Don’t let the bright, young cover fool you—Undercover Latina is a fast-paced spy thriller, tackling serious topics like identity, integrity, and what it means to truly belong.
Fourteen-year-old Andrea Hernandez is on her first solo mission for a covert organization fighting white supremacist terrorism. Her assignment? Go undercover as a white girl to befriend the estranged son of a dangerous leader. The plan sounds straightforward, until comic books, online gaming, and a very cute Latino classmate make the mission a lot more complicated.
Aya de León weaves in sharp, timely conversations about race, heritage, and the moral cost of “passing” as someone you’re not. There’s action, danger, and plenty of undercover tension, but also moments of humor, friendship, and first crushes. Some scenes touch on violence and extremist ideology, but nothing overly graphic, though sensitive readers should be aware of the subject matter.
As an English teacher, I appreciated the book’s layered discussions of identity and belonging, but I would have loved a little more spy craft and a little less time in the world of Triangulo, the fictional game Andrea uses to connect with her target. The gaming elements are creative, but at times they pull focus from the mission itself, and a few school timeline jumps felt a bit disjointed.
That said, Undercover Latina is an engaging and thought-provoking read for middle schoolers. It opens doors to meaningful conversations about culture, ethics, and the choices we make when faced with injustice. It would be a great pick for classrooms, book clubs, and parents looking for stories that blend suspense with substance.
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