Omega's town of Noche Buena is split between those who have magic, like her family, who were there first, and the mundane newer families, existing in slightly uneasy harmony. But when the towns cats begin to go missing, suspicion and hostility towards Omega's family begins to grow. Omega's former best friend is part of this movement.
Omega and her cousin Carlito are lonely outsiders, hanging out just with each other and with the ghost girl who lives with them. Adding to Omega's unhappy state of mind is her worry that her magical gifts will never amount to much. As it is, her out-of-control empathetic ability overwhelms her, sometimes to the point of physical collapse.
And then La Lachuza, a legendary owl/woman monster, comes to town. She seems particularly interested in Omega...and Omega, though terrified, senses something in her that speaks to her. But can Omega fight her way through the secrets and lies her own family has woven around her to save herself, her town, and possibly even the monster?
It's a good mystery, and I was drawn in tighter and tighter as more of La Lachuza's story was unfolded with all its intergenerational trauma; the pages turned quickly, and Omega became a beautifully clear character in my mind. Her exploration of her own particular twist on empathy was very satisfying, her fascination with La Lachuza gripping, and I was happy to cheer her on.
A few things did bother me though. I got really frustrated with Omega's mother and grandmother. They thought they were doing the right thing by trying to keep her safe, but mostly did it with fierce anger and obfuscation, which I didn't appreciate. For a family of empaths, they aren't very empathetic in their nurturing--when Omega's ex-friend draws on her face with permanent mark after she passes out from emotional overload, Omega's mom tells her to be forgiving and get over it, becoming a stronger person. Not helpful!
I was also frustrated that Omega's cousin Carlito didn't get any character arc or any particular role in the plot. He could have been cut from the book and it would have been barely noticeable. Balancing that, the ghost girl is a great character who added both entertaining ghostly shenanigans and moving emotional weight.
(There's also a magical library, talking trees, and an attic full of family history--all pluses for me, and a sweet little nascent romance, a plus for the target audience)
And so my final thought is that although I didn't quite end up loving it to pieces, I did like it lots and was glad to see it ended with a tease for more to come!
me and Kirkus are pretty much on the same page--here's their review
Have a nice weekend;)
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