‘Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe’ by Carlos Hernandez

Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, while an entertaining sequel, also has a lot to recommend in its own right as a story.

You’ll recall that Sal Vidón, one of the titular characters, is able to pull objects through from other parallel worlds. In this follow-up adventure, he and Gabi Reál must contend with another version of Gabi from another world in the multiverse. She’s gone from world to world, “saving” the Sal in each of these worlds from his father, Gustavo Vidón — who in every world is a calamity physicist trying to close-up all the holes that Sal has made between worlds.

The series is particularly enjoyable for its cast of rich characters and details.

I’m especially impressed by this book’s depiction of a polyamorous family. I can’t think of any other middle-grade book that offers representation of this type.

Gabi’s family encompasses many people, all of whom are recognized as her “dads.” Sometimes this honor crosses gender, and even crosses species boundary; a large friendly cat, sort of in shared custody between the Reál family in two different worlds, has the honorific, “Meow-dad.”

The emphasis in this portrayal is upon close-knit caring: toward Gabi and toward each other. One of the story’s most touching scenes concerns the building of a house in the Reál family’s tiny-home village for the newest addition among Gabi’s “daddies.”

Another enjoyable touch concerns the unique personalities of various A.I. machines.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and, while I understand that a pre-publication copy might need further editing, I was surprised at how often the beginnings of sentences, and the first letter of characters’ names, were rendered in lowercase. One or two instances wouldn’t have been worth commenting, but this went on throughout the book — and I had to wonder how and why the manuscript turned out this way.

Altogether, I think this book will be an enjoyable addition to young readers’ collections in libraries.

Author update, November 2022: More than two years after my initial reading of this book, I have newfound appreciation for the book’s depiction of an aromantic character. That didn’t really register at the time and, since then, I’ve gained far greater awareness of the orientation and romantic-attraction spectrums.