Name: Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil
ISBN: 9781631635755

Danette Vigilante

Tia Lugo, an asthmatic thirteen-year-old Puerto Rican girl living in NYC, witnesses a murder late one night from her bedroom window. Terrified the killer will do anything to keep her silent and desperate to find the courage to speak out, Tia turns to her grandmother's favorite shopping spot: the botánica.

Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil

laura

* I got this book for review*

I thought this was fun quick pace read. I think this is also a great bridge book between middle grade and YA. I also did like the mystery element that was fun and engaging. I struggled a little bit to feel connected to the character. I really loved the the culture and background elements. I also found this to be quick read. It thought this mystery was had to figure it out and would be def read more by this author in the future.

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, Netgalley, and Jolly Fish Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

I think it’s fitting that Vigilante starts with this specific Albert Einstein quote even before the chapter officially starts:

The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
We are in a world that is afraid to speak up because we are afraid of the repercussions. Or we are afraid to speak up because things can be turned against us even when we are trying to stand up for what’s right. It could be something so simple as making sure a fellow classmate isn’t bullying another student – not saying bullying is simple or small – or standing up against a corrupt government. Or even just telling law enforcement officials the truth of a crime you witnessed, which is similar to what is happening with Tia Lugo right now.

It’s not every day when a thirteen year old is a witness to a murder in their neighborhood. It’s also not a normal circumstance where the same thirteen year old person is in fear of their life because the murderer may be terrorizing them in order to hide the truth of what happened. Unfortunately, this is what Tia Lugo is dealing with, and somehow she will need to find a way to rely on the one resource that she didn’t think she would need to turn to: the help of her grandmother and the botánica that she isn’t too fond of being around.

This definitely flowed like a murder mystery novel, and from the moment that Tia witnessed the murder, I was already concerned about her safety. So was she, and I felt super bad for her having to deal with that! I really enjoyed her friendship with Julius from what we were able to witness, and I loved seeing the familial dynamics that we saw during this time. I think Gram was my favorite character, as grandmas usually are most times!

This was a great mystery, and I actually would have never thought to do a middle grade mystery like this! Super intense from the very beginning and I was in for a wild ride the entire time.

Shannon Jade

A unique approach to middle grade suspense, Danette Vigilante’s Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil is warm and authentic yet frightening and unexpected. As Tia wonders how to stay safe in the three days that follow a murder of which she is the only witness, she must face big questions about honesty, trust, family, and more.

Danette Vigilante paints a clear, believable picture of Tia’s city home and her family life. Until now, Tia’s life has been gentle, surrounded by people who love her and no arguments bigger than her dad’s disbelief in her grandmother’s botanica finds. This warmth makes the murder outside Tia’s bedroom window all the more powerful as a plot point. Suddenly, nothing is as it seems, and Tia’s everyday routines take on new meanings. Seemingly innocuous events are now laced with threat, and Tia turns to the botanica for alternative remedies she would never have relied upon before.

Tia’s character is a valuable one in the middle grade market. Firstly, she lives with asthma, and while her condition is relevant to her story, it doesn’t define the whole narrative; we need this rep! Secondly, Tia undergoes a lot of personal growth throughout the course of Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil. She learns who she is and who she wants to be, and she discovers the politics of truth, honesty, fear, and family. Tia’s character arc is an important part of this book, which is refreshing in the suspense genre, which often favours plot-driven narratives.

Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil isn’t violent or gory because it doesn’t need to be. It relies on Danette’s clever writing style to portray the looming threat of an unknown killer and the internal debate of a murder’s young witness. Keep an eye out for a plot twist at the story’s end!

If you’re looking for a clever MG suspense novel, consider adding Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil to your TBR!

Thank you to the wonderful team at Jollyfish Press for providing me with this eARC!

Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil

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