Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza
by Laekan Zea Kempon September 27, 2022
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, and Disney's Encanto will be captivated by this fantastical novel about a girl who must learn to trust her ancestral powers when she comes face-to-face with the Mexican legend La Lechuza.
Omega Morales’s family has been practicing magic for centuries in Noche Buena. But over the years, the town's reputation for the supernatural is no longer one the people carry with pride. So Omega’s family keeps to themselves, and in private, they’re Empaths—diviners who can read and manipulate the emotions of people and objects around them. But Omega’s powers don’t quite work, and it leaves her feeling like an outsider in her own family.
When a witch with the power to transform herself into an owl—known in Mexican folklore as La Lechuza—shows up unannounced, Omega, her best friend Clau (who happens to be a ghost), and her cousin Carlitos must conduct a séance under a full moon in order to unravel the mystery of the legend.
Suddenly Omega’s magic begins to change, and the key to understanding her powers is more complicated than she thought. Omega will have to decide what’s more important—trusting the instincts of others or learning to trust in herself.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Stories based on Mexican folklore and legend
- Lots of family bonds and characters supporting each other
- Super spooky/creepy vibe perfect for fall reading
- Latine culture and language
- Ghosts (including ghost cats!)
- Magic and magical powers (including a magic library!)
Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and TBR & Beyond Tours for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Let me tell you, this book has a killer first page. I was intrigued about the story when I first read the blurb, but when I checked out the first page? I knew for sure that I needed to read it. Kemp has a very engaging writing style, and I was immediately sucked into the story. Plus, I am all for Mexican folklore, especially since a lot of it tends to be kind of creepy, and fall is the perfect time to read those sorts of books!
Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza blends Mexican folklore with an interesting mystery in this spooky middle grade, filled with family bonds, paranormal creatures, and plenty of ghosts!
I had so much fun with this book! It was everything I hoped it would be and then some. Kemp creates a perfectly spooky atmosphere that’s not too scary and well-suited to the age group. The Latine culture and language in this book is *chef’s kiss*. Not to mention, there’s a super creepy rhyme/song, and y’all know how much I love those! If there’s a spooky song that fits the legend, I am 100% for it, and this book didn’t disappoint in that regard.
In a family full of magical people, Omega is half magical and half human, but entirely confused about how to use what little powers she does have.
The magic in this world is utterly charming and everything that makes middle grade fantasy so appealing to me. For example, Omega is an empath, which means she can not only sense people’s emotions but also talk to certain things that are filled with energy, like trees and ghosts. And these things can have attitude. Not to mention that inanimate objects retain the personality of the people that owned them before, which makes for some interesting conversations.
As fun as this all sounds, Omega isn’t entirely impressed with her magical ability, especially when she compares herself to her family. The rest of her family are fully magical, and they have control over their powers. Omega, though? She’s just trying to get through the school day surrounded by angsty teens with big, fluctuating emotions, and that’s tough enough.
Omega is wholly relatable in her struggle to find herself and be comfortable with her own abilities, rather than comparing herself to everyone else. It’s the sort of personal journey that we all go through, and it’s one that’s reflected in other characters, too, which I particularly enjoyed. Finding yourself was sort of a big theme in this book, and I think it’s one that’s likely to resonate with its middle grade audience (but, you know, adults too).
She frowns. “That’s what they told you, what you thought you’d find in these pages.” She can barely meet my eyes. “A monster. But what they didn’t tell you is that I was a child once.”
“You were human?”
She softens, remembering. “I was a little girl who loved trees. Who loved singing. Who loved the moon.” Her face falls.
“What happened to that little girl?” I ask.
“They took her.” Her gaze wanders off like she’s still looking for that little girl. “They stuffed her into dresses and made her stop climbing trees. They told her the moon was evil and she believed them.”
Kemp weaves a perfectly spooky atmosphere that’s not too scary but still makes it the perfect fall read!
If you’re in the mood for something a little creepy to get into the Halloween mood but you’re also a big chicken like me, this is the book for you. Kemp banks on the fear of the unknown and the way local legends can be passed on and twisted, invoking the name of La Lechuza but also mentioning things like El Cucuy and the way these legends have been used to scare children into behaving. But there’s a kernel of truth behind every legend, right?
I really enjoyed the way Kemp brings this folklore to life! There’s a low buzz of tension through the story that absolutely grabbed my attention and made me keep reading!
Clau breathes, “If you hear her whistle, don’t look out the window.”
I pull my knees to my chest. “If you run, don’t look up.”
Clau gulps. “If she finds you, say your prayers . . .”
Omega has a little team around her in the form of her ghost friend Clau and her cousin Carlitos, who are a mini mystery squad.
By which I mean they’re really good at getting themselves into trouble. Well, maybe a little less Clau, since it’s hard to punish a ghost (though, make no mistake, she has been grounded for misbehaving before because Omega’s abuela doesn’t mess around!).
Trios are obviously very popular in middle grade books, so it’s maybe not a huge surprise that there’s a lead trio here. Clau provides some much-needed levity, but is also a mystery unto herself as far as her story and why she refuses to cross over. The bond between Carlitos and Omega is very sweet. They’re from a close-knit family, and they’ve always got each other’s backs. I grew up in a family like that and was very close to my cousins, so I absolutely loved this aspect of the story!
“No, that’s your reason for sneaking out. My reason for sneaking out is so when La Lechuza decides she’s hungry, I can run and tell everyone who killed you.”
“So you’re here to witness my murder.”
“Someone’s got to do it.”
Bucking some traditional middle grade tropes, Kemp writes about a loving, tight-knit family that’s there to support each other, no matter what.
Don’t get me wrong, they still make mistakes, have their squabbles, and sometimes stretch the truth (especially when trying to protect each other). However, there’s a lot of love in the household, and the idea of family and community really comes through in this book! It’s such an important, powerful message, and one that isn’t as common in middle grade (or at least the middle grade I read), so it stood out all the more for that.
But I don’t care what they think they see. I don’t care what they think at all.
I look at my strange, magical family, at our skin the color of the land, at our language and rituals and touchstones to the past, and I see love. Big and loud and taking up every inch of space. Love like the light from a thousand of Mami’s veladoras. Love like butter folded into a warm tortilla. Love like the smell of onions and pablano peppers cooking on the stove.
Love that wraps you up and holds on tight, never letting go.
About Laekan Zea Kemp
Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. Her debut novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet was a 2021 Pura Belpré Honor Recipient. In addition to writing she’s also the creator and host of the Author Pep Talks podcast, as well as a contributor to the Las Musas podcast. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.
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