Lorraine Avila's familiarity with the world she describes and facility with code-switching are strong pluses in her narration of this story. In school 16-year-old Yolanda Alvarez leads courageous discussions about race, deals with her hearing difficulties, falls in love for the first time, and worries about the violent visions she's recently had. Her frightening perceptions are related to Ben, the rich newly enrolled white son of a progressive politician. Outside school Mama Tete, her grandmother, teaches Yolanda Afro-Dominican ancestral practices and supports her developing bruja gifts. Though Avila's character differentiation is not particularly strong, she renders the strength of Yolanda's community and the support of her diverse school in a way that balances the anxiety she feels about the racism and threat Ben poses. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
The Making of Yolanda la Bruja
Narrated by Lorraine Avila
Lorraine AvilaUnabridged — 10 hours, 37 minutes
The Making of Yolanda la Bruja
Narrated by Lorraine Avila
Lorraine AvilaUnabridged — 10 hours, 37 minutes
Audiobook (Digital)
Free with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime
Already Subscribed?
Sign in to Your BN.com Account
Related collections and offers
FREE
with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription
Overview
Yolanda Alvarez is having a good year. She's starting to feel at home at Julia De Burgos High, her school in the Bronx. She has her best friend Victory, and maybe something with José, a senior boy she's getting to know. She's confident her initiation into her family's bruja tradition will happen soon.
But then a white boy, the son of a politician, appears at Julia De Burgos, and his vibes are off. And Yolanda's initiation begins with a series of troubling visions of the violence this boy threatens. How can Yolanda protect her community, in a world that doesn't listen? Only with the wisdom and love of
her family, friends, and community-and the Brujas Diosas, her ancestors and guides.
The Making of Yolanda La Bruja is the book this country, struggling with the plague of gun violence, so desperately needs-but which few could write. Here Lorraine Avila brings a story born from the intersection of race, justice, education, and spirituality that will capture readers everywhere.
Editorial Reviews
★ 02/13/2023
Black Dominican high school sophomore Yolanda Nuelis Alvarez, a budding bruja, contends with dangerous visions surrounding gun violence at her Bronx school in Avila’s suspenseful debut. After Yolanda is tasked with guiding white new student Ben around Julia De Burgos High, she begins to have alarming visions about him and his racist reaction to being classmates with students of color. Fearful of his intentions and eager to prevent any harm from coming to her peers and their school, Yolanda relies on her best friend Victory; her bruja grandmother and spiritual mentor, Mamá Teté; and her ancestors, the Bruja Diosas, to investigate Ben’s past and uncover his true motives. Alongside her inquiry, Yolanda balances overwhelm surrounding her father’s prison release, her imminent bruja initiation, and a burgeoning romance with a senior basketball player. Avila skillfully cultivates a unique and magical spin on a grounded, socially conscious plot that is rich in Afro-Latinx cultural detail. Yolanda is a boldly characterized protagonist whose intersectional identities as a queer and Deaf person of color informs her sharp-witted narrative voice and conviction around combatting racism within her community. Ages 12–up. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Apr.)
[STAR] “Unabashedly political…A remarkable, beautifully rendered debut.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
Most Anticipated YA of 2023 - HipLatina
[STAR] “Suspenseful… Avila skillfully cultivates a unique and magical spin on a grounded, socially conscious plot that is rich in Afro-Latinx cultural detail. Yolanda is a boldly characterized protagonist whose intersectional identities as a queer and Deaf person of color informs her sharp-witted narrative voice and conviction around combatting racism within her community.” — Publishers Weekly (starred)
“Gripping… Avila skillfully depicts the reality of growing up as a Black Latinx teen in the midst of racial violence and social upheaval… Avila carefully demonstrates the tremendous strength in Yolanda’s community and the deep roots of her spiritual life, which keep her grounded as she steps into her full power.” — Horn Book
Most Anticipated YA of 2023 - The Mary Sue
Most Anticipated YA of 2023 - BookPage
[STAR] "A sharply rendered portrait...Avila's striking debut is not to be missed." — Booklist (starred)
"Lorraine Avila’s impressive and urgent YA debut is a feat of courage, passion and originality. In it, she takes on racism, violence and injustice with a mix of magic, spirituality and care that few have attempted—and she’s captivatingly successful.” — Ms. Magazine
"Vividly imagined and nuanced, Yolanda’s story is one not to be missed." — BuzzFeed
“A necessary story about gun violence, race, and education.” —Refinery 29
