📕 Title: Fall of the Fireflies
✏️ Author: Guadalupe García McCall
📖 Genre: YA Fiction / Magical Realism
⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📝 Book #1 – Seasons of Sisterhood Trilogy

BOOK BLURB

Fall of the Fireflies by Guadalupe García McCall is a Young Adult Fiction novel about fifteen year old twins Delia and Velia who must hunt down monsters under the guidance of Aztec gods to save their father’s life. Inspired by the story of Antigone, this story incorporates Nahuatl vocabulary and Aztec mythology. It is the first book in the Seasons of Sisterhood trilogy, taking place in Texas Rio Grande, two years after the events of Summer of the Mariposas.

REVIEW

Note: It’s not necessary to read the prequel book Summer of the Mariposas, since the events are organically recapped in the story to provide context. However, it’s referenced frequently so if you can read it ahead of Fall of the Fireflies I recommend doing that.

This is a dual narrative by twins Delia and Velia, teen sisters who find themselves growing apart. I loved the contrast of Velia, who is more reserved, and Delia, who is more outgoing, and how their personalities parallel that of the Creator Twins, Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl.

The twins have a big, blended family which comes with numerous challenges, many that felt especially relatable to me. The twins must also rely on the help of their friends to help them not only with their school project, but with their quest to save their father. I liked the dynamic of the friend group and I loved the cute romance subplot.

Beyond the themes of family and sisterhood, the story was full of adventure with deadly stakes and divine magic. The twins encounter Aztec gods, mythological creatures, magical gifts, curses, and more. Though the Nahuatl words were unfamiliar to me, they were well explained in context and there’s even a glossary at the end for easy reference. I enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to Hear Our Voices Tours for the copy of Fall of the Fireflies by Guadalupe García McCall.

If you’d like to purchase this book, you can use the code HearOurVoices at Tuma’s Books to get 15% off Fall of the Fireflies.