Valentina Salazar is not a Monster Hunter

by Zoraida Córdova

An adventure about a trio of tight-knit, monster-loving siblings.

It takes a special person to end up in detention on the last day of school.

It takes a REALLY special person to accidentally burn down the the school yard while chasing a fire-breathing chipmunk.

But nothing about Valentina Salazar has ever been “normal.” The Salazars are protectors, tasked with rescuing the magical creatures who sometimes wander into our world, from grumpy unicorns to chupacabras . . . to the occasional fire-breathing chipmunk.

When Val’s father is killed during a rescue mission gone wrong, her mother decides it’s time to retire from their life on the road. She moves the family to a boring little town in upstate New York and enrolls Val and her siblings in real school for the first time.

But Val is a protector at heart and she can’t give up her calling. So when a mythical egg surfaces in a viral video, Val convinces her reluctant siblings to help her find the egg before it hatches and wreaks havoc. But she has some competition: the dreaded monster hunters who’ll stop at nothing to destroy the creature . . . and the Salazar family.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure, Audiobook, Family, Horror, Latinx

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2022

About the author

Zoraida Córdova is the author of many fantasy novels for kids and teens, including the award-winning Brooklyn Brujas series, Incendiary, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A Crash of Fate. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark, Come on In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old. Her debut middle grade novel is The Way to Rio Luna. She is the co-host of the podcast Deadline City with Dhonielle Clayton. Zoraida was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she’s planning a new adventure.

NOTE: Direct messages on this account may not be seen. Send her an email at zoraidabooks@gmail.com

Reviews

[Zoraida · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a cover! I love this cover by Lissy Marlin. I am so beyond happy about it.

This book is my love letter to my favorite show, Supernatural, as well as the 90s family adventure movies I grew up watching.

Xo

[Zoraida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just had to listen to the audiobook (for reasons 👀). Ana Osorio did a phenomenal job narrating.

This book is my homage to family, to Supernatural and road trips in cool cars, to magic and monsters, and to little girls who are trying to be seen in a confusing, messy world.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know when I got into this that grief would be an aspect of the book. I think all of the Salazar siblings were finding their way to deal with their father's death in a realistic way.

I loved that Valentina actively tried to keep her family's legacy alive. It's interesting thinking back at how everything unraveled. There were a lot of twists for this middle grade!

Brixy (not sure how to spell her name since I listened to the audiobook) was super adorable. Valentina kept her and has been feeding her sugar because that's what her species eats. She stole candy from Rome, one of the siblings, which I found funny.

The family dynamic is what made this book shine. It had a lot of heart, a great story, and fantastic characters. I would have liked to get to know more about Andy. Maybe a second book could be in the works?

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this a million stars, I easily would. This is a wonderful story. If you have kids or you enjoy middle grade stories as I do from time to time, do yourself a big favor and run to get this one. With my whole heart I hope the author will give us additional books about the the adventures of the Salazar family. LOVED THIS!!!!

[Hannah McMurphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valentina comes from a family of monster protectors, but after an accident that causes her to lose her father, the family has gone into retirement. But Valentina wants to keep her family legacy alive and has to convince her grieving family to join her on one last adventure to save one more magical creature. I loved this premise, but it was ruined for me as soon as they surprised us with the fact that her dad wasn't actually dead. I felt like the story would have been more meaningful if he, in fact, had been killed by the monster, but the family came together to protect the egg anyway because they knew that is what their dad would have wanted. A "he's dead - just kidding" storyline is such a cop out. This could have been a great way to discuss grief with kids who may have actually lost a parent, but instead it no longer would be relatable to those kids.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me a while to get through despite its pretty straightforward story. I've had this issue with Zoraida Cordova's YA books, as well; I think the way she writes just isn't for me. Something about the storytelling feels flat, like it's very much a "telling vs showing" situation. I also don't think she did enough with Brixie and Andie to justify their existence, but I suppose there's always future books.

The story is cute and unique, though, and I think it'll find its audience easily. I just don't think this author will ever be for me.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun world to have been dropped into for a while! Awesome creatures, an epic adventure with siblings, family drama, betrayal, and a surprise twist! Enjoyed this one a bunch. 🦄

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an incredible middle grade book that is equal parts Fablehaven, Cemetery Boys, and Amari & the Night Brothers, bringing the action, adventure and familial love of all three.

Valentina Salazar is the youngest child in a family of NOT monster hunters… well, the Order that her family used to be a part of are Monster Hunters, but her family doesn’t want to destroy, they want to save. Even before her father was killed 8 months ago on a rescue mission, they believed in much more than they were taught.

But the family has dealt his death in different ways. Her oldest sister Ari, for instance, defected to other side… wanting to take revenge on the monsters that took him away from her.

When the egg of the same type of monster who killed their father turns up in a viral video, Val and her two other siblings have to band together to save it, sending them on an adventure that’ll either help re-bond them after their significant loss or break them apart forever.

I’m a huge fan of the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull and I got the same exciting feelings reading this. I love having new middle grade books to recommend to kids when they come in to work, but also something that an adult can read and find enjoyable. I definitely need more time in the world, so I’m happy that it’s a series.

4.5 ⭐️

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun adventure book! Lots of fantastic creatures that Valentina and her family choose to protect instead of hunt. Humans being the real monsters. Fractured family becoming whole and making new friends along the way. A solid, fun book. Can't wait for number 2!

[Jessica Vitalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Salazar’s have a unique vocation: returning supernatural creatures to their own worlds. But when Valentina Salazar’s father is killed on the job, her mother forces them to settle down in a small town––and the Salazar siblings are enrolled in school for the first time. Valentina’s older siblings seem to fit right in, but Valentina is determined to help her family realize that they aren’t where they belong. Unfortunately, her escapades land her in trouble—and lots of it. This is a fun adventure packed full of humor and heart!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to an audiobook version of this novel, and perhaps that is part of the reason that my opinion of it does not seem to be as high as the average opinion on here. I found the narrator a bit cutesy, the coincidences a bit much, the story as a whole rather predictable, and some of the writing frankly a bit annoying. I didn't really dislike this book, but I also didn't like it terribly well.

It is a book about a girl from a family of people who help protect magical animals and monsters and send them back to the land where they belong. The children have lost their father to this calling and each of the children is dealing with the loss in a different way.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adding this to my DNF shelf for now, but the biggest reason is that I could not stomach the singsongy voice of the audiobook narrator. I liked the idea behind the story, so I will likely revisit this with a physical or Kindle copy sometime in the future.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and original read. I am pleased the author mentioned various Latin American countries and cultures- it is certainly not a homogeneous part of the world.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique fantasy, fairly quick read, lots of action, and of course a road trip is the best. The siblings relationships were great and they were older so I might be able to attract 7/8th graders to the book.

[✧~grey~✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite stand-alones! Probably #2 on my list. I really liked the Latina main character and there were many things I found I could relate to. This book was awesome and if you haven't read it, you should immediately. Definitely recommend! :)

[randomreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO fun! Picture Onward meets Encanto. I could honestly see this as a Netflix movie/show one day. Pick this one up if you’re looking for a fast-paced, fun adventure mg (or urban fantasy) featuring a strong family dynamic and unique magical creatures.

[Heather Rosales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good YA novel about a family of monster hunters - who only hunt to save them and then send them back where they belong (no monsters were hurt in the making of this book). So glad Battle of the Books challenge introduced me to this book! 👧🏻📖👧📖👩‍🦰📖👩🏻📖👩🏼📖

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much!

[Nichole Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A uniquely fun middle grade novel about a family of monster protectors.

[Itzé · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m excited to give this book to my nieces, it was such a great adventure with Pokémon thingies and family love ☺️

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentina Salazar comes from a long line of protectors and hunters of magical beings. Val’s family has chosen to live by the motto of Protect, Valor, Heart while her uncle’s side is sure that in order for humanity to live, cryptids must be hunted and killed. When the unthinkable happens and Val’s father is brutally killed by an oru puma (a mountain lion with the wings of a condor and a serpent tail), she, her two older sisters and brother, plus a devastated mom escape to an old family home and attempt to make a life for themselves doing all the normal things-school, extra curricular activities, jobs, etc. But their joy is gone, the oldest sister has joined the hunter group and Valentina is determined to bring the family together using her online discovery of an oru puma’s egg about to hatch. From that moment on, the plot of this new fantasy book zips along rapidly with never before heard of creatures that are the product of author Zoraida Cordova’s imagination and a cross-country chase that will have readers from grades 4 and up hanging onto their seats. Great characters and surprise twists keep this from being a rehash of other magical creatures fantasy series and make it a must-have for libraries. Text is free of sexual content, violence is more or less bloodless, and profanity is left unsaid, but is implied with references to needing a swear jar or replaced with such words as “sugar.”

Thanks for the arc, Scholastic! I sure hope that the final copy has the same larger font and extra white space as the arc has.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

The title says it all. Valentina Salazar is NOT a monster hunter—her father broke away from his hunter family to become a monster protector, and Valentina is determined to follow in his footsteps, even though it ended badly for him. As a fan of Supernatural, I really loved the vibe of this book. It kind of reminded me of a friendlier version of Sam and Dean where the lines between good and bad “monsters” gets blurry. The story starts out with Valentina missing the monster-filled life her family had lived before her father was killed. She struggles with the changes the family has endured and she feels like they’ve all lost themselves in addition to losing her father. Valentina ends up dragging her siblings on an adventure, whether they like it or not. Valentina’s family relationships take center stage, and her sidekick Brixie adds an adorable humor element to the book. The quest is filled with lots of magical creatures and plenty of action!

[Cara Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appeal factors: Storyline: Own voices, action-packed (plot driven but also centers on family relationships), character driven, a bit of world-building in terms of the creatures of the fantasy world, feel-good, hopeful. Character: anthropomorphic (Brixie), awkward, believable, courageous, culturally diverse (Latino family), introspective (Valentina trying to figure out how she fits in to her new family dynamic), likeable, mischievous (she gets in trouble a lot-unfairly), quirky-(doesn't fit in at school), relatable, spirited, spunky, sympathetic, well-developed. Writing style: conversational, attention-grabbing (starts off with a creature-(a firemunk) burning a tree that Valentina has to save). Theme: defend the realm-tries to fight for the rights and protection of magical creatures, for the resistance (her Uncle is corrupted and power-hungry), hidden among us (magical animal world)

[Casey Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun times! Great family themes, as well as good v. evil v. reality. And little sister who wasn't there for important stuff vibes. And yay Brixie!!

A few moments were a little tooo serendipitous for me:
- guessing the Dad's password. I hate when the character guesses a password
- landing at a supernatural equine farm when the car breaks down where there's someone from her small online chat room

[Cande]

absolutely fantastic! what a great, magical story about family and taking care of animals. i really hope we get more books in this world! series, pretty please?

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This might be one of the worst things they’ve ever done. They’ve kept Arturo for eight months. They let us believe he was dead. They’ve kept him alive all this time for a reason.”

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Salazars are all monster hunters, except for Valentina's family. They USED to be monster protectors, but that all stopped when her dad was killed by a monster they were trying to protect and return to their magical world. Now, in the After Times, Valentina and her siblings live in a stationary house, not a van, and go to regular school, instead of being homeschooled by their parents. Val's still exploring strange animal sightings in hopes of bringing her family back together and out on the road. It's the last day of school before summer break, and she gets in trouble by trying to capture a firemunk--a fire-breathing chipmunk. When she gets home that night, she also sees a livestream from a kid who found a dragon egg. Except, it's not a dragon egg, it's the egg of the monster that killed her dad. And no one knows! It's up to Val to stop this unsuspecting kid from hatching a monster in front of viewers online and in-person. It leads to an adventuresome family road trip. The monsters are described really well, and the cover artist captured quite a few of them to bring them to life. I really liked the beginning, but the middle was a bit confusing with all the stops meeting kids from Val's Cryptid Kids community. It also wrapped up too quickly at the end for me. Middle grade fantasy is not my default/favorite genre, and it took me about 3 weeks to get through this.

[Cat Yampell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite that I love the premise, and I wanted to love the book, I had to put it down for several weeks as it was leaving me flat and I virtually never ever leave a book unfinished.
Truthfully, I loved the ending, and I loved the message. I think a more aggressive editor might have made all the difference in the world.
With that said, however, young readers, also known as middle grade readers, are not my favorite genre. Too many authors make the books, the characters, the language, etc., too simple. I do not think that because the genre is for younger readers, it should be used as an excuse for mediocrity. I am absolutely not saying that this book is mediocre; it absolutely isn’t. I just think that either the author or her editor did not push the writing and the development of the story and the characters as far as they should have (which is a shame).
I would not have given this book a 3.00, but more of a 3.50 or a 3.75. Sadly, that is not an option. Also, sadly, I do not believe it merits a 4.00 despite such lovely characters as Brixie. More “Brixies” were needed. However, her speech was very reminiscent of a certain lovable character from Lloyd Alexander’s The Black Cauldron. Then again, some say that some of the greatest artists are the greatest thieves, and that imitation is one of the highest forms of flattery….

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentina Salazar's family were experts in wrangling monsters (for rescue and protective purposes only) until a terrible tragedy made her family put as much distance between them and their former exploits as possible. Valentina is itching to get back to her calling but this may mean breaking with family to do it.

This 100% could be a start to a series and I hope that it is. I loved the "monster protector's angle and it had elements of Indiana Jones-esque adventure plus heist elements. I was into the characters--Valentina isn't the only interesting member of her family and if it does become a series I'd kind of like the focus to move around so we can get more of their perspective too.

If there's a weakness it's just that with the premise, I feel like there could have been more monsters. So much of the book is spent in pursuit of a particular object or running from hunters and that definitely keeps things exciting but we all came for the monsters, right?

Still, a fun adventure story---and in a sense a little bit like the book equivalent of the movie Onward because there's a lot of great family bonding through adversity moments