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Salsa Magic
Thirteen-year-old Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon has vivid recurring dreams where she hears the ocean calling her. Mami’s side of the family is known as “Los Locos,” so maybe she actually is going crazy. But no time for that; the family business is where it’s at. Whenever Maya, her sister Salma, and her three cousins, Ini, Mini, and Mo, aren’t at school, you can usually find three generations of Calderones at CaféTaza, serving up sandwiches de pernil, mofongo, and the best cafés con leche in all of Brooklyn. One day, an unexpected visit from the estranged Titi Yaya from Puerto Rico changes everything. Because Yaya practices santeria, Abuela tells Maya and the other Calderon children are told to stay away from her. But If la viejita is indeed estranged from the family, why does Maya feel so connected to this woman she has never met before? And who is this orisha named Yemaya? On top of figuring all this out, Maya has a budding soccer career to consider, while fending off the local bully, and dealing with nascent feelings toward her teammate. But through it all, there’s that alluring connection to a forbidden ancient practice–filled with a pantheon of Yoruban gods and goddesses–that keeps tugging at her, offering her a new perspective in life, tying her past to her present and future. Which path will Maya choose to fulfill her destiny?
Duration: 05:33:02
Duration: 05:33:02
6 pages, Audiobook
First published September 26, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 11, 2023
Salsa Magic celebrates family and highlights Afro Caribbean history and the importance of passing along traditions. When Maya's estranged bruja Tia makes an appearance her world is shaken to it's core.
Full review below
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
Full review below
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
September 26, 2023
I wanted to like this book. I really did. All of the things that compelled me about the plot of this book fell apart in its third half.
At its core, it’s a book about a family torn apart due to a rift between two of our leads elders who are siblings. One day this person mysteriously shows up and they’re ostracized from the rest of the family and our lead to not to interact with them. So of course, they go ahead and do so anyways and it leads them on a journey of magic and mystery as they discover their connection to their family’s history of magic!
It’s a quick book with many interesting subplots as well - Our lead is queer and has a crush on their best friend, they have a scary rivalry with another soccer player that leads them literally concussed, and their relationship with their sister mirrors those of their elders which is very ominous considering how the two elders fell out for over a decade - all make for interesting plot points that SHOULD go somewhere, but unfortunately, they just fizzle out towards the end of the book.
It feels like if the book was maybe 20-30 pages longer, things might be different but it ends way too quickly on such a short note for the book to really stand out.
At its core, it’s a book about a family torn apart due to a rift between two of our leads elders who are siblings. One day this person mysteriously shows up and they’re ostracized from the rest of the family and our lead to not to interact with them. So of course, they go ahead and do so anyways and it leads them on a journey of magic and mystery as they discover their connection to their family’s history of magic!
It’s a quick book with many interesting subplots as well - Our lead is queer and has a crush on their best friend, they have a scary rivalry with another soccer player that leads them literally concussed, and their relationship with their sister mirrors those of their elders which is very ominous considering how the two elders fell out for over a decade - all make for interesting plot points that SHOULD go somewhere, but unfortunately, they just fizzle out towards the end of the book.
It feels like if the book was maybe 20-30 pages longer, things might be different but it ends way too quickly on such a short note for the book to really stand out.
January 13, 2024
Cooking and baking television competitions have been popular among kids at my library for the past several years, so I believe the extended family’s hip but authentic Brooklyn Puerto Rican restaurant will have some appeal for the intended audience of 12- to 14-year-olds. However, very little happens in the kitchen - the main character works as a barista, but focuses more on eating or occasionally watching others cook.
Young readers will delight in learning Spanish language slang - although few definitions are given in the book, others are available on a translation app.
Gentrification has also been a topic in literature for tweens and young adults lately, so apparently authors and publishers believe readers will delight in hearing thirteen-year-old Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon and her realistically claustrophobic but loving NewYorican extended family ridicule the upscale newcomers to their neighborhood on the one hand, and celebrate their talented, successful family members on the other hand.
Marrero embellishes on unique qualities related to the African tribal religion that has some of Maya's relatives believing in the Ile Ife deities, practicing Yoruban cultural traditions, and clashing with their Catholic relatives who adopted the Spaniards' religion along the way.
This folk religion may be of interest to some readers because it upends the hierarchy, it represents a shrugging off of conformity, and it is associated with Black African culture, so Maya gets multiple layers of being authentically BIPOC-cool.
