This is the kind of book that consumes you while it is being read. At the same time vibrant and melancholy, thrilling and introspective, it lodges in your sternum and sits there like a weight after you finish.

It further cements Ms. Moreno-Garcia's place on my "preorder every single book" list.

Casiopea is a young Cinderella figure in the home of her wealthy grandfather, undervalued and abused because of her mother's marriage to an indigenous man. In a small act of quiet rebellion, she unlocks a private chest in her grandfather's bedroom, unwittingly unleashing a Mayan god of death named Hun-Kamé. With his resurrection, a countdown has begun, and they have a short amount of time to accomplish certain tasks needed to gain back Hun-Kamé's throne in the land of the dead before his evil twin brings hell to earth.

It has a haunting, gothic feel, and Casiopea's heartfelt and tragic longing for the simple joy of stargazing, dancing, or riding in an automobile makes her lovable and sympathetic.

I can't recommend this enough. Please read it and talk to me about it, everyone!

arc received from the publisher