The Wicked Bargain
Gabe Cole Novoa’s The Wicked Bargain is an action-packed pirate adventure and so much more. It is a tale of acceptance and transformation. Novoa’s main character, sixteen-year-old Mar León de la Rosa, is a seasoned Caribbean pirate who is part of an unstoppable crew captained by Mar’s father. Together, they raid Spanish ships and aid revolutionaries throughout the region, working fearlessly to end Spanish rule. However, it all ends one terrible night when el Diablo arrives to settle a deal he made with the captain long ago.
Mar is the sole survivor of el Diablo’s wrath and is plucked out of the wreckage by the last pirate crew on the Caribbean Sea. Wracked with grief and overwhelmed by the task of hiding both their transmasculine nonbinary identity and supernatural abilities from the crew, Mar embarks on a secret journey to save their father. Despite Mar’s godlike abilities to control the elements, their self-loathing is nearly their undoing. It takes the unlikely team of a handsome pirate and stylish demonio to help Mar accept themself and unearth the magic required to save their father.
This novel is an excellent addition to any classroom library. The themes of family, acceptance, and friendship leap off the page with the same intensity as the swashbuckling action. The pirates are as kind as they are fierce, and this novel reminds readers that queer people have existed throughout history. Inclusive stories teach all of us that self-acceptance is the path to belonging.
