How to Free a Leviathan

December 1, 2024
Risks become personal for a 13-year-old Italian healer in this sequel toHow To Save a Unicorn (2023). The world travels continue as Giada and her beloved black cat familiar, Sinistro, embark on a trip to meet other veterinarians who work with magical creatures. Giada and Mrs. Calamoneri, the vet she's traveling with, plan to attend the Convenci�n de Criaturas M�gicas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, a conference for magical vets. They hope to warn as many people as possible about the sinister C&C Medicinals, a corporation that's intent on exploiting magical creatures. A local sanctuary promises to showcase a rare, reclusive leviathan during the event. Giada tours the sanctuary, and although Sofia, her teenage guide, is welcoming, something feels off about the facility, like how the building is protected by intense magical wards, and the founder, Dr. Dolores Messi, has an odd familiar, a spider that resembles a bejeweled brooch. When Giada and Sofia investigate, they uncover some unsettling information that threatens the local magical fauna as well as the lives of familiars. Can Giada and Sinistro make it out alive? In this well-paced story, Cannistra expands on her worldbuilding through intriguing cross-cultural elements. Over the course of the book, Giada faces intense emotional threats. Although Mrs. Calamoneri supports her judgment and provides her with some protection, Giada takes many high-stakes risks, and the narrative validates her feelings and offers space for her to fully experience them. An emotionally raw trilogy closer.(Fantasy. 8-13)

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December 30, 2024

Gr 5 Up-The third volume in Cannistra's series brimming with mythological creatures. Giada is a 13-year-old magical vet with a beautiful black cat familiar named Sinistro. Along with Mrs. Calomeneri, she travels to Argentina for a magical vet conference. While there, Giada and Sinistro tour the magical sanctuary. They meet Sophia and Dolores, the head of the facility. Sophia seems nice, but something is off about Dolores, and Sinistro cannot put his paw on it. However, Sophia confirms that there are fishy things going on, and she asks for their help. The writing drags a bit because of repetitive phrasing. The weakest part of the novel is the plot, and the pacing is inconsistent: slow in the beginning and rapid towards the end. Plus, the antagonist's characterization is inconsistent towards the resolution and reads as too contrived, even for a young audience. But the characterization of Giada is believable and relatable for many a preteen. She makes actual mistakes and has internal challenges that she overcomes. She is also a great example of positive body diversity. As such, this book may act as a mirror for some children. There are also some notable Latinx characters. The strength and heart of the story is the relationship between Giada and Sinistro. The love between them purrs off the page. VERDICT A touching tale, with shortcomings, about grief and friendship among humans and pets alike; this will circulate well in libraries where Cannistra's books are popular.-Wilsinia Ocasio

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