Description

An unforgettable journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human. The incredible Newbery Medal-winning novel from Donna Barba Higuera.

“Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes – truly a beautiful cuento.”
– NEW YORK TIMES

Habia una vez . . .

There lived a girl named Petra Pena, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.

But Petra’s world is ending. Earth will soon be destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity’s past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether.

Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?

Publisher Review

Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes - truly a beautiful cuento * New York Times * Clever and compelling . . . wonderfully subversive * The Wall Street Journal * This tale packs a wallop. Exquisite * Kirkus Reviews * The Last Storyteller took risks as an MG sci-fi novel and I'm very grateful it did. Some believe you must water certain themes down for younger readers because they're unable to handle it, but, in this case, I don't agree. At the heart of it, The Last Storyteller is about the power of storytelling, human connection and family. What a spectacular book! -- Rachel Faturoti, Author of Sade and Her Shadow Beasts * Rachel Faturoti, Author of Sade and Her Shadow Beasts *