Anna and Elena Balbusso’s mesmeric illustrations accompany Medina’s graceful and gently eerie narrative about a sea ghost who must find purpose beyond the material contours of mortality… Medina, a lyrical and tender storyteller, elegantly merges Graciela’s mortal desire for a “bigger” life with the lesson her spirit must absorb before achieving peace.
—The New York Times
With breathtaking underwater worldbuilding and eerie details, Medina’s latest immerses readers in Graciela’s ghostly realm, and they’ll root for the unlikely duo on their perilous quest. The Balbussos’ hauntingly beautiful illustrations enhance the story. The characters and setting evoke Spanish and Portuguese cultural influences. A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Medina effortlessly builds a magical marine world that feels fished from folklore, and the manner in which each story in the narrative informs the others is beautifully crafted. Rich in compelling characters, complicated emotions, and originality, this epic writ small will dazzle its readers.
—Booklist (starred review)
Medina delivers a beguiling aquatic adventure in her first fantasy offering, set in a fictional Spanishinspired landscape. . . . Intricately interwoven timelines and perspectives provide riveting background while maintaining suspense and forward momentum. Fusing elements of magical realism with introspective, high-stakes plotting, the Newbery Medalist tackles subjects such as parental neglect and abuse, jealousy, and greed in this richly imagined tale.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The awe-inspiring characters in this mesmerizing folkloric story exude a dazzling defiance against unjust power. . . . [Medina] uses hypnotic prose to conjure an oceanic realm teeming with wonders that speak to the interconnectedness of land and sea. . . . The Balbusso twins’ illustrations are as inky as the deep’s dark waters. Seemingly insurmountable odds and grief bring suspense to a supernatural underwater tale as immersive, majestic, and alluring as the deep sea itself.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Medina has devised an intricate underwater world full of fanciful explanations for ocean-related phenomena and unusual characters who would feel at home in Baum’s Oz (especially the taunting Needlers), matched by the Balbussos’ gorgeous, layered, mixed-media illustrations in grayscale. Graciela is imperfect and relatable as she learns to process loss from both her life before and now, and Jorge is endearing, from the book’s start through its heartwarming conclusion.
—The Horn Book (starred review)
Medina crafts a uniquely magical world that is fleshed out with enough lore to be compelling but not overwritten to lose its appealing mystique. . . .Third-person narration carries a folkloric tone yet still brings an enormous amount of compassion to individual characters. . . . The ocean setting and gentle fantastical elements make this a solid readalike to Ryan’s El Nino.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
[An] adventure-filled fantasy. . . . The ocean’s beauty and risk are captured in terms of moonlit waters and murky creatures known as needlers. . . . Emotions ground the story. . . .Graciela in the Abyss is a glimmering fantasy novel about selflessness, duty, and friendship.
—Foreword Reviews
Medina is a masterful storyteller, and this novel is no exception. . . . Frequent illustrations add to the mysticism and magic of the story. . . . An excellent fit for readers of fantasy and ghost stories, Graciela will make readers feel near the sea, hearing old stories passed around a campfire.
—School Library Journal
