A cute and short book, that's all.

I am really not a fan of the prose, that makes this 200 page book feel even shorter than what already is. Maybe with a different writing style the characters would feel more interesting (or at least they'll make me feel something) and the story more thrilling, instead of the forgettable sequence of events we got.

Maybe it's just that I wasn't the intended audience (like, I cared more for Alejandro's father than for him 💀) but I can't bring myself to give this more than 3 stars. Angsty teenagers who believe in astrology and tarot will enjoy this more

Aaand this I like/dislike in not particular order and which I couldn't find a place to fit in the review.

- I saw the relationship that the MC later has at the end of the book coming from a mile away, it's still as plain as eating unseasoned chicken

- I don't know if it is because I'm from a Latin American country but the spanglish made me cringe a little

- The "reveal" felt like a very convenient way to put together a heartfelt-ish lesson at the end

- Gustavo should've died and idc if this goes against the lesson of the book 🙏

- The relationship between Ale and his father (well, uncle) it's very sweet and I wished it was more of a prominent part

The Brujos of Borderland High is a story of good versus evil, or light versus dark. The vibes I got were all about accepting and appreciating yourself just how you are, and recognizing when others aren’t treating you with the care and love you deserve. I really enjoy the poetic freestyle verse the author uses in their books. I appreciated the glossary at the beginning to make sure readers understood the Spanish language and slang in the story, very helpful!

Y’ALL. Just go ahead and order yourself a copy. It is SO GOOD.

The Brujos of Borderland High is a novel in verse centered on Alejandro, a teenager going through very typical teenager things: a broken heart, band concert coming up, frustrating homework, surprise origami penguins, mysterious happenings, etc. 👀

Gume Laurel III really gives us something special with how he layers emotion, moments of stark introspection, humor, fantasy, and intrigue. I was in awe more times than I could count. Also, that ending. It’s perfect. It couldn’t BE more perfect.
🎹🎷🎺🥁🪇/5 band instruments

I received an ARC of The Brujos of Borderland High from NetGalley and it had some interesting elements.

The premise is intriguing - un brujo in high school going through a break up and a journey of self discovery through magic. However, the pacing of the story is slow at times, and the plot twists are somewhat predictable.

Overall, The Brujos of Borderland High is a decent read, but it's not one that I would recommend wholeheartedly.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

This is a very cute novellette in verse about a gay teenager and Brujo overcoming his first heartbreak in high school. It was easy to read, the ending was unsurprising but sweet, and I would love to be able to speak Spanish but the mixture of English & Spanish was very nice. While the conclusion to the supernatural was a bit cheesy and the overall world building / magic system somewhat weak, I enjoyed this book.

4 stars

after watching the author explain the formatting, the story behind verse novels and why it’s so important to the reading community, I jumped in with no questions left or holding me back from it. I love seeing authors who I can see myself in, for example, Gume being a Latine and Queer and having characters that reflect myself as well. There is no doubt this is an easy read but definitely a story anyone can jump into. I want to thank NetGalley for this chance to read eARC of this book and I look forward to more like this

This is such a cute fantasy story! I'm still getting used to the format of novels in verse, but this one is so easy to read as it is to enjoy. The dialogues and narration are as fluent as you might expect from a poem but as deep as an adult novel (this is not only for adults, though!) There are several scenes that hint at something more complex than it meets the eye, secret until you realize what's going on.

There is an interesting fantasy world and magic system based on Latino mythology and folklore that gets your attention right away. Is it both familiar yet new, with a freshness you don't always find in folklore fantasy books. The same happens with the characters, each with a clear, strong voice that makes it easier to get immersed.

There was only one single line that broke the spell for me. The atmosphere was perfect, and the descriptions were on point, but this line took me out of the reading in the blink of an eye. I don't want to get too specific because the rest of the book is awesome, and if another reader doesn't find it or has the same experience as me, then I want to respect that and allow them their own reading as well.

All in all, it is a beautiful book from a talented author I can't wait to read more from! Gume Laurel III blends fantasy, reality, and folklore in an organic, natural way that you don't get tired of, not to mention the solid ground he establishes his stories on. This one is not the exception, with its own mythology, rules, and flavor, perfect for when you want something simple yet full of substance, and if you love Latino fantasy books.

The Brujos of Borderland High by Gume Laurel III is a vibrant and imaginative novel that seamlessly blends contemporary high school drama with mystical elements. Laurel’s engaging narrative and richly developed characters create a unique and captivating reading experience that stands out in the genre.

