Callie Martinez-Silva discovers that she’s inherited the powers of Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, when she accidentally inspires her best friend into internet stardom. She and the other young members of the new nine muses are tasked with setting a young scientist on the path to fight climate change while also steering clear of their evil counterparts, the Sirens, and finding the missing Cassandra curse. Personally, I think it’s a lot to ask of an 11-year-old who still has homework to do, but they make it work. 

Both Callie’s regular life and her secret life are very appealing. Like author Chantel Acevedo, Callie is Cuban American. She comes from a big, supportive family who are a big part of her story, and her school is filled with interesting students and teachers. The three other 11-year-olds and five adults of different ages come from all over the world, because “inspiration is universal.” The muses can gather at a floating headquarters that moves around the world, Victoria and Albert Museum in this book. It’s great to see muses hanging out in cultural centers (the V&A is only one of the museums they visit) especially since every location that Callie visits feels very real. It’s a fun feature for folks who are itching for world travel.

The Cassandra Curse does a great job of imagining a world where the Greek gods exist. They don’t appear in this book, but they do in the sequel. The muses themselves are humans who can inspire others, but nothing more. That allows them to operate under the radar and prevents them from becoming modern superheroes. Callie spends much of the book coming to terms with the fact that she’ll always be in the background supporting others, but that doesn’t mean that she’s any less important. It’s a great book for readers of all ages, filled with interesting people, multicultural communities, and real-world challenges, great and small. – Krishni Burns