The Immortal Boy

January 11, 2021
Two stories told in parallel converge tragically in this poignant dual-language YA novel set around Bogotá, Colombia. After a seemingly fearless boy stops a group of kids from tormenting her at an orphanage, Nina decides “to catch him and make him my friend.” There’s just one problem: the mysterious “Immortal Boy,” whom “bullets can’t kill,” prefers to avoid others’ company. Elsewhere in Bogotá, five siblings live in a single room, fighting to keep themselves fed and safe until their father’s return. But when one of them, 13-year-old Hector, is accused of stealing and loses his job, he seeks help from an untrustworthy source, with dire consequences. The novel, told in both first and third person, presents Montaña Ibáñez’s original Spanish text alongside Bowles’s adept English translation. While depictions of extreme poverty and implied gun violence may prove triggering for some readers, the stark beauty of Montaña Ibáñez’s narrative will give those who pick it up much to contemplate. Ages 12–up.

February 1, 2021
Grades 8-12 This dual-language book--presented twice, once in English, once in Spanish--tells two interwoven stories set in Bogot�, Colombia: that of five unparented siblings fighting to survive and that of Nina, at the orphanage, who has big, romantic dreams of what she wishes her life were, especially after crossing paths with the most mysterious of the five siblings, the rumored "Immortal Boy." Bowles' translation captures the shifting gaze of an omniscient narrator--preserving the style of slightly stilted, archaic prose that hearkens back to classic writers like Dickens and Dostoyevsky, and the Spanish text mirrors this style--alternating between it and Nina's first-person, emotion-driven point of view as the tragic story unfolds and spirals. Ib��ez explores the sibling bond and the magical quality of being a child, made especially memorable through bouts of magic realism. The vivid imagery is unforgettable, including the visceral starvation that occurs as the family pays the price of staying together. The American debut of Ib��ez's work will leave readers speechless and contemplative of the pain, innocence, and danger it conveys.

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February 1, 2021
Two sets of young people living in dire circumstances are trying their best to survive in Colombia. Thirteen-year-old Hector and his siblings, Maria, Robert, David, and Manuela, are living in Bogot� on the brink of starvation since their father left and their mother died. As the oldest, Hector assumes the responsibility of finding work to feed his siblings. Determined to stay true to their father's wish that they stay together, they refuse to seek help from social services out of fear of separation. In a parallel story, Nina, the daughter of political prisoners, is a new arrival at an orphanage. As she awaits her mother's release, she is fixated on befriending the Immortal Boy, a loner who, rumor has it, protects bullied children. Told through chapters that switch between third-person narration focusing on Hector's family and Nina's first-person voice, the stories initially do not seem to intersect. Their eventual connection is suspenseful, unexpected, and tragic, underscoring the visceral loneliness that permeates both stories. Fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs may appreciate the eerie tone. This work could serve as a springboard for discussions about poverty and the difficult choices one must make in desperate situations. This English-language debut by award-winning Colombian author Monta�a Ib��ez appears in a bilingual edition, presented flip-book style in both English and Spanish. Intense, surreal, and mysterious. (Fiction. 13-adult)

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Starred review from April 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Ib��ez carefully unravels a memorable parallel narrative in this dual-language novella. Set in Bogot�, Colombia, five siblings between the ages of five and 13, abandoned by their father, share a one-bedroom living space and struggle to feed themselves. Across the city, Nina has recently arrived at an orphanage following her parents' political imprisonment. There, she becomes fascinated by a mysterious child known as the "Immortal Boy," who chases away bullies and speaks to no one. Ib��ez slowly peels back layers to reveal their connection, and dots the story with various motifs and haunting imagery, creating a surreal tone but grounded in the stark reality of the characters. Although the Colombian setting is not fully elucidated, the underlying issues that affect the children speak to large social issues faced by the South American nation, most strikingly captured in the adults and institutions who fail at meaningful intervention. This Spanish and English edition is presented in flipbook style and translated by the award-winning Bowles. VERDICT An unforgettable and tragic story, with many entry points for deep discussions.-Jessica Agudelo, New York P.L.

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