If I were rating this for the target audience, it would have gotten 5 stars. I think kids will really enjoy this story. Sal, the main character, is a Cuban American middle school magician with a secret power. I loved that the book talked so much about his Cuban heritage without it having to be an 'issue' book. We need more books about kids from different backgrounds just getting to have a story.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute novel that will appeal to young readers. Great characters and an interesting plot.

Sal is new to Culeco, a school for the performing arts in Miami, having moved there with his Papi and American Stepmom after his Mami Muerta (the spirit of his mother, who is deceased) kept appearing in their home! He runs afoul of Yasmany, whose locker is next to his, but saves his own skin when the boy bullies him by having a dead chicken appear in Yasmany's locker, but then all traces of it disappear. Gabi is a friend of Yasmany's, but she and Sal hit it off. It turns out that there really was a chicken, but Sal brought it through a wormhole in a locker, and when it returned to its own dimension, all traces of it are gone. When his Mami Muerta appears again, his father (a scientist) tries to find a way to make her not return. He installs an enormous remembranation machine and tries to keep track of the calamatrons that are being left in our dimensional plane by things from other planes. Gabi has a newborn brother, Iggy, who is very sick and has spent the entire month of his life in the hospital, and Gabi wonders how Sal's powers might be used to help him. Sal has Type 1 diabetes, and occasionally has issues with it, but is good about checking his levels and is well versed in how to deal with light headedness and other symptoms. Yasmany is having troubles at home, which make him act out at school. When it looks like Iggy might not make it, Sal and Gabi try to increase their research, deal with their families, and stay out of trouble at school.

Strengths: I really liked the fact that the diabetes was just one factor with which Sal had to deal, and it was depicted realistically and without drama. The Cuban cultural connections are interesting, with lots of descriptions of food, relatives, and some Spanish language phrases. Sal and Gabi are both rather fun and likable characters, and I loved how supportive American Stepmom was. While most of the Rick Riordan Presents has some sort of mythology included, this is more of a science fantasy with Cuban culture, which was a nice innovation.

Weaknesses: There's a LOT going on in this 400 page book, and some of it is not well explained. I never felt very sure about what Sal's father was trying to accomplish, or about how Sal brought things from other universes. Gabi has a lot of "dads" with really odd names (e.g. Grizzly Dad'ums), and that was never made clear, nor was the existence of a robot/android character. The plot is a bit hard to discern with all of these wacky goings-on.

What I really think: If this were going to be a stand alone, I might buy it, but Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe is due in March 2020. Since I can't get anyone to check out the very similar Margot and Mateo Save the World by Darcy Miller, I think I will pass on purchasing.

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez, is new series from the Rick Riordan Presents collection. I have been so impressed with all of the releases over the last year, and Sal and Gabi are no exception.

Unlike many of the books from Rick Riordan Presents, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe is not about mythology. This is the only thing that disappointed me, but I quickly got over it. (I was really hoping for Cuban mythology.)

Gabi and Sal are wonderfully written, well-developed characters. As soon as each one is introduced I fall in love with them. Especially Sal, who comes across as charismatic and practical, will Gabi beams with self-confidence. Combined the two make an amazing duo.

Should we do the right thing, even if it's going to cause great harm?

This is what Sal and Gabi struggle with, but for good reason. As a magician, Sal is able to bring things in from other universes. Obviously, this causes a problem, but not the way one would think. We aren't talking about just messing with time, this is an actual dimensional rift!

As a middle grades book, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe makes a jealous that there weren't books like this and many others from the Rick Riordan series when I was growing up. My ten year old son really enjoyed reading this book. He fell in love with it's strong characters and engaging storyline. 



Highly Recommended.

The characters in this book are perhaps over the top, but I love them, great character development. The family relationships present in this book are unique but perfect for the characters, This story drew me in and before I knew it I was done. I very much got a feel for Cuban culture while reading this book. I will be recommending this book to all of my middle grade readers.