Despite the time and attention devoted to food, neighborhood, and ancestry, it seems to me that readers will be most captivated by Maya's vivid dreams about the ocean, the mysterious voice tempting her to disobey her grandmother's mysterious instructions to stay away from the recently-arrived great-aunt, a vicious attack via soccer-ball by a teenage bully on a rival team, and a budding romantic interest in a fellow soccer player.
This brief novel covers all of that action in what mostly feels like an authentic tone of voice for the character’s age; peppered with idiomatic expressions and slang, made-up family- or friend-jargon, and a casual tone of voice that makes readers feel like a close friend is confiding in them.
Maya’s father Papi seems like a plot device more than an actual character - he lives out of town, nobody talks or thinks about him much but still feels his strong love, and through a quick phone call, he educates Maya about the history of African and Hispanic people in the Caribbean. Maya’s Mexican American dad is an immigration lawyer, her family also includes professional dancers, cooks, community volunteers, fashionistas, bakery-owners, bodega-owners-with-mouser-cats, flirty college students, and the infamous curandera/bruja.
At 7.75” tall, this book will look shorter than any other hardcovers on the shelf, and has the margins and font of books in the Children’s rather than the Teen section - clearly aimed at a 10-13yo audience, rather than 13-15, despite the fact that the back cover includes the word “carajo” (which Google translates as “fuck”). Immigrant parents who want their kids to read this and gain respect for their own culture may be uncomfortable with the fact that the result of Maya going against her mother's and grandmother's instructions is ultimately being rewarded with respect, sweet revenge, and eventually, more power and influence in her family, while the adults in her family concede that they were unreasonable and immature.
This book will especially appeal to readers who feel a strong connection to their ancestors or their ancestors’ homeland. It could even get some of them dreaming of places they’ve never been and relatives they’ve never met, as Maya does.
It will also appeal to middle-school teachers who need diverse literature that casually includes a brief but didactic synopsis of a specific culture while also featuring a main character asserting their youthful prerogative to choose which parental or ancestral traditions to respect and which to subvert.
Young readers will delight in learning Spanish language slang - although few definitions are given in the book, others are available on a translation app.
Gentrification has also been a topic in literature for tweens and young adults lately, so apparently authors and publishers believe readers will delight in hearing thirteen-year-old Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon and her realistically claustrophobic but loving NewYorican extended family ridicule the upscale newcomers to their neighborhood on the one hand, and celebrate their talented, successful family members on the other hand.
Marrero embellishes on unique qualities related to the African tribal religion that has some of Maya's relatives believing in the Ile Ife deities, practicing Yoruban cultural traditions, and clashing with their Catholic relatives who adopted the Spaniards' religion along the way.
This folk religion may be of interest to some readers because it upends the hierarchy, it represents a shrugging off of conformity, and it is associated with Black African culture, so Maya gets multiple layers of being authentically BIPOC-cool.
Despite the time and attention devoted to food, neighborhood, and ancestry, it seems to me that readers will be most captivated by Maya's vivid dreams about the ocean, the mysterious voice tempting her to disobey her grandmother's mysterious instructions to stay away from the recently-arrived great-aunt, a vicious attack via soccer-ball by a teenage bully on a rival team, and a budding romantic interest in a fellow soccer player.
This brief novel covers all of that action in what mostly feels like an authentic tone of voice for the character’s age; peppered with idiomatic expressions and slang, made-up family- or friend-jargon, and a casual tone of voice that makes readers feel like a close friend is confiding in them.
Maya’s father Papi seems like a plot device more than an actual character - he lives out of town, nobody talks or thinks about him much but still feels his strong love, and through a quick phone call, he educates Maya about the history of African and Hispanic people in the Caribbean. Maya’s Mexican American dad is an immigration lawyer, her family also includes professional dancers, cooks, community volunteers, fashionistas, bakery-owners, bodega-owners-with-mouser-cats, flirty college students, and the infamous curandera/bruja.
At 7.75” tall, this book will look shorter than any other hardcovers on the shelf, and has the margins and font of books in the Children’s rather than the Teen section - clearly aimed at a 10-13yo audience, rather than 13-15, despite the fact that the back cover includes the word “carajo” (which Google translates as “fuck”). Immigrant parents who want their kids to read this and gain respect for their own culture may be uncomfortable with the fact that the result of Maya going against her mother's and grandmother's instructions is ultimately being rewarded with respect, sweet revenge, and eventually, more power and influence in her family, while the adults in her family concede that they were unreasonable and immature.
This book will especially appeal to readers who feel a strong connection to their ancestors or their ancestors’ homeland. It could even get some of them dreaming of places they’ve never been and relatives they’ve never met, as Maya does.
It will also appeal to middle-school teachers who need diverse literature that casually includes a brief but didactic synopsis of a specific culture while also featuring a main character asserting their youthful prerogative to choose which parental or ancestral traditions to respect and which to subvert.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 10, 2023In Letisha Marrero’s debut middle grade novel, Salsa Magic, we meet Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon – a spirited Brooklyn girl from a large Nuyorican family.
When she's not at school, 13-year-old Maya and the three generations of Calderones can be found at Café Taza, their family-owned restaurant with its vibrant walls, sandwiches de pernil, and comida criolla. They all carry a familial duty to help at the beloved eatery. But while Maya works, her mind is sometimes elsewhere. She's had these vivid recurring dreams that usually begin by the seashore. In them appears a tiny woman with dark skin and piercing emerald eyes. She’s dressed in all white and dons multicolored beads around her neck.
“The vision of her is arresting,” Maya recounts, “but even more so: the feeling of her around me is intense.” Her strange dreams have become more frequent recently. And sometimes there’s another female voice calling her to the ocean. Maya can’t explain why, but she feels like this voice is distinct from the woman she sees in her sleep. Perhaps it’s more like a spirit, or a song.
Everything becomes clear once Maya’s Titi Yaya shows up unannounced one day at Café Taza. The curandera is Abuela Chacha's long-estranged sister, and she came all the way to Brooklyn from Puerto Rico. Most stunningly, she's also the same woman from Maya's dreams. Abuela Chacha wants to keep the Calderon kids away from Titi Yaya because she is a member of a part of the family known as “los locos.” But Maya feels this tremendous pull to get to know this mysterious great-aunt who she’d never met before. She has so many questions and sets out to not only answer them, but to try to repair this decades-long rift that has affected the entire family.
Out on Sept. 26 by Levine Querido, Salsa Magic is a beautiful and at-times humorous story about family, Santería, and the ways in which we honor and preserve our heritage. Maya, who juggles school, soccer, and her shifts at Café Taza, is a memorable protagonist. She is bright, hilarious, and a bit defiant. Throughout this book, she's able to bring readers on a journey with her as she learns about her own Yoruba heritage.
Author Letisha Marrero, who is of Puerto Rican and Black Dominican descent, spent years crafting and revising this story after becoming interested in learning more about Santería. She also did a ton of research into the diasporic religion. “I wanted to pay homage to that – and that part of our history,” she said.
Ahead of her book’s release, Marrero spoke with the Dominican Writers Association about the inspiration behind Salsa Magic, generational differences, and other themes in her debut middle grade novel. You can read my full interview with Marrero here: https://www.dominicanwriters.com/post...
When she's not at school, 13-year-old Maya and the three generations of Calderones can be found at Café Taza, their family-owned restaurant with its vibrant walls, sandwiches de pernil, and comida criolla. They all carry a familial duty to help at the beloved eatery. But while Maya works, her mind is sometimes elsewhere. She's had these vivid recurring dreams that usually begin by the seashore. In them appears a tiny woman with dark skin and piercing emerald eyes. She’s dressed in all white and dons multicolored beads around her neck.
“The vision of her is arresting,” Maya recounts, “but even more so: the feeling of her around me is intense.” Her strange dreams have become more frequent recently. And sometimes there’s another female voice calling her to the ocean. Maya can’t explain why, but she feels like this voice is distinct from the woman she sees in her sleep. Perhaps it’s more like a spirit, or a song.
Everything becomes clear once Maya’s Titi Yaya shows up unannounced one day at Café Taza. The curandera is Abuela Chacha's long-estranged sister, and she came all the way to Brooklyn from Puerto Rico. Most stunningly, she's also the same woman from Maya's dreams. Abuela Chacha wants to keep the Calderon kids away from Titi Yaya because she is a member of a part of the family known as “los locos.” But Maya feels this tremendous pull to get to know this mysterious great-aunt who she’d never met before. She has so many questions and sets out to not only answer them, but to try to repair this decades-long rift that has affected the entire family.
Out on Sept. 26 by Levine Querido, Salsa Magic is a beautiful and at-times humorous story about family, Santería, and the ways in which we honor and preserve our heritage. Maya, who juggles school, soccer, and her shifts at Café Taza, is a memorable protagonist. She is bright, hilarious, and a bit defiant. Throughout this book, she's able to bring readers on a journey with her as she learns about her own Yoruba heritage.
