respect to EB AND FLOW, which we haven’t discussed yet. EB AND FLOW also takes place in a matter of days – 10 days, the length of their suspension after the fight. EB AND FLOW needs that tight timeframe as Eb and Flow grapple with the consequences of their fight and suspension, reflecting and processing their own culpability. In ALEBRIJES, I found that I scarcely had time to process traumatic events, let alone grieve or mourn.
Leandro enters the hummingbird drone with 1095 days in his exile. In a mere 4 days, he discovers La Cuna (Cascabeles, including his mother, had died in vain search for it), meets the other Alebrijes, including Selah, learns that the Wyrms are drones, that those drones are controlled by the Imperator, narrowly saves Nathaniel the Monger and his family from suffocating under sand, returns to La Cuna to see the pollinated plants getting destroyed by the other Alebrijes, witnesses Sarah’s death, forges an alliance with Selah who agrees to return to Pocatel and confront her father, and then returns to Pocatel. The timeline of the “revolution” is also condensed – 1 day, maybe 2? So everything takes place in less than a week.
It’s an interesting choice. For me, the plot pacing weakens the impact of the book.
You’re right, Kyra, it’s interesting to compare the pacing of this novel with that of EB AND FLOW and even with past winner HELLO, UNIVERSE, which took place over one day if I recall correctly. The pacing made sense in those contexts, but the question for ALEBRIJES is: will the uneven pacing be what knocks it from consideration for the Newbery? I’m not so sure. Middle-grade books generally require us to suspend our disbelief, and ALEBRIJES has a lot going for it under other Newbery criteria, especially in its setting and themes, as Brian described. As far as character development goes, we definitely could have used more time with Selah, but again I don’t think this knocks ALEBRIJES out of the running. After all, we hardly got to know Javier in THE LAST CUENTISTA and it was still a sucker punch when he died – and that story also won the medal in 2022. Moreover, ALEBRIJES is pretty distinguished in its originality so while I agree that the pacing could have been a bit more even and I would have liked to see more gradual development in some characters, I think the story was captivating and thematically impactful enough to keep it in the running for the Newbery.
This is the one on our list I haven’t gotten to yet–hopefully this weekend! You make a compelling argument
I’m there with you Aryssa! It’s on my bookshelf for this weekend!
Higuera is an ambitious author. Complex and layered, ALEBRIJES explores a lot of nuanced themes – how cultures endure amidst oppression, that truth is dangerous to all authoritarian regimes, and the nature of sacrifice for those we love.
Here, I must admit my own bias that there’s a certain level of ambition required in a Newbery-worthy title, as a book that makes a “distinguished contribution to American literature” (I do love that it’s American literature writ large and not just “children’s literature”).
I found the worldbuilding of ALEBRIJES superb. Higuera brings the physical environment of Pocatel – the foreboding Trench Bridge, the potato fields, the flimsy pox tents, the Tree of Souls with fabric dancing in the wind, all encircled by dead and dry mountains. But she also creates the intangible world of this dystopian future Earth, fleshing out Cascabeles and Pocatelan culture in songs, prayers, dance, and legends. Leandro, Gabi and others draw strength from these cultural touchstones, while the Imperator and the other directors use their version of history and “traditions” to obfuscate and subdue both the Cascabeles and Pocatelans.
Kyra, I agree!
ALEBRIJES was one of the first books I read on our list and the sheer ambition of the work, from the character and cultural development, world collapse backstory, to the detailed depictions of the sights, sounds, and smells of Pocatel and the outlands seemed absolutely monumental to me. I honestly had to slow down and take a few days (which we all know we don’t have time for on this committee!) to go back over the details and to process what I’d just read. It was so different from anything else I’d read, both in children’s and adult literature, that I needed some time to think.
As I’m moving beyond ALEBRIJES I still keep thinking back to the characters and their struggles, the world that Higuera created, and the dystopian future that I sure hope we can avoid. This is a book that is at once such a grand scale, yet personal and intimate, and so foreign, yet so familiar, that I feel it will build a connection with readers from the start and then challenge them throughout and beyond their time in the world of ALEBRIJES.
Donna Barba Higuera’s Alebrijes is a mind-bending dystopian novel. The incredibly creative world building (Pocatel) is distinct, a combination of science fiction and Mexican folklore that is arguably the greatest strength of the book. Higuera’s use of the Spanish language was powerful and added to characterization, giving teen protagonist Leandro and his young sister Gabi authentic power to communicate feelings that have no equivantly powerful translation.
Higuera brings her unique world to life with a theme of identity as her characters explore community and family while facing modern conflicts, such as the effects of global climate change and class stratification. Social hierarchies collide with an upper class using technology to maintain control.
The characters were relatable. The plot was difficult to follow at the beginning but developed more clearly around the middle of the book as the world building became more complete. Newbery criteria for characters, setting, and style is achieved.
I really liked the book but am not exactly sure why. It’s a bit dark. Hard to explain and review, but fun to read. It’s DIVERGENT (Roth) meets LES MISERABLES (Hugo) with a Spanish twist. The cover art is cool Not in my top 5, but a great book of 2023.
Agree that the combo of science fiction and Mexican folklore is the greatest strength of the book, especially because it’s not done in a way that would alienate readers who didn’t initially know what alebrijes are. While Higuera takes her time to get to the part of the story where she introduces the alebrijes, I feel like they are appropriately contextualized and integrated into the story. (The illustrations also help).
I also love that Higuera interchanges Spanish and English names for the various animals. Oso wanting to be called “Oso” and not “Bear,” vs Leandro keeping his name but calling himself both a “colibri” and “hummingbird,” is a seamless continuation of the theme of identity that you bring up. As a Latina myself, I think Latinx characters should reflect the various experiences with language that Latinx people may have: some folks stick to Spanish, others mix it up, and others don’t speak Spanish at all – and it’s all okay. Glad that that’s normalized in this book!
I agree! I felt that the use of Mexican folklore and the Spanish language came across in an organic way that felt natural and appropriate in the story.
I have struggled with this book. I agree that the world-building is well done, but almost at the expense of the story’s pacing. The beginning was hard to get into and the main action of the story doesn’t happen until almost halfway through the book.
Alebrijes’ strongest quality is the setting however other books on the list (The Eyes and The Impossible; First Time for Everything; The Many Assassinations of Samir, The Seller of Dreams) have better-written settings).
I wanted to comment on theme in ALEBRIJES. I found power to be a strong theme running through the book. For most of the book, Leandro and Gabi lacked power. We see on page 139, “The smallest flap of wings can change the course of history,” which ends up being true when Leandro turns into an alebrije. They gain some power as the story turns with Leandro in hummingbird form. They still feel powerless when Gabi is stuck at the orphanage, but then Leandro rescues her and many others. So we see the struggle, the back and forth between power and being powerless.
I appreciate all of these comments- this is definitely an interesting book. Character development was something I appreciated, though it was difficult to understand over the short time period. You could really see how much small events changed people. And the various familial relationships were very honestly portrayed.
I have to admit that I liked the premise and idea of this book but had to restart it many times, eventually resorting to audiobook, to really start to understand what was going on. The ideas in the book are great and I’d love to see it as a YA trilogy to be able to give real depth.
I made the mistake of reading many of these comments before reading the book itself, so I was particularly attentive to pacing on my first read. I felt some of the same impatience that I felt at the beginning of THE LAST BEEKEEPER (2022) by Pablo Cartaya, but by the end I could see strong similarities to THE HUNGER GAMES (a deeply unequal society upended by a youth who sacrifices for a younger sibling) and THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON (lying leadership that rules a populace by fear).
I agree with others that theme and setting are strong elements, and I don’t necessarily think that character development is sacrificed due to the compressed time frame, although it’s probably Selah who changes most, not Leandro.
Also as others said, I liked how Spanish was woven throughout the text, in dialogue and thought and song, although I know enough Spanish that I don’t know how the experience would be for a reader who didn’t know any; I don’t think it would be confusing, but perhaps frustrating if they felt they were missing something. (Then again, mirrors, windows, etc.) Overall, a strong speculative book that asks big questions about society.
I agree with Sabrina and Casey that the use of Mexican folklore and Spanish language came across in a natural way and enhanced the cultural aspects of the story. I don’t speak Spanish , but Higuera used enough context clues to help me get the gist of the meaning. I’m glad to see more Latinx representation in children’s literature.
I thought this book excelled in delineation of setting and theme. The dystopian setting of Pocatel with the detailed descriptions of the Pox, market, orphanage, wyrms, the Tree of Souls and the dreaded Trench Bridge helped me experience the fear of the cruel Pocatelan regime and the powerlessness that the Cascabeles experienced. The theme definitely explores the ethics of power and greed, I found it ironic that the Director of Truth is the puppeteer and on p. 115 he states, “Fear is healthy, if our people are united in fear of something bigger, we will not fear one another. We will not turn on one another. The frightened will not rebel.” And the Imperator on page 114 states, “We must remain in consensus or our system fails.”
Is Higuera making a political statement? But I also liked how Higuera emphasizes the importance of community, resiliency and remaining hopeful during dark times.
As far as characters, I loved that Gabi was a spitfire, her unpredictable personality added to the tension of the rule-based Pocatelean society, but she also lighten the tension with her joking whimsical dancing and laughter. I loved Leandro’s caring heart and moral core. I couldn’t help but root for him. I agree with others that the pacing could be better, Once Leandro became an alebrijes, I was fully engaged in the story, and that’s when the main part of the action began. I think it must be difficult to write sci-fi, as so much time needs to be devoted to establishing the scenes for unfamiliar settings. Anyway, I found Higuera’s imaginative plot unique and I loved the twist at the end in the Epilogue. Higuera is an exceptional writer and storyteller.
I’m hopping onto the cart with people who found ALEBRIJES baffling. Although I enjoyed THE LAST CUENTISTA, I read it after it won with the promise of that gold badge. It was confusing, too, but it was already a winner so I rode that wave. Here, I read with knitted brows even after the magical animal robots appeared. Compared with most of the books on our list, this one doesn’t wow.