Sara’s story

BOOK REVIEW

SARA’S STORY

Author: Ana Alonso | Javier Pelegrín From the reader report by: Tony Beckwith

This book—which is more than just a book—was written by Ana Alonso and Javier Pelegrín, who have “shared life and a literary adventure” for the last dozen years. This creative team is already well-known for works such as El Secreto de If (The Secret of If), which was awarded the Barco de Vapor prize for young adult literature in 2008, and for sagas such as La llave del tiempo (The Key to Time) and Tatuaje (Tattoo), which have been translated into several languages.

Sara’s stream-of-consciousness narrative is a young adult’s fantasy about the world’s social and commercial structures a few decades into the future, though many of the issues she discusses are just as relevant today, in 2021. The writing is sharp and sparkling and never slows down; Sara is thoughtful and intelligent and her highly articulate ruminations keep the senses engaged.

PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS US

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS ESPAÑA

Title SARA’S STORY HISTORIA DE SARA

Author Ana Alonso | Javier Pelegrín Genre Children and Youth Pages 408

ISBN 978-84-67373-22-6 Year of publication 2015 Number of editions 5 Language Spanish Spanish retail price 14.90 €

Author’s biography: Ana Alonso was born in 1970, in Barcelona. She was a biology teacher but now dedicates her time solely to writing. She has won poetry prizes, such as the Hiperión (2005), the Ojo Crítico (2006), the Antonio Machado (2007) and the Alfons el Magnànim (2008), and has published several titles for children with publishers including Anaya, Santillana, SM, La Galera and Oxford University Press. Javier Pelegrín was born in 1967, in Madrid and he is a teacher of Spanish language and literature. He specialises in young adult literature and is a great fan of comics, videogames and transmedia literature. Together, Ana and Javier have published 20 books for young adults and their work has garnered several prizes including the Barco de Vapor, the White Ravens and the Anaya for Children and Young Adult books. Some of their books have been translated into English, French, German, Japanese and Korean. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana_Isabel_Conejo | https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javier_Pelegrin

Synopsis: The year is 2055. Huge multinational companies dominate a globalised world and the symbols of a person’s identity can be sold on the market through sophisticated advertising techniques. Education is not aimed at producing effective workers but rather perfect consumers. From a young age, boys and girls are bombarded with publicity adapted to their preferences, psychology and personal weaknesses. Dani and Sara, two teens who represent two of the major brands in the market try to regain their freedom and find their own path. To do this, however, they find themselves obliged to break the rules and challenge all those around them. This is a transmedia story that continues on the internet via the web and on real-life blogs which give this work an innovative digital dimension and broaden the reader’s experience to beyond the bounds of the page.

Publisher: Oxford University Press is an enterprise attached to Oxford University. Our mission is to support the University’s drive for excellence in research and education through our publications which are available across the world.

Publishing rights available from: Company Oxford University Press España S. A. - CIF A78058492 Avda. de Castilla 2, 28830 San Fernando de Henares, Madrid www.oup.es Contact: Miriam Vázquez Blanco [miriam.vazquez@oup.com] Phone: (+34) 639 440 243

Prizes and reviews: “Odio el Rosa: Historia de Julia” (I Hate Pink: Julia’s story), by the same authors, won the novels belonging to a saga category of the Templis Prize which is organised by the Young Adult online magazine “EL templo de las Mil Puertas”.