Current and traditional, it is a book that will reach in and grab you and not let go. A great YA novel but all will enjoy as we navigate teenager coming of age and dealing with so much that adults will never face but is something that is on every teen mind now a days. It is hard to believe that this is the reality that teens, middle schoolers, and even grade schoolers deal with and is the reality of life now. Should it be? Why is it this way? And Yolanda's use of old world of brujarism and a new social issues that open our minds up to many things we just take for granted. ( )

[2.75 stars] The author explores an array of timely societal problems using a creative storyline. Unfortunately, the narrative is way too long, meandering and annoyingly preachy in one too many spots. This is yet another instance of a book that would have been so much more impactful with a tighter, more focused approach. On the plus side, Avila examines the issues of gun violence and mental illness in a unique narrative. ( )

"This is a place where an entire race has oppressed and sat above the rest. On this land, the blood-spills always bubble back up to the surface, and instead of cleaning it, the oppressors constantly cover it with cement."

The Making of Yolanda La Bruja by Lorraine Avila was my first read for Caribbean Heritage Month and it was pure perfection. The story focuses on Yolanda, a deaf Afro-Dominican teenager who is coming into her ancestral power while navigating her own anxieties about feeling that a new white student is a possible threat to her school community. She is wise beyond her years and has a heart for her Bronx community and high school made up of mostly Black and Brown students.

I loved Avila's deep exploration of themes of racism, gun violence, mental health, social and restorative justice, activism, spirituality, disability, feminism & misogyny, white supremacy and colorism and anti-blackness in the Caribbean. Her passion for youth shines through and is evident in the way she tells this story through the perspective of Bronx, NYC teenagers. It's authentic, heartfelt, gut wrenching and emotional. It really highlights how racist institutions fail BIPOC students, create anxieties and fears and silences victims. But Avila still finds ways to show teenage joy, laughter, discovering love, friendship and the ways communities of color pull together and heal.

Avila also does a great job of showing how Black women are not believed, especially if they don't conform to societal standards of behavior & spirituality. Avila celebrates Afro-Caribbean spirituality practices & gives validity to their power in helping communities in very real ways. This book would be a powerful tool in the hands of youth because of how it voices how gun violence in suburban schools has bled into the inner city. It's also a nice reminder of how much teachers care but are limited in what they can do for student safety. I'm left pondering how true social justice would look like if the affected communities were allowed to lead these movements, not the rich & politicians motivated by pandering.

Thanks to @levinequerido for the gifted copy. I highly recommend you go grab a copy. ( )