"You don't have to believe to be protected. I believe enough for all of us."

Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil by Danette Vigilante was such a joy to read for #PRHeritageMonthTour. It was dripping with Puerto Rican adobo, sazon and sofrito. The representation hit home for me in every way. I wish this book existed when I was in middle grade. Tia's character and story was so relatable to me as a  Nuyorican Brooklynite. 

The aspects that really hit home for me were:
🇵🇷 the culture clash across generations
🇵🇷 the misunderstanding and intolerance of ancestral ways
🇵🇷 the strong love of family 
🇵🇷 the power of abuelita's love
🇵🇷 the ways girls are treated differently once they hit puberty
🇵🇷 the way brown kids have to grow up faster than they need to because of certain environments
🇵🇷 the innocence of first loves
🇵🇷 how real life can become horror
🇵🇷 how secrets create trauma
🇵🇷 the importance of safe spaces for kids in NYC neighborhoods
🇵🇷 the strength of tradition and culture 

I loved that the atmospheric writing really brought this story to life. I was SCARED for real the entire time. The abuelita moments softened the mood throughout. I am absolutely in love with this one forever and I highly recommend you pick this one up and share with your friends and family. If you're looking for a scary, Brooklyn story with lots of boricua spice this one is for you.