Never Look Back
By:
Pheus is a golden-voiced, bachata-singing charmer, ready to spend the summer on the beach with his friends, serenading a girl or two. When he meets Eury, all he wants is to put a smile on her face and fight off her demons. But some dangers are too powerful for even the strongest love, and as the world threatens to tear them apart, Eury and Pheus must fight for each other and their lives.
Featuring contemporary Afro-Latinx characters, this Own Voices retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice is perfect for fans of Ibi Zoboi's Pride.
ISBN: 9781547603732
JLG Release: Nov 2020
Sensitive Areas:
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism , Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Underage Use , Language: Strong Language , Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes , Violence: Sexual Assault/Rape , Violence: General , Violence: Cruelty to Animals
Topics:
Love
, Spirits
, Family life
, Puerto Ricans
, Dominican Americans
, New York City
, Retellings of “Orpheus and Eurydice
,” Hispanic and Latino Americans
, Bronx, New York
, Musicians
, Folklore and mythology
Awards & Honors
2021 Belpre Honor Book for Young Adult Text
Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Horn Book
Pheus is an Afro-Dominican, bachata-singing teen whose Bronx world is upended when he meets Eury, a Puerto Rican girl visiting New York after she is forced from her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Suddenly, instead of spending his time charming girls and going to the beach, Pheus feels driven to allay the trauma that follows Eury. Eury is Pheus is an Afro-Dominican, bachata-singing teen whose Bronx world is upended when he meets Eury, a Puerto Rican girl visiting New York after she is forced from her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Suddenly, instead of spending his time charming girls and going to the beach, Pheus feels driven to allay the trauma that follows Eury. Eury is hoping the evil spirit Ato, who has haunted her life since childhood, won’t follow her to New York, and meeting Pheus distracts her temporarily from her troubles. But eventually, when she is attacked and falls into a coma, Ato finds her and takes her to el Inframundo (the Underworld), and Pheus follows on a quest to save her. This detailed reimagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice mixes contemporary realism with fantasy, starting with the backbone of the Greek myth and adding elements of Caribbean mythology alongside realistic issues of identity and trauma, as Eury’s loved ones debate the best way to help her in her struggles with anxiety. Though one could enjoy this story without prior knowledge of the myth, knowing the original will likely give readers a unique appreciation for this version’s updates. CHRISTINA L. DOBBS
Book Details
ISBN
9781547603732
First Release
November 2020
Genre
Fic
Dewey Classification
F
Trim Size
8 3/10" x 5 1/2"
Page Count
320
Accelerated Reader
N/AScholastic Reading Counts
N/ALexile
N/AFormat
Print Book
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Bloomsbury USA
Potentially Sensitive Areas
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism , Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Underage Use , Language: Strong Language , Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes , Violence: Sexual Assault/Rape , Violence: General , Violence: Cruelty to Animals
Topics
Love, Spirits, Family life, Puerto Ricans, Dominican Americans, New York City, Retellings of “Orpheus and Eurydice,” Hispanic and Latino Americans, Bronx, New York, Musicians, Folklore and mythology,