Author Letisha Marrero, who is of Puerto Rican and Black Dominican descent, spent years crafting and revising this story after becoming interested in learning more about Santería. She also did a ton of research into the diasporic religion. “I wanted to pay homage to that – and that part of our history,” she said.
Ahead of her book’s release, Marrero spoke with the Dominican Writers Association about the inspiration behind Salsa Magic, generational differences, and other themes in her debut middle grade novel. You can read my full interview with Marrero here: https://www.dominicanwriters.com/post...
October 30, 2023
Salsa Magic truly fills the Levine Querido purpose to find “diverse, powerful, unique voices and visions from [a] multitude of cultures.” 13 year old Maya’s family has deep Puerto Rican/Caribbean roots and their restaurant allows them to share their cooking culture in Brooklyn. Also aligning with the traditions of their heritage, family is of the utmost importance which is why Maya is dismayed to hear of an aunt who is estranged from the family. When Titi Yaya arrives at their doorstep in need of a home and a desire to reconnect with her family, it is up to Maya to help facilitate the healing of a deep rift. The religion of Caribbean based Santeria is a focal point in this story and for lovers of mythology, this alone will be reason enough to read this one. For others, the drama of a soccer bully and a championship game, the realization by Maya that she has far stronger feelings for a teammate than just friendship, and the interesting personalities in this tight knit family will be the ties that keep them reading until the end. Spanish as well as the ancient tongue of the Yoruba is sprinkled heavily through the text and while some has plenty of context to help English only readers determine meaning, a great deal is left to the imagination or will be skipped entirely. I found myself using Google Translate regularly but was often disappointed when that tool was unable to provide a translation that made sense or sometimes, no suggestions of meaning at all. Solid purchase for libraries looking for greater LBGTQ+ and Puerto Rican representation in a book of well under 300 pages. No profanity, violence is limited to a soccer goalie with a grudge whose physical play results in a concussion for May, and physical contact between Maya’s adult aunt and her new boyfriend is simply called canoodling and Maya’s teammate gives her a “quick peck.”
Thanks to LQ for a print arc and for sponsoring a Goodreads giveaway that garnered a finished copy for me.
Thanks to LQ for a print arc and for sponsoring a Goodreads giveaway that garnered a finished copy for me.
April 21, 2024
3.5 / 5 stars
I ask myself as I read middle grade chapter books: “Is this book going to grab the attention of a kid so that they won’t reach for their chromebook, tablet, or phone?” Kids in 2024 often want immediate gratification, which they usually get from a device. Reading books requires attention, a desire, and effort if the book is not adventure filled. Not all books have the action of an Avengers movie.
Letisha Marrero’s 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 was a glimpse into a Puerto Rican American family in Brooklyn, a family who owns Café Taza, a neighborhood hub and a place where everyone is expected to pull their weight, including main character Maya. Maya has been having dreams about the ocean and a woman in white so she and her entire family are surprised when that woman shows up in a taxi in front of their café, an estranged aunt who lost everything in the hurricane. Frustrated by the adults telling the kids they’re too young to understand and to stay away from Titi Yaya, Maya visits on her own and begins to understand her titi’s background with santería, its roots in the Yoruba religion and also begins to understand her strong connection to her aunt.
𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 is a realistic fiction book with a dash of magical realism sprinkled in. I want to eat at Café Taza and Señora Infante’s bakery. I loved the strong neighborhood and community vibe. As usual, I felt like there were too many subplots.
6th grade +
I ask myself as I read middle grade chapter books: “Is this book going to grab the attention of a kid so that they won’t reach for their chromebook, tablet, or phone?” Kids in 2024 often want immediate gratification, which they usually get from a device. Reading books requires attention, a desire, and effort if the book is not adventure filled. Not all books have the action of an Avengers movie.
Letisha Marrero’s 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 was a glimpse into a Puerto Rican American family in Brooklyn, a family who owns Café Taza, a neighborhood hub and a place where everyone is expected to pull their weight, including main character Maya. Maya has been having dreams about the ocean and a woman in white so she and her entire family are surprised when that woman shows up in a taxi in front of their café, an estranged aunt who lost everything in the hurricane. Frustrated by the adults telling the kids they’re too young to understand and to stay away from Titi Yaya, Maya visits on her own and begins to understand her titi’s background with santería, its roots in the Yoruba religion and also begins to understand her strong connection to her aunt.
𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 is a realistic fiction book with a dash of magical realism sprinkled in. I want to eat at Café Taza and Señora Infante’s bakery. I loved the strong neighborhood and community vibe. As usual, I felt like there were too many subplots.
