Written by Vanessa L. Torres
*Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
*Language: English
*Print length: 352 pages
*ISBN-10: 0593426177
*ISBN-13: 978-0593426173
*Reading age: 12 - 17 years
Noche is a Lechuza by night, an ethereal jet-black owl who guides the dead to the afterlife. Except now, Noche cannot bring herself to escort her dead girlfriend, whose soul is fading the harder Noche holds on—an aching romance about first and second loves and finding the strength to let go.
Death waits for Estrella (Noche) Villanueva. In her human form, she is a lonely science girl grieving the tragic accidental drowning of her girlfriend, Dante Fuentes. At night, she is a Lechuza who visits her dead girlfriend at the lake, desperate for more time with her. The longer Dante’s soul roams the earth, the more likely it is that she will fade into the unknown, lost forever, but Noche cannot let go . . .
That’s when a new kid comes to town, Jax, another science nerd like Noche. They connect in a way she can’t ignore, seemingly pulled together by an invisible thread. For the first time, Noche begins to imagine a life without Dante. As Noche’s heart begins to beat for two people, her guilt flares. Then, she finds herself at risk of losing both Jax and Dante, and Noche is forced to question her purpose as a lechuza and everything she has ever believed in.
Review
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2025
An International Latino Award Gold Medal Winner
A Pura Belpré Author Award Winner
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book of the Year
"This tearjerker by Torres is exceptional in its meditation on grief, healing, and the pain of moving on. Its poignant and in-depth portrayal of teenage love is sure to win readers’ hearts." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This folklore-inspired story is sure to captivate anyone who has experienced loss and looked for hope." —Booklist, starred review
"A lyrical, tender, and insightful exploration of death, love, and the Mexican American experience." —Kirkus Reviews
"A haunting tale that mixes in supernatural and paranormal themes with what it means to love once more after losing a special someone." —School Library Journal
Vanessa L. Torres is a Mexican American author, an adventure seeker, and a mom to a flashlight-under-the-covers-reader. She is a thirty-year veteran of the fire service and is equally proud to call her herself an author. Her debut young adult novel, The Turning Pointe, released in 2022. When she's not writing, she balances her time between anything outdoors, and spending time with her family close to home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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