Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Girl preserves history on new planet in fresh sci-fi twist.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As THE LAST CUENTISTA opens, 14-year-old Petra Peña is about to join her parents and brother on an interstellar trip to another habitable planet. When she wakes up, she discovers she's been betrayed by the Collective, that her family members have been purged instead of resuscitated. Deposited on the planet Sagan, Petra looks for the opportunity to leave the other settlers behind while keeping the storytelling traditions alive.
Is It Any Good?
Storytelling can change the world, and this intriguing interstellar science fiction adventure explores the perils of colonizing another planet. Author Donna Barba Higuera delivers a new twist on a sci-fi staple, the generational spaceship. The antagonists are one-note members of a cult, but they're villainous in an interesting way. Petra is a highly sympathetic main character -- brave, compassionate, and resourceful -- working to save her family and their Latino history.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it would be like to leave home forever, as happens in The Last Cuentista. What would it feel like to never see your family again?
Have there been campaigns in recent history to eradicate all mention of certain topics?
Why is storytelling valuable? How do folklore and mythology give meaning to the world?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Levine Querido
- Publication date : October 12, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Awards : Newbery Medal and Honors , Pura Belpré Awards and Honors
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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