I loved Gume's Book Samson and Domingo, so I was excited to read another one of his stories. And this one's so good too!
The verse style of writing used in Gume's books packs so much story into a seemingly small book. But the emotional impact of his stories are long lasting and unforgettable.

High school is rough for a gay teen brujo going through his first breakup. Alejandro’s supernatural ability to see the past with the use of his tarot cards makes it so the past is all he ever really focuses on. Alejandro would like to pour his passion into piano to prepare for the upcoming winter recital, but bizarre supernatural forces seem out to get him. When a time-traveling demon arrives with a mission to stop the upcoming high school winter recital from taking place, Alejandro must focus on the future to slay the demon, save the recital, and maybe get a second chance at love.

I loved all the different monsters and supernatural forces. There is so much world building so quickly, but I still got it all. The book is really so intriguing, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat, anticipating the twist. I always love the authentic cultural depictions woven into all of Gume's works. You can tell authenticly sharing this part of his world is important to him. This story is a unique and fun read but also an emotional read. Alejandro may be a badass brujo, but he's also a teenage boy trying to deal with his first breakup. The story was so heartwrenching, but also so sweet. I really enjoyed the ending. It had me smiling and tearing up a little.
I highly recommend this one as a quick read that takes you into a magical world and leaves you with all the feels. ❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The biggest thank you to the author, Netgalley and 44West for my ARC copy.

I had the pleasure of reading Gume Laurel’s next YA novel in verse, The Brujos of Borderland High, early and I am excited for it to be officially out in the world on 8/1/2024!
The Brujos of Borderland High has it all; supernatural abilities, fine arts, time traveling demons, awesome family, friends, and self-discovery. It is also very chicano as the author, Gume, likes to say lol and that is why I love it.
I think it's important to note that this book is accessible to everyone because of its high-interest, low readability (hi-lo) format. Meaning, it's written in a way to engage readers with complex, age-appropriate themes, but at a lower reading level. This is great for those whose first language is not English and those who maybe struggle with higher reading levels. How cool is that?!

I was intrigued by the fact that this book was written in verse.

I’m always interested in some urban fantasy, and was curious to see how effectively it would work. This really worked for me. It was amazing the level of character development, world building and complex story telling was possible in such a word restricted format. Some of those long-winded fantasy epics should really take notes.

The story is set in a high school in Texas where brujos Alejandro is trying to recover from a break up and figure out what is going on with his brujeria. Mysterious things start happening around school, like extra cards with his initials showing up around the school.

The mix of the magical (creatures appearing and attacking anyone in the library), and the mundane (trying to survive a breakup) was beautiful and this was something that was entirely different from anything I have ever read before. But I will definitely be looking for more like this in the future.

I need 3-5 business days to recover from what a precious bean Alejandro is. Really truly this boy goes THROUGH it and we’ve all been there with a bad ex we can’t seem to let go of. The journey he takes to discover his sense of self worth obviously made me cry but what else is new. I truly could not put this book down and I was rooting for Ale the whole time, even when he was being a hot mess.
This being a High - low novel written in verse was the perfect medium for this story.

‘The Brujos of Borderland High’ is a Hi-Lo prose read that follows our main character Ale (Alejandro) as he is trying to figure out who he is and where he stands after his then love interest, Gustavo, breaks up with him. Weird occurrences start to happen, where Alejandro is somehow the epicenter of it all. The show must go on for Alejandro as he is preparing for a winter recital. I thoroughly enjoyed the quick fast paced read whose central themes include: moving on, letting go of toxicity, breaking generational cycles or bonds, letting yourself be loved, found family, queer experiences, all mixed and painted with the airs of Mexican/Latin American folklore and paranormal cryptids. Such an enjoyable read and it made my heart suffer the feels.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC! The cover caught my eye but also following the author and reading his other book which i enjoyed i wanted to give this one a go as well and omg i loved it i thought thjs book was so cute and the way the writing style was it makes it for such a quick read but with such a great story i loved the little fantasy elements and all the details regarding the cold wind the ice etc one of my favorite concepts in novels. I thought the relationship in the novel that was forming was so adorable and i love how it touched down on important topics regarding relationships and how the cycles can repeat and we need to stop them before it gets to that point if we notice red flags. This one was wholesome yall need to read this one.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley. It was definitely a cute and interesting quick read. I wish it would’ve been a little longer. The formatting only worked for me in the NetGalley app. I normally read my books in the kindle app and it did not format properly for kindle and was impossible to read.

