Wychella wasn't always Wychella. Once, she was Isabella, regent of the Kingdom of E, but that was her blood siblings doing. Before becoming blood sister to Phoebe and Gerald, she was Isabel Sánchez, a nerdy teen enamored of fairy tales, myths, and legends.

       When Isabel, Phoebe, and Gerald exchange blood from their heart fingers, they designate themselves as leaders of the Kingdom of E. It's all play-acting, but the wonder and the excitement of the fantasy world they create empowers them to resist the bullies who have been tormenting them.

Phoebe and Gerald take to calling Isabel, Queen Isabella. For her part, Isabel yearns to become a good witch and practice white magic. That is her wish. She wants to cure the bullies of their meanness, help Gerald find the father he has never known, and ensure that Phoebe does not move away.

        A silver sphere she finds in a peculiar bookshop enables her spells. But as her powers develop, dire consequences ensue. Isabel never expected to find herself trapped behind a brick portal, or to have to embark on a dangerously dark quest to find the path back home.

​

5 STAR REVIEW FROM READERS' FASVORITE

​

C.P. Florez writes with a conversational voice that convincingly captures a twelve-year-old's inner world, mixing humor with real emotional weight, like Isabel's embarrassment over her changing body. The pacing is well handled, opening on the dramatic disappearance before easing into Isabel's backstory, which builds curiosity rather than losing momentum. The most compelling thing is its cast of characters, especially Ralphie's scrappy allegiance and Isabel's own multi-veiled narration, bookish, comical, and crumbling. The fantastical elements are grounded in the theme of familial relationships, as well as in the ‘messiness’ of youth, making it feel true. I loved the use of East Harlem's particular texture and fairy tale wonder, rather than as discrete worlds. Wychella: Blood Siblings & The Becoming is a warm and loving beginning to a promising series.

​