Hernandez's book is unlike any book offered in the Rick Riordan Presents line to date. It doesn't deal with mythology, but rather the Cuban-American culture, growing up, dealing with personal problems, and learning how to express oneself and trust others. At a whopping 402 pages, it might make younger readers shy away, but the 10-12 year olds will devour the book and want more. Sal has diabetes, dealing with moving to a new school, managing bullies, and makes friends with the bossy student body president, Gabi. Together they try to not get everything and everyone killed while still doing well in their classes. The series looks very promising and I cannot wait to read the next installment and find out why Gabi showed up at Sal's at 11:20 at night with a rainbow-flashing talking chicken after they thought they put everything back together.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

This book is AMAZING. Oh my goodness, I wish middle grade books like this existed when I was growing up. The writing is fabulous and full of snark! I love snarky characters so this was perfect for me! Also the story is unique. The characters are amazing! They are sassy, diverse and hilarious. Did I mention this story was FUNNY? No, well IT IS! I was laughing out loud through the whole thing! All the books that have been published by Rick Riordan Presents have been wonderful but this one might be my new fave! I'm so grateful to have a chance to read and review it! I don't want to give too much away about the plot because it was a wonderful ride! It would be a shame for people to dismiss this book because its middle grade. Seriously, it was absolute blast!

I received this e-Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The latest entry from Rick Riordan Presents surprisingly does not deal with mythology. It is more science fiction intertwined with Cuban American culture and middle school angst. Sal, an amateur magician, has the ability to break through universes bring things, or people, into his own. Usually he brings his mother, who had died in his universe but is alive in others. This can cause a cascade of problems until Sal can send her back. Sal almost gets caught when he pulls a dead chicken from another universe and puts it in Yasmany's locker. It was for a good reason -- Yasmany had been bullying him. Sal is sent to the principal's office (again!) where he lays on the charm -- a true magician never reveals his secrets. But Gabi, popular girl and head busybody, catches on to Sal's tricks -- well, most of them. Gabi's baby brother, Iggy, is very sick and in the hospital. Sal's antics are a welcome respite from the stress.
There is a lot going on in this fast-paced and humorous novel. There is a fair amount of Spanish and Spanglish in it but most of it is translated/explained for non-speakers. At some points, it was difficult to keep track of what was happening, especially with all of Gabi's "Dads." Again, too much to explain. While I had different expectations as to what the book was about, I did enjoy it very much and would definitely recommend it. This book series will be quite popular with readers in grades 3-7.
#SalAndGabiBreakTheUniverse #NetGalley

I have mixed feelings about this story. The introduction completely captured my interest. I don't recall meeting a kid as unique and charismatic as Sal in all my years of reading MS novels. I loved his confidence and charm and his willingness to confront problems. The story began to lose me with its generous addition of Spanish dialogue which tended to slow down the story. I found his references to Cuban culture interesting but, once again, it tilted the balance from a a story with universal appeal to a niche offering. I also found the references to Gabi's multiple Dads to be disconcerting. As an adult I absorbed it, but I'm not sure how a Middle School kid would handle the complexities of the relationships in this story.
I think I would have preferred a story without the references to breaking the universe. Perhaps the next book in the series will delve more deeply into the science fiction aspect of the story, but at the end of this work I felt like it was neither fish nor foul.
Now that I have finished my analysis of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, I'm not sure I am being fair to the author's intent. He clearly has an agenda -- to pay homage to his Cuban world. My review is criticizing the story for disappointing me, but the real question is: Is it true to his original goal? and I would say he achieved that goal admirably. The reader must decide if that is what he or she is looking for.