Set in a supernatural universe where brujos (witches), vampires, chupacabras and more exist, Alejandro is just trying to survive his first breakup. Alejandro has the ability to use his tarot cards to see the past. After his breakup, he keeps pulling the same three cards. While wallowing in his pain, he is also preparing for his school's winter showcase where he will be playing the piano. After several targeted attacks against him and the school, he is just trying to do whatever he can to play at the showcase.

I probably haven't read a verse novel since I was in school. When I requested this book, I didn't even realize that this was the format. I wasn't sure what to expect as every page is short, as is the book itself. However, I was floored at how beautiful the story is. Every word is chosen for a reason. The story is rich and well-developed with the right amount of background information being shared to explain the universe, Alejandro's previous relationship, and his relationship with his family and others. 

The story also presents a good message that all children and teens (the target demographic) need and a reminder to all others that life keeps moving forward. I promise you that you can finish this book in one sitting and be completely swept away to another universe.

#netgalley #rosenpublishing #thebrujosofborderlandhigh

The Brujos of Borderland High is a High-Low novel written completely in verse - officially the second novel I’ve read written in this way!

I’ve found that high-low verse novels are incredibly easy to read and often a breeze to get through at the stage of reading I’m at. What stood out to me with The Brujos of Borderland High the most was Gume Laurel III’s magical world building, the concept of magic so beautifully tied to brujería, and the visual design of the book. The text of each page lies within the outline of a tarot card, which I thought was such a neat way of merging image and text throughout the novel (which is a HUGE interest of mine, both personally and academically!).

While this was a cute and magical read for me (someone who’s very close to turning 30 😳), I kept imagining that this is a book I would have absolutely LOVED as a teen. If you’re looking for an afternoon of magic, mystery, and a little bit of gay teen drama, I would definitely recommend giving this a go!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC!

Break ups are hard in the real world ... Let alone in this one! - another great (and angsty!) teen story from Gume Laurel III.
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This story was twisty and turny, and very action-packed considering it's a relatively short verse novel!
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P.s. now I've read it, I love the cover even more!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This book is packed full of action and drama and emotion, and all within 200 pages of poetry. I found the writing style to be very accessible and fast-paced, and the way each section is broken up into short chunks of poetry makes it easy to follow along with the story, which I think would be helpful for teen readers who struggle to focus or are trying to get into reading.

The worldbuilding isn't explored in-depth, but I think it works well in this case. I appreciate that the book jumps headfirst into this world without overexplaining and lets readers discover things along the way.

Although there is plenty of action, the main focus of the story is on Alejandro's emotional journey. The author does an excellent job of laying the groundwork of his character, as well as developing his character arc realistically over the course of the story.

All in all, I came to this book for the magic and action, and stayed for the satisfying character development and emotional catharsis.

𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

✨️ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ:
-YA
-High-Low Verse Novel
-Paranormal/Supernatural
-Time Traveling Demon
-Latine Gay Brujo MC
-Toxic Ex-boyfriend
-Supernatural Abilities/Powers

✨️ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Another fantastic read from this author! The Brujos of Boderland High is a High-Low Verse Novel. It makes this book accessible to many people regardless of what reading level they may be in. It is written in short sentences, which makes it easy for anyone to follow Alejandro along in this magical world!

Okay, now starting with my review.... my gosh, my jaw dropped after finishing the first chapter because talk about a toxic ex-boyfriend. This book does follow Alejandro and his healing regarding the breakup.

The world building was amazing, giving life to this magical and paranormal background. You can expect brujos (male witches), vampires, chupacabras (bloodsucking creatures), and many other paranormal appearances/characters.

I found myself laughing and also tearing up while reading Brujos of Boderland High. However, I was also very curious to know about what and why all these strange things were happening. When I finally got to the answer (which I didn't expect it to be that), it made me tear up.🥺

Alejandro did everything he could to protect his heart. He found the perfect solution, which was deciding the best thing for him to do was letting go. And he did. It made him see everything differently around him. The amount of love he was surrounded by and truly see the many people who cared about him.

Overall, it was such a great read, and I can not wait for this book to be released and finally get the book!

✨️Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ:
“So many of us care about you, Ale. We aren’t going to abandon you.” I see my reflection in Zander’s eyes. See myself the way he sees me. The version of me that can still change the future.

Thank you so much, Gume Laurel III, West 44 Books, and Netgalley for this ARC.