Los Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman

In Diana López's enchanting middle-grade novel, 'Los Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman,' twelve-year-old Felice learns the shocking truth about her parentage: she is the daughter of La Llorona. Driven by a desire to help her mother and overcome her own intense fear of water, Felice travels to the mystical town of Tres Leches. There, she teams up with other children of famous 'monstruos' to lift ancient curses, bring peace to her mother, and free the town. This book is a delightful blend of adventure, self-discovery, and rich Mexican folklore, perfect for readers aged 8-11 who enjoy magical realism and cultural stories.

The twelve-year-old daughter of La Llorona vows to free her mother and reverse the curses that have plagued the magical town of Tres Leches in this delightfully sweet and spellbinding adventure by beloved author Diana López. When Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she catches a ride to the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river. Growing up with her uncle Clem in Corpus Christi, Felice knew that she had been rescued from drowning—it’s where her intense fear of water comes from—but she had no idea her mother remained trapped between worlds, looking for her. Guided by the magical town’s eccentric mayor, Felice vows to help her mother make peace with the events that turned her into the most famous monstruo of US–Mexico border lore. Along the way, she meets the children of other monstruos, like La Lechuza and the Dancing Devil, and together they free Tres Leches from magical and metaphorical curses that have haunted its people for generations. Diana López’s electric return to middle grade—the first in a series—brims with magic, adventure, and Mexican folklore, and is perfect for fans of Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega and the Jumbies series by Tracey Baptiste.