“Tackles themes of race, gun violence, spirituality, justice, and education with an empathetic and deft hand”—Autostraddle
[STAR] “Inspiring… full of heart and spirituality.” — Shelf-Awareness (starred)
“Big-hearted, potent, and piercingly smart… More than anything, The Making of Yolanda la Bruja is the story of a determined young woman who embraces a fantastic and sometimes complicated heritage… Yolanda shines brilliantly in this story, and Avila is to be credited for gifting readers with such a compelling character.” – Locus Magazine
“A masterclass in empowering the youth to reclaim what is theirs.” – HipLatina
A Common Sense Selection
[STAR] Heartbreaking… thoughtful and gripping… Avila has created a complex heroine whose identities as a Deaf and queer person of color give a layer of authenticity and intersectionality that will resonate with readers.”— School Library Journal (starred)
"Written in stunning prose, this sharp examination of education, race, violence, and spirituality is a must-read." —The Mary Sue
★ 09/22/2023
Gr 9 Up—Sixteen-year-old Yolanda Alvarez had her first vision as a little girl. She has grown and received training from her grandmother, Mamá Teté, who helps her navigate her spiritual journey and has taught her everything she knows about the Unknowns—ancestors who guide them and help them use their gifts. Just as Yolanda is entering an important time in her initiation—when an Unknown will select her to guide her—she receives a vision about a new student, Ben, one of the only white students in the school. Yolanda believes Ben is going to do something to harm the school, but afraid that she will not be able to prove it, she attempts to reach out to Ben herself. Readers will share in Yolanda's feelings of uncertainty as she tries to find out more about Ben's intentions, until it becomes clear that Yolanda's visions harbor the truth, and that Ben's actions are rooted in sinister racist beliefs. The Afro-Dominican teen attempts to carry the weight of what is happening on her own, leading to a heartbreaking climax. The narrative is thoughtful and gripping, and Avila has created a complex heroine whose identities as a Deaf and queer person of color give a layer of authenticity and intersectionality that will resonate with readers. VERDICT Readers will enjoy getting to know Yolanda, her diverse Dominican family, and her unique friends and supportive community in this lyrical debut novel that will open up important and difficult discussions about race, activism, and loss.—Selenia Paz
Lorraine Avila's familiarity with the world she describes and facility with code-switching are strong pluses in her narration of this story. In school 16-year-old Yolanda Alvarez leads courageous discussions about race, deals with her hearing difficulties, falls in love for the first time, and worries about the violent visions she's recently had. Her frightening perceptions are related to Ben, the rich newly enrolled white son of a progressive politician. Outside school Mama Tete, her grandmother, teaches Yolanda Afro-Dominican ancestral practices and supports her developing bruja gifts. Though Avila's character differentiation is not particularly strong, she renders the strength of Yolanda's community and the support of her diverse school in a way that balances the anxiety she feels about the racism and threat Ben poses. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
★ 2023-01-12
A teen bruja-in-training receives troubling visions about imminent gun violence at her school.
Sixteen-year-old Yolanda Nuelis Alvarez is a Black Dominican American girl raised in the Bronx within a close-knit support system of family and friends. Strongest of all is her bond with her bruja grandmother, Mamá Teté, who acts as Yolanda’s mentor in her spiritual journey in communion with their guides and ancestors as part of a long-standing family tradition. As her initiation approaches, Yolanda begins having disturbing visions about Ben, the new student who recently started attending Julia De Burgos High, a White boy with a history of racist behavior. Ben joins the Brave Space Club, the activist group that Yolanda heads, and intentionally causes conflict with the other students. Certain that there is a looming threat to her school, a hitherto welcoming space for students from marginalized communities, Yolanda tries to understand her responsibility as a community organizer and as a bruja before tragedy strikes. Avila’s novel is unabashedly political, with a determined, powerful, actively engaged protagonist on a coming-of-age journey that is both distressing and hopeful. It’s an intersectional novel both on a personal level—Yolanda is Black, Latina, queer, and deaf (she has cochlear implants)—and in a wider sense as it thoughtfully, candidly engages with racism, violence, and privilege while centering Yolanda’s growing bonds of family, community, activism, and spirituality.
A remarkable, beautifully rendered debut. (Paranormal. 13-18)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940178336762 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
| Publication date: | 06/27/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 1,108,345 |
Videos