Imagine that you could go back in time to change anything you wanted. Now imagine that go into a different universe to change, swap, or bring people and things to your universe. Sounds crazy, right? Well, Sal is a special kind of kid who can "break" the universe to do all of those things. Sal is the new kid in town and in his first week of school he has been sent to the principal's office too many times to count. And to make things worse, he gets into a beef with the school bully, Yasmany, all because Sal tried to help him. The thing is, Sal is a magician and to keep from getting beat up he does a "magic trick" and pulls a dead chicken from another universe and places it in Yasmany's locker. This lands him in the principal's office again and causes everyone in school to think he practices black magic. Not the best start at his new school. However, thanks to his wit and charm he turns things around and makes some of the best friends he has ever had. The problem is, every time he changes or brings something from a different universe it causes all kinds of problems, including bringing back his deceased mom. Can Sal fix all of the problems he has caused? Can he learn to control his actions so that he will stop causing holes in the universe? Just as he thinks he has control over it Gabi, his new best friend, asks him to help with her sick baby brother. Should Sal and Gabi mess with the universe again or are they going too far? Read this incredible book to go through all of Sal and Gabi's adventures and see if they continue to "break the universe".

When I say you have to read this book, I mean you HAVE to read this book!! I loved every minute that I spent with Sal and Gabi. They are two of the coolest kids I have ever met and I would love to just spend one day at school with them. You will also need some Kleenex, not for being sad, but because you will cry with laughter. Sal has the best sense of humor, and him and Gabi together will have your rolling. They also have the coolest school ever! I would love to be their librarian for a day! If you can't tell, I absolutely LOVED this book and I can not wait for book two! Run, don't walk, on the fifth of March to get this book! You will not regret it!!!

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Fantastic addition to the Rick Riordan Presents series. I loved the vibrant cast of characters, the quirky humor, and the engaging story. I very much appreciated the Cuban-American representation and the inclusion of Spanish. Highly recommended!

Sal is 13 year old who moves to a new state and a new school. His first day lands him in the principals office with the school bully about to be expelled. In walks Gabi, to save the bully, and make an impression on Sal. Sal and Gabi become friends through a series of events and together they begin a quest to save the world; the world they accidentally broke.

This is a difficult book to review. Reading it from an adult perspective, I tried to ascertain what age level would be appropriate. It’s written, according to publishing information, for children in grades 3-7. Some of the content is a little difficult to understand, thinking on it from the viewpoint of possible lower level readers. The vocabulary, the pranks, the level of maturity in some of the content would cause me to steer it toward older readers.

I found the writing to be phenomenal, and the story itself is very creative. The author has a great voice. It is, however, in my opinion, geared toward a more specific audience. Those who love realistic fantasy, those who may be Type 1 Diabetics, those of Cuban descent. The characters are quirky, yet mostly likable, and the storyline, while full of humor and pranks is about several serious subjects, which might be a bit too much going on for younger readers to grasp. There are also a lot of Spanish terms scattered on each page; as a non-Spanish speaking reader, the meanings were not always clear to me.

I’m glad to have the experience of reading this book in exchange for a review. It was a unique, interesting reading experience. My only hesitation is feeling the audience may be a bit limited, and the maturity of some of the topics in the book.

Another fabulous entry from Rick Riordan Presents. Seriously, they have all been fabulous and this one is no exception. Some of the language may make it better for a slightly older audience, but I did enjoy learning all of the Cuban slang. This is more science fiction than fantasy, but still has the trademark Riordan humor. Highly recommended for grades 6 & up.

There are many things I appreciated about this book - its dive into type 1 diabetes and death, especially. The humor is a lovely bonus in this sci-fi middle grade read!

I was super psyched to get an early read of yet another book from the new Rick Riordan Presents Imprint Series. This story is a little different than most of the mythology-based storylines that I’ve come to expect from this publisher. It’s Snark, Science, and Spanglish- that’s how I sold it to my own 13 yo kid.

I loved it so much that I talked him into reading my Kindle copy. I mean I was reading funny parts aloud at the table, in the car waiting for his brother, really everywhere cause once I started reading it, I didn’t want it to end while still powering through getting closer to the end. It’s that way with all great books though, isn’t it?

My favorite quote: "Sometimes, when it's too hard, when it hurts too much, only silliness can save us."

So, true.

In this novel, Sal and Gabi deal with some substantial, real-life issues and handle it like the most polite well-mannered thirteen years I’ve ever read about. Sal lost his Mom and has diabetes and Gabi’s little brother is very ill. Not to mention the fact that Sal accidentally broke the universe.