6th grade +
November 1, 2023
I liked this book, but if you are a school librarian- there is a lot in this one to bring out the folks who like to ban books. This story takes place in New York with a 13 year old Latina female soccer star, her large family and their restaurant as the main focus. Maya Beatrz Montenegro Calderon is interested in winning soccer matches, finding out why her Titi Yaya was banned from the family, and her teammate- Kayla. I enjoyed the descriptions of food, the smattering of Spanish and the fun likable characters in this book. It is a great book for Latinx middle schoolers to see their heritage reflected but also a good exposure for others to enjoy. Again, for those buying for schools, this has the sweet beginnings of a lesbian relationship and a bit of Santeria. I highly recommend this book for everyone. It is a quick read and very engaging and fast paced with all of the normal worries of a modern middle schooler with a bully and bit of family mystery thrown in for fun. (I also loved the chapter titles!)
March 21, 2024
I listened to the audiobook in a noisy laboratory at 1.5 speed. It was a fun little story. I loved the cultural elements, and my rudimentary understanding of Spanish made the Spanglish fun. I do feel like the conflict resolution at the end was a little too fast and tidy. As a MG book focusing on family with a side of magic, that's pretty much par for the course. I do feel like the author pushed in a few too many issues into one short book. It touches on Puerto Rican culture, LGBTQ issues, religion, migration issues at the border, Caribbean ancestry, slavery, gentrification, etc etc etc. most of it made the story richer, but a couple felt shoehorned in like the author felt it had to be there but didn't know quite how to fit it with the story.
There was so much in this story left over at the end that, although I haven't seen any indication, it feels like it was left open to become a series.
There was so much in this story left over at the end that, although I haven't seen any indication, it feels like it was left open to become a series.
September 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book even with this being geared toward middle grade, I enjoyed it as an adult. The cultural references were done in such a way that it was authentic while teaching the reader about that culture. The character development is done well and there is great communication and healthy relationship examples. I particularly enjoyed that the characters used the Spanish language and did not footnote the translation. This allowed the reader to use context clues which was not only engaging but intellectual. Additionally the Spanish text was not italicized which showed there was no language superiority.
June 16, 2024
Let's start with the jaw-dropping cover - it is just gorgeous. And, with a cover like that, the story needs to deliver. This one does. A truly diverse book - it weaves Afro-Caribbean culture into an immigrant family story, with a hefty does of Yoruba traditions that underlie the traditions of Puerto Rico. And food! The food descriptions are so enticing, literally adding flavor to the story. There is also a sweet budding lesbian romance, played perfectly by Marrero. The soccer scenes are thrilling too, even for this non-soccer fan. A solid debut - hoping to see more from this author! (and that cover illustrator - Rudy Gutierrez).
January 11, 2024
Love the story! Being able to relate, seeing myself and my family in these characters is always a plus and still the story in itself was well written. Lessons of family and forgiveness, letting go of grudges and not seeing the harm or effects until it is too late come to play within this book.
People fear the unknown but yet don't find the time to get to know. This book should get our youth to open their minds and hearts.
People fear the unknown but yet don't find the time to get to know. This book should get our youth to open their minds and hearts.
Read
August 25, 2025Deeply centered in the Nuyorican subculture, specifically with food culture, but also basically about family. Santeria and the goddess Yemaya, and the main character's curandera great-aunt, form the magical portions. A nice little middle grade story for kids (probably mostly girls) whose families won't freak out about the Santoria healer element. The end was quite short-- perhaps there will be a sequel, but the book works quite well as a stand-alone and doesn't leave a cliff-hanger.
September 9, 2023
I really enjoy this book, especially the way it blends two different cultures and emphasizes the strong bond of family. It's great to see how family remains a top priority despite any past conflicts that may have caused them to drift apart. Watching everything come together is truly enjoyable.
November 1, 2023
Enjoyable YA novel.
November 9, 2023
Thoughtful, charming, and just the right amount of silly.
November 12, 2023
My "tween" loved it and awaits the next installment!
November 13, 2023
Preteen book about exploring oneself. You might find yourself looking up some Spanish if you are not fluent in that language.
November 26, 2023
Loved the magic and the family. Cute middle-grade story with queer rep.
December 30, 2023
Beautiful coming of age story of a young first generation girl navigating her family’s complicated past as well as her present day spirituality and culture.
April 27, 2025
A cute little fable/fairytale type book that centers on the importance of family.
Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways, for the free copy of this book.
Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways, for the free copy of this book.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews