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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Shy Virgil feels like a failure for not finding the courage to say hello to Valencia before the end of the school year. But his friend Kaori, who believes in fate and fortunes and is an aspiring astrologer, is sure it’s fated for Virgil and Valencia to be friends, so as summer starts she’s offering him counsel. On his way to Kaori’s one day, Virgil encounters bullying Chet in the woods. True to form, Chet steals Virgil’s backpack. Then he drops it down an old well and takes off. Inside the backpack, nestled in fleece, is Virgil’s beloved guinea pig. Chet was unaware, but would it have mattered? Virgil attempts a rescue on his own but gets stuck at the bottom of the well. Meanwhile, Valencia is out exploring the woods nearby, on her way to her own appointment with Kaori, but she can’t hear Virgil calling out from the bottom of the well because she is deaf. The strands of fate and friendship intertwine in surprising ways in this riveting story alternating among the perspectives of Virgil, Kaori, Valencia (all wonderfully developed, singular characters), and Chet. Filipino American Virgil, who feels overshadowed even in his own boisterous family, finds that his grandmother’s (Lola) stories help sustain him in the well, and maybe, just maybe, their magic extends to real life. If friendship is magic, they surely do. (Ages 8-12)

CCBC Choices 2018 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2018. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

March 1, 2017
Virgil Salinas is shy and bullied at school. Since he doesn't know his multiplication tables, his nasty classmate Chet Bullens, a.k.a. the Bull (your standard-issue middle-school bully), repeatedly calls him retardo. Valencia Somerset, who goes to the resource room with Virgil, feels like an outsider because she's deaf: on my tenth birthday, this girl Roberta gave me a book called Famous Deaf People from History. I would have never given Roberta a book called Famous Blond People or Famous People Who Talk Too Much. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic who provides fortunetelling to other middle schoolers and who counsels Virgil to befriend Valencia ( That's fate! It's like you were meant to be friends! ). Around halfway through the book, Chet drops Virgil's backpack into an abandoned well, and Virgil gets stuck trying to retrieve it. Kaori and Valencia both have a feeling something is off and go to investigate. Told in alternating perspectives of the three kid-heroes and one villain, the story is strongest when dealing with Virgil, whose internal monologue while stuck in the well has him working out how to speak up for himself. While the ending may be a bit too tidy, the children's inner lives are distinctive, and each rings true. sarah hannah gomez

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from January 1, 2017

Gr 3-7-The universe comes together unexpectedly when a unique set of circumstances cause four tweens to cross paths. Central to the story is Virgil, an 11-year-old Filipino American whose grandmother, Lola, helps him to come out of his shell and face the world. When Virgil and his pet guinea pig, Gulliver, end up trapped in a well in the woods at the hands of a bully, Chet, it is up to the stars to align before it's too late. Coming together like spokes on a wheel, everyone converges in the woods-Valencia, a Deaf girl on whom Virgil has a crush; Kaori, an adolescent fortune-teller and free spirit; Kaori's sister, Gen, her jump-roping apprentice; a feral dog Valencia has befriended; and a snake, which is the only thing Chet fears. Unlikely friendships are formed and heroism abounds as the group of young people try to find their way in the world. Plucky protagonists and a deftly woven story will appeal to anyone who has ever felt a bit lost in the universe. VERDICT Readers across the board will flock to this book that has something for nearly everyone-humor, bullying, self-acceptance, cross-generational relationships, and a smartly fateful ending.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from December 19, 2016
Kelly (The Land of Forgotten Girls) offers up a charming novel about a serendipitous friendship that forms among a trio of sixth graders after a bully's heartless act brings them together. Virgil Salinas, an immensely shy 11-year-old, lives in the shadow of his boisterous family, struggles in school, and wants little more than to hang out with his guinea pig, Gulliver, and friend, Kaori Tanaka, a self-proclaimed psychic. Virgil's classmate Valencia, who is ostracized at school because of her near deafness, longs for a friend for the summer and hopes that Kaori's psychic powers might help her vanquish her recurring nightmares. Instead, Kaori enlists Valencia's help to rescue Virgil after he fails to show up for a scheduled meeting. Kelly rotates among the viewpoints of Kaori, Virgil, Valencia, and neighborhood bully Chet, who contribute their own distinct stories, voices, and challenges. Infused with humor and hope, this book deftly conveys messages of resilience and self-acceptance through simple acts of everyday courage. Readers will be left inspired to tackle life's fears head-on. Ages 8—12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

From Kirkus

Starred review from December 15, 2016
The lives of several middle school children intersect one summer day, as if by fate. Kelly's inventive story centers on gentle and quiet Virgil Salinas, a Filipino-American 11-year-old, and is told from several supremely well-crafted perspectives. Virgil longs to find the courage to talk to Valencia Somerset, who is confident, independent, and deaf. Third-generation Japanese-American Kaori Tanaka, Virgil's good friend and a budding entrepreneur, offers kids her gift of second sight as a professional psychic. Chet Bullens is the neighborhood bully, and he torments Virgil regularly. Though he is immediately unlikable, Chet's internal dialogue is nuanced, allowing young readers to understand the forces that shape his worldview and to glimpse the insecurity that underscores his behavior. On his way through the woods to Kaori's house for a reading, Virgil encounters Chet, whose cruelty endangers Virgil's beloved guinea pig, Gulliver, and ultimately leaves Virgil stranded and helpless. This ordeal spurs the unexpected collision of all the characters. Virgil, alone except for visits by personifications from the dark folk tales often shared by his Filipina grandmother, contemplates how he will become the hero in his own story should he survive. The short chapters, compelling characters, and age-appropriate suspense will hook young readers immediately. Neither Valencia nor Chet is cued racially. An original and resonant exploration of interconnectedness and friendship. (Fiction. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Booklist

Starred review from December 15, 2016
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Four middle-schoolers' fates intertwine one summer in Kelly's (The Land of Forgotten Girls, 2016) touching tale of friendship. Scrawny, taciturn Virgil Salinas can generally be found caring for his guinea pig and avoiding neighborhood bully Chet Bullens. The only people he feels comfortable around are his lola (his Filipino grandmother) and his Japanese American friend Kaori, who fancies herself a psychic. Kaori's quirky self-confidence is a foil to Virgil's insecurities, and when he comes to her for help befriending a girl in his class, Valencia Somerset, she can't wait to consult her star chart. For her own part, Valencia struggles with nightmares after being rejected by her best friend, and the fact that she's deaf hasn't made finding new friends easy. When she spots Kaori's business card on a notice board, she makes an appointment to discuss her troubling dreams. That very day, Virgil goes missing, and Valencia joins Kaori's search for the boy. Chapters alternate between the four kids' perspectives, infusing the story with their unique interests, backgrounds, beliefs, and doubts. Lola's hilariously grim Filipino folk stories weave in and out of Virgil's mind, ultimately giving him the courage to stand up for himself; and rather than holding her back, Valencia's deafness heightens her perceptiveness. Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast of misfits.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

From AudioFile Magazine

Ramon de Ocampo and Amielynn Abellera narrate this charming story, told from four points of view. We meet shy Virgil, brave Valencia, bullying Chet, and fortune-telling Kaori, whose middle school lives fatefully intersect one summer day. De Ocampo perfectly captures Virgil's painful timidity--and just as easily brings to life Lola, Virgil's wise, sassy Filipino grandmother, who encourages Virgil to find his inner bayani (hero). Abellera's portrayal of fearless Valencia ("my name could lead people into battle") is especially fine. Valencia happens to be deaf, and secretly lonely; Abellera nails her prickly but lively way of seeing the world. This especially engaging and sensitive production fully accesses the story's keen perceptions on courage, fate, and friendship. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine