The Last Cuentista Discussion Questions written by the Hobbit. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Book: The Last Cuentista
Author: Donna Barba Higuera
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia
Length: 336 pages
Age suggested: 11+
Release Date: October 12, 2021
Themes: Power of stories, Mexican folklore, authoritarianism
Warnings: death of family members
Quick Summary of The Last Cuentista
When 12-year-old Petra Pena goes to sleep, she knows that it will last several hundred years. A solar flare has thrown Halley’s comet onto a collision course with earth, and only a few hundred people – including her family – are leaving for another planet. But when she awakens, she is the only person who remembers earth.
The Last Cuentista Review (Contains Spoilers)
Petra has always wanted to tell cuentos – stories, When she and other children are placed into a centuries-long sleep, a learning program is set to teach them, while asleep, about skills they will need on Sagan – the new planet that humanity is escaping to. Petra asked to add stories – but this was denied. However, Ben, the person who will watch over several of the sleeping pods, including hers, manages to download much of the world’s literature to her.
When she awakens, she discovers that a sinister group has, over the hundreds of years of flight, taken over the ship. They have made genetic modifications so that they are all alike, and have wiped out all memory of the earth. Everyone is to be the same. But Petra, because of the alterations Ben made, does remember. Several other children awoke with her. To survive she will need to make those children also remember earth – through stories.
We are storytelling creatures. One of the most encouraging trends in YA fiction is an emphasis on the power of stories to transform us. In this emphasis, we are being introduced to the variety of cultures and subcultures that created them. The Last Cuentista introduces us to Mexican folklore and its power to show us who we are and transform us. Petra is a great protagonist. She has daunting odds to overcome, and how she faces each new challenge will keep readers fully engaged.
-Why Read The Last Cuentista-
Self-sacrifice is a recurring theme – from the opening, when Petra’s beloved abuelita (grandmother) sits with her, calmly accepting her fate (she is not going with them to space), to the sacrifice that Ben makes, to the ones that Petra makes, and another huge one at the end of the book. Petra has a sight disorder, so the book, among many other things, deals with overcoming physical disabilities. It is a powerful testament to how stories affect us, and how stories help us discover who we are. And in our stories, we find our past, and can use the triumphs and the failures of the past to build a better future.
Notes:
Spirituality: There are a few passing references, and the underlying concept of the power of story is one that is profoundly spiritual.
Lewis/Tolkien – neither believed in “sugarcoating” stories to make them more palatable for children.
The Last Cuentista Quotes
“You must always remember the story of the fox and crow. It is good to trust others. But there are some, like the fox, who will make promises to gain your trust. They are tricksters and will not have your best interest at heart. You must be able to sense those who have selfish intentions.”
“Never be ashamed of where you come from, or the stories your ancestors bring to you. Make
“Each story, each person is different. Messy sometimes. But colorful, mismatched, and beautiful.”
“By honoring the past, our ancestors, our cultures—and remembering our mistakes—we become better.”
“I know stories can’t always have happy endings. But if there are chances for us to do better, we have to say out loud the parts that hurt the most.”
The Last Cuentista Quotes by Donna Barba Higuera
Last Cuentista Discussion Questions
- “I lean in. “She might even devour them.” I realize how different and creepy a lot of Mexican folklore is. Love, humor, pain, magic, lost souls—all woven to create stories most cultures might sugarcoat.” What stories have you been told that may have been sugarcoated? You might want to go and find the original versions of some of our common fairy tales.
- “Each story, each person is different. Messy sometimes. But colorful, mismatched, and beautiful.” How are you uniquely different? How are your friends different? How can you try to find other stories to make yours more beautiful?
- “by honoring the past, our ancestors, our cultures—and remembering our mistakes—we become better.” Many times we want to see the good in the past and ignore the mistakes. Why is it important to honor the past and remember our mistakes?
- How do you think you would react to being asleep for hundreds of years?
- What was Petra’s best quality?
The Last Cuentista Awards:
- Winner of the John Newbery Medal
- Winner of the Pura Belpré Award
- TIME’s Best Books of the Year
- Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Year
- Boston Globe’s Best of the Year
- Publishers Weekly’s Best of the Year
- School Library Journal’s Best of the Year
- Kirkus Reviews’ Best of the Year
- Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best
- New York Public Library Best of the Year
Thanks for reading The Last Cuentista Discussion Questions. Before you go, check out these other posts:
–A Wish in the Dark Review
–Amari and the Night Brothers Review
–Look Both Ways By Jason Reynolds Review
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and The Last Cuentista Discussion Questions use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.