My Fate According to the Butterfly is a charming, mesmerizing, and captivating upcoming middle grade. While tackling issues of drug addiction and politics, Villanueva presents a story about family, forgiveness, and truth.
Summary
Light and deep, smart and funny, crushing and hopeful all at the same time, My Fate According to the Butterfly will open your eyes to both the world’s potential for magic, and to its harsh realities.
When superstitious Sab sees a giant black butterfly, an omen of death, she knows that she’s doomed! According to legend, she has one week before her fate catches up with her—on her 11th birthday. With her time running out, all she wants is to celebrate her birthday with her entire family. But her sister, Ate Nadine, stopped speaking to their father one year ago, and Sab doesn’t even know why.
If Sab’s going to get Ate Nadine and their father to reconcile, she’ll have to overcome her fears—of her sister’s anger, of leaving the bubble of her sheltered community, of her upcoming doom—and figure out the cause of their rift.
So Sab and her best friend Pepper start spying on Ate Nadine and digging into their family’s past to determine why, exactly, Ate Nadine won’t speak to their father. But Sab’s adventures across Manila reveal truths about her family more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever anticipated.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
My Fate According to the Butterfly allows the true power of story, family, and symbols to unfurl slowly. Sab’s feelings of being stuck between her family, of them not caring about her, is a feeling that can resonate deeply with us. She exists in a world of wants – for families and forgiveness. What starts out as her planning her eleventh birthday ends up uncovering secrets about her family and the people she loves. It is a story that not only tackles family, substance abuse, but also belief.
And while the mystery of Sab’s family unfolds, there are strings of politics and the manipulation of truth in the background. In many ways, My Fate According to the Butterfly is a story about both betrayal and forgiveness. Those moments when we feel like we can’t trust anyone, when our parents aren’t who we thought the were, and the strength of forgiveness. It approaches tough subjects with sensitivity, compassion, and the sharing of knowledge. Whether it deals with colonialism, privilege, politics, or inequality, My Fate According to the Butterfly is one of those middle grades which are introspective and emotional at the same time.
Website — https://butterflynovel.com
Amazon —https://www.amazon.com/Fate-According-Butterfly-Gail-Villanueva/dp/133831050X
Goodreads —https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39884772-my-fate-according-to-the-butterfly
About the Author
Gail D. Villanueva is a Filipino author born and based in the Philippines. She’s also a web designer, an entrepreneur, and a graphic artist. She loves pineapple pizza, seafood, and chocolate, but not in a single dish together (eww). Gail and her husband live in the outskirts of Manila with their dogs, ducks, turtles, cats, and one friendly but lonesome chicken. Her debut novel, My Fate According to the Butterfly, is coming from Scholastic Press on July 30, 2019
Author website — https://gaildvillanueva.com/
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392229.Gail_D_Villanueva
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gaildvillanueva/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/gaildvillanueva/
Twitter — https://twitter.com/gaildvillanueva
Pinterest — https://www.pinterest.com/gaildvillanueva/
Tour Schedule
21 July 2019
- My Fate According to the Butterfly blog tour launch (from Shut up, Shealea)
- My Fate According to the Butterfly blog tour launch (from Your Tita Kate)
- My Fate According to the Butterfly blog tour launch (from The Little Miss Bookworm)
22 July 2019
- Review, creative feature post, and quote graphics from Kaitlyn Gosiaco
- Review, creative feature post, and aesthetics/moodboard from Book Freak Revelations
- Review, and favorite quotes from Whimsy Wanders
- Review, creative feature post, and favorite quotes from Camillea Reads
- Review, quote graphics, author interview, and excerpt from Tale Out Loud
23 July 2019
- Review, quote graphics, and playlist from celuna maria
- Review, creative feature post, aesthetics/moodboard and favorite quotes from Metamorphoreader
- Review, creative feature post, quote graphics, and author interview from Book Reviews by the Bloggisters
- Review, and creative feature post from Unputdownable Books
- Review, creative feature post, author interview, excerpt, and favorite quotes from Read at Night
24 July 2019
- Review from Bookablereads
- Review, creative feature post, quote graphics, playlist, and excerpt from Oro Plata Myta
- Review, and creative feature post from The Bibliophile District
- Review, creative feature post, and author interview from Accio! Blog
- Review, and quote graphics from Utopia State of Mind
25 July 2019
- Review from Bookish Wisps
- Review, excerpt and favorite quotes from R E A (D) I V I N E
- Review, aesthetics/moodboard, and excerpt from The Last Reader
- Review, author interview, and excerpt from Chrikaru Reads
- Review, and creative feature post from The Ultimate Fangirl
26 July 2019
- Review, and favorite quotes from Flipping Through the Pages
- Review, quote graphics, and excerpt from The Night Faerie
- Review, author interview, excerpt and favorite quotes from Fil-Am Learners
- Review, aesthetics/moodboard, and quote graphics from The Bibliophile Confessions
27 July 2019
- #ButterflyTour Twitter chat hosted by @shutupshealea
- 9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
- 9:00 PM Philippine Time
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