Posted by Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling is a compelling, action-filled graphic novel that tells the unique story of a Filipino family whose food truck business gets disrupted by mythical creatures from Filipino legends. This story explores self-acceptance, the importance of one’s culture, and the power of family.
JJ and Althea are siblings who struggle to fit in with the people at school. JJ worries about getting invited into the popular crowd and suppresses parts of his identity to fit in. Althea, however, is her authentic self, despite being called weird because of her ethnic lunches and fiery personality. They work for their family’s food truck business, where they make traditional Filipino cuisine. One day, things get weird when they find out that monsters from the Filipino stories they grew up with are real – and they’re planning to take over! They find out that their family has powers, and it’s up to them to stop the monsters before it is too late.
As a person with Filipino heritage, this was such a cool book to read! I always love to learn more about my culture, and through Mabuhay! I learned a lot of different Tagalog (the predominant language in the Philippines) words, different Filipino foods, and folklore that I didn’t know previously! I loved how this book really immersed me into Filipino culture. I don’t see many middle-grade stories that are about Filipinos, so it was really interesting to read this one! The author also did an amazing job showcasing the characters’ arcs, even throughout such an action-filled story. The illustrations were very exciting and made the book impossible to put down. I hope that there is a sequel, as I would love to read more stories like this one!
I would recommend this book to middle schoolers, although even someone in high school would enjoy this read. It is pretty fast paced, so I stayed pretty engaged throughout the story. If you enjoy fantasy books like the Wings of Fire series, you will like this book!
I rate this book four out of four roses!
Elena Reads and Reviews 