The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa

The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa. Random House, 2024. 9780593378052 

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Historical fantasy

What did you like about the book? Dami the demonio will do anything to be human again. All they have to do is release every deal they have ever made. But one deal is too hard to ignore. Silas Cain made a deal with Dami to stop his family’s curse from taking hold. If Dami breaks the deal, Silas will die. So Dami decides to break Silas’s curse themselves by traveling to a dangerous island in search of pirate treasure. If they can return the hidden treasure to the pirate captain’s burial, the curse will be broken, Dami can cancel Silas’s deal, and they can be human again. But the island itself will stop at nothing to kill the two. Marisol, a girl who knows her way around the island, is willing to help. Can the trio find the buried treasure and break the curse?

The Diablo’s Curse is the sequel to The Wicked Bargain that can be read as a standalone and features Dami, the most entertaining character from the first book. Luckily for readers, this doesn’t change. And even though they are a demonio, they get outsmarted, deceived, and humanly vulnerable, making them relatable to their friends and the readers. Silas is an equally attractive and adorable protagonist who provides romantic tension, and Marisol (as the voice of reason) is a fantastic support character. The dynamic between Dami and Silas (and Marisol) is full of fun, cute banter and sarcastic synergy that will leave readers smiling as they grow closer while denying the attraction. The terrifying hidden island as the main villain creates a high stakes, adventurous, pirate-esqu environment full of Latine lore, magical traps, and treasure. Dami is genderfluid, changing pronouns and appearances, and all characters are Latine in some capacity. Overall, The Diablo’s Curse is an engaging, smart, often hilarious, and highly entertaining story of three disaster teens trying to survive curses, evil islands, and being human. Really fun read that I highly recommend. 

Anything you didn’t like about it? No!

To whom would you recommend this book? Teens who like historical fantasy, queer relationships, cute romance, pirate adventure, deals and curses, and overall fun adventures. The Wicked Bargain by the same author, any book by F.T. Lukens, and The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas, and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White are good read alikes.

Who should buy this book? High schools and public libraries.

Where would you shelve it? YA Fiction or YA Fantasy

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Very close

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Laila Carter, Cheltenham Township Library System, Glenside, PA 

Date of review: April 30, 2024