This is one of those rare books that straddle the MG category. I think eight through thirteen-year-old kids will all get something out of this storyline. Even older since I’m buying it for a possible re-read and because we’re going to want to own the series. We also need to eat more Cuban food- just saying.

Also, homeschoolers: you need to explain that this is a fictional school cause it sounds fantastic.

Please note that I received a free advance E ARC of this book from NetGalley without a review requirement or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that, I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

I just couldn’t get into this one. The main characters were likable, but the fantasy element just seemed to keep stretching and stretching to new areas to the point where I thought-ok what now? I can’t see kids getting into this one. Full review on goodreads.

Sal Vidón is adjusting to his new life in Miami where he is attending Culeco Academy of the Arts. During his first few days of school, Sal deals with a bully in a rather unique way. He opens a portal to another universe and a dead chicken appears in the boy's locker. Partly because of student council president and journalist for the school paper, Gabi Real, all of his classmates think he is a brujo, a witch. Sal is struggling at home, as well, because his parents and American stepmom aren't too pleased that he can also bring his deceased mother over from another universe. Sal must manage his unexplainable powers before he destroys the universe, but they are much needed when Gabi's brother's life is in danger. The characters in this book are unique and diverse and there is lots of humor. The book is a lot of fun, but it's also one with heart. Fans of science fiction, especially, will enjoy this one.

This is a playful middle school romp that nonetheless deals with some serious topics such as death, bullying, and quantum physics. Having just started at a new school in Miami, 7th grader Sal is able to solve many of his problems by using magic, both normal and extraordinary. It's not long before he has befriended Gabi, the class president and newspaper editor, because amazingly enough she can understand and appreciate his super powers. There is laugh-out-loud comedy to offset the sadness of a dead mother and dying baby. Hernandez must have had fun dreaming up all the names of Gabi's dads, (such as Daditarium, Dada-dada-dada-Dadman, and Grizzly Dad'ums) and indeed he seems very fond of all his characters, even the adults and the bully. The first of a series, readers who enjoy zany characters and capers more than realism will be looking forward to the next installment

What a fun book!!! What can I say? The voice, the Spanglish, the characters, everything! It made me laugh so many times, and several times I'd look up from the page and have this glow in my heart. I'm so happy this book exists! Little me would have LOVED it!

I loved Sal and Gabi. What an amazing cast of characters!!

I have been excitedly keeping up with the Rick Riordan books and this one is my favorite so far. It has the strongest characters of all the books so far. You cannot help but fall in love with this cast and delight with them on all of their adventures.

Take Sal, he is a skilled magician, goofy, in touch with his feelings, manages his diabetes like a pro, and he and his Papi and American Stepmom just moved to a new town. In the new town, he gets to attend Cuelco, (I need to go to this school!!) an incredible art school full of wonderful courses and quirky teachers and students. Sal got into the school based on his magic skills, and part of the book is about how he adjusts to his school and as a new kid with his talents.

One of the friends he makes is Gabi, and she is going to rule the entire planet. She is also hilarious, brilliant (emotionally and academically), hard working, and has an incredibly loving family with some tough things going on. Gabi cannot really be described, but when you read and get to know Gabi, you’ll likely love her too. Gabi gets things done and she always gives Sal a run for his money.

This pair does it all together. They navigate some tough life moments, create art together, and oh yeah, they also need to save the universe. As some other reviewers have mentioned, I found some of the world building (of the more surrealist parts) could use some additional detail, but perhaps that was part of the point. Regardless, the lives and characters of this book were so rich that perhaps that was world building enough. I have to note that the strong Cuban American representation was great (and often made me hungry during food scenes !!) as well has different types of families representation. I feel like the characters are real and I badly want to be friends with them and join in at Cuelco and their adventures. I didn’t want this book to end because I loved these characters so much, and so I sincerely cant wait for book 2!!

*On note on age range— I would say that this book is probably for 5th grades or similarly strong readers. I wish I could pass it to my third graders, but realistically I just know they wouldn’t get a lot of it yet (not because it is inappropriate, just because of the moving layers of the story and reading level).*