Charlie Hernandez and the league of shadows by Ryan Calejo

There's nothing special or unusual about Charlie Hernandez.  He knows a lot about the myths of the Spanish speaking world because his abuela spent hours teaching them to him as he was growing up, but apart from that he hangs out with his friends, goes to school, and tries to avoid the attentions of the school bully.  Then one day Charlie comes home to find his parents missing and his home burnt to the ground, and suddenly he is unusual - his new temporary home is the police station, and that's where things get really interesting (and unusual).  With no warning a pair of horns grows out of his head, horns that he scrambles to hide and brings to mind one of the myths his abuela talked about, the one about the Morphling.  But surely he can't be a Morphling - they're just a myth.

When the horns disappear and he goes to live with a temporary guardian it seems as though life is slowly returning to normal, even if it is not the normal he is used to.  Then another strange manifestation happens when he is at school, one that is much harder to hide than a pair of horns.  The only bright side is that the coolest girl in school, Violet Rey, has finally noticed Charlie and wants to hang out with him.  Sure she's bossy and nosy, great traits in an investigative journalist, but not always great traits when you are trying to move slowly and cautiously.  As Charlie and Violet dig into the mystery of his parents disappearance they come to the startling realisation that all the 'myths' his abuela talked about are not myths at all, and that they are going to have to face some dangerous opponents and keep their wits about them if they want to survive long enough to solve the mystery of what is happening to Charlie.

One of the things I really love about books (and series) is when the author takes the time to build a whole world for their characters, complete with mythology and beliefs.  In most cases those mythologies are made up or created based on our mythologies, and in the case of Charlie Hernandez those mythologies are from the Spanish speaking world - and they were an absolute treasure trove of characters that bring the story to life.  Some of the myths I was vaguely familiar with because of pop culture references, but the rest were fascinating and perfectly suited to the telling of the tale.  I can't vouch for how accurately the myths are portrayed, but they were well defined and seemed to follow a sound logic.  

It was also a treat to have a book that seamlessly blends together two languages, in this case Spanish and English.  We don't have a large Spanish speaking population where I live in New Zealand, but I had a Spanish speaking colleague for many years and many of the words were ones she used all the time so it wasn't too hard to figure out what was being said.  Having the blend of languages gave the story more authenticity and makes it more enjoyable as it makes Charlie and his world seem more real.  The characters are also well developed and leap off the page as complete people - with virtues and flaws in equal measure.  

A very engaging and thoroughly satisfying read, and I am already tracking down the second book in the series to see what happens next!

If you like this book then try:

• Percy Jackson and the lightning thief by Rick Riordan
• Hollow Earth by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman
• Stone heart by Charlie Fletcher
• Finding the fox by Ali Sparkes
• Under the mountain by Maurice Gee
• The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
• Lionboy by Zizou Corder
• Northwood by Brian Falkner
• The Halfmen of O by Maurice Gee
• Museum of thieves by Lian Tanner
• Lee Raven, boy thief by Zizou Corder
• The roar by Emma Clayton

Reviewed by Brilla