Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories

From zombies to cannibals to star-crossed, shapeshifting lovers to Death incarnate, this cross-genre anthology written by superstar authors from across the Latin American diaspora offers bold new thrills for every monster lover.

From zombies to cannibals to death incarnate, this cross-genre anthology offers something for every monster lover. In Our Shadows Have Claws, bloodthirsty vampires are hunted by a quick-witted slayer; children are stolen from their beds by "el viejo de la bolsa" while a military dictatorship steals their parents; and anyone you love, absolutely anyone, might be a shapeshifter waiting to hunt.

The worlds of these stories are dark but also magical ones, where a ghost-witch can make your cheating boyfriend pay, bullies are brought to their knees by vicious wolf-gods, a jar of fireflies can protect you from the reality-warping magic of a bruja--and maybe you'll even live long enough to tell the tale. Set across Latin America and its diaspora, this collection offers bold, imaginative stories of oppression, grief, sisterhood, first love, and empowerment.

Full contributor list: Chantel Acevedo, Courtney Alameda, Julia Alvarez, Ann Dávila Cardinal, M. García Peña, Racquel Marie, Gabriela Martins, Yamile Saied Méndez, Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, Claribel A. Ortega, Amparo Ortiz, Lilliam Rivera, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Ari Tison, and Alexandra Villasante.

Author: Yamile Saied Méndez, Amparo Ortiz
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Published: 09/06/2022
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.20w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781643751832
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2022
Booklist 08/01/2022 pg. 68
School Library Journal 09/01/2022 pg. 116
Shelf Awareness 09/16/2022
Publishers Weekly 10/31/2022

About the Author

Yamile Saied Méndez is the author of many books for young readers, including Furia, a Reese's YA Book Club selection and the inaugural winner of the YA Pura Belpré Award. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina. A Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and a founding member of Las Musas, a marketing collective of Latine authors.

Amparo Ortiz is the author of Blazewrath Games and Dragonblood Ring. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and currently lives on the island's northeastern coast. When she's not teaching ESL, she's streaming K-pop videos, vlogging for her eponymous YouTube channel, and writing about worlds both contemporary and fantastical.