A cursed harpoon that can kill sea ghosts brings together a blacksmith's son and a forlorn spirit in the wondrous and enthralling middle-grade novel Graciela in the Abyss.
One hundred years ago, the "ruthless" fisherman Fernando Gonzalo and the "pitiless" blacksmith Ignacio Leon forged a weapon to kill sea spirits. Now, Ignacio's great-grandson, Jorge Leon, has found the weapon. He steals the harpoon, but Fernando, now a vengeful ghost, attacks and reclaims the weapon, plunging Jorge beneath the waves. Graciela, a sea specter, begrudgingly agrees to help the boy find and destroy the harpoon.
The awe-inspiring characters in this mesmerizing folkloric story display a dazzling defiance against unjust power. Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina (Merci Suárez Changes Gears) uses hypnotic prose to conjure an oceanic realm teeming with wonders that speak to the interconnectedness of land and sea. Anna and Elena Balbusso create enchanting mixed-media art featuring diaphanous shapes and layers of texture. Seemingly insurmountable odds and grief bring suspense to a supernatural underwater tale as immersive, majestic, and alluring as the deep sea itself. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer