THE VISITORS (TALES FROM CABIN 23) by Yamile Saied Mendez

I had the honor of meeting Yamile Saied Mendez at 2024’s ALA Annual Conference in San Diego. When I first heard about THE VISITORS, I reached out to Yamile for a feature. THE VISITORS (TALES FROM CABIN 23) was published on August 26, 2025 and is the perfect book in the lead-up to Halloween!

Few campers at Camp Apple Hill Farm have found the mysterious cabin rumored to be hidden deep in the woods—but those who have whisper of a mysterious woman who tells tales of horrors beyond imagination. Are you brave enough to visit Cabin 23?

When Gen Farías’s brother, Mati, is convicted of a tragic crime, everything changes. Gen’s neighbors look at him and his family with suspicion, his parents barely speak to each other, and no one wants to tell Gen what’s happening. But the worst part is that it’s all Gen’s fault. Mati had asked Gen to leave their bedroom window open for him, but Gen fell asleep. Now, guilt haunts him—guilt, and a terrifying shadow that crouches each night on the tree branch outside his window, watching him with penetrating eyes.

Gen’s parents decide to pack up their lives and move to Los Astros—a beautiful village nestled in the mountains that Gen’s mom used to visit as a child—to try to regain some sense of normalcy. But Los Astros, Gen soon discovers, is no ordinary town. There are creepy wicker figures on every lawn, and strange stories of children who go missing every year. Beneath its idyllic façade, Los Astros has a secret—one Gen must uncover if he doesn’t want to go missing himself.

According to your website bio, you were “born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but [have] lived most of [your] life in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains in Utah.” What do you love most about Argentina, and what do you love most about Utah?

I’ve been so lucky to have grown up and lived in such beautiful places. From Argentina I love (and miss): the river Paraná, the food, the people (my family and friends).

What I love the most about Utah is the natural beauty. I’m so lucky to live nearby a national forest that features a wonderful waterfall (Horsetail). From the red rock desert to the lush mountains, I’m in love with nature here. I also love the friends I’ve made who have become my family.

Friends who become family are the best! In THE VISITORS (TALES FROM CABIN 23), children go missing from a beautiful and mysterious village called Los Astros. How did the idea for this story come to you?

I was born in Argentina under a totalitarian government in which 30,000 people disappeared after arrests and imprisonment. Many of these “desaparecidos” were children. This theme is such a part of my cultural heritage that it keeps popping up in my work. I was inspired by the location in Córdoba because there are rumors that beings from other planets like to visit there 😀

It’s a very relevant theme, and the tidbit about Córdoba is absolutely fascinating! You’ve written books for all ages (picture books, middle grade books, young adult books, and adult books). What do you find most challenging about writing for different age groups, and is there a particular age group or genre that you prefer?

The challenge is finding the time to write all the stories that live in my mind! I love writing for adults, but nothing beats the rush of writing for young readers. My favorite books to this day are those I found as a child, and I think about them all the time! I think there’s no greater privilege than writing a book that one day will become a child’s favorite story.

I feel the same way! What are some of your current projects?

I’m working on a picture book about my favorite sport, a YA about a rock band in Argentina during the dictatorship (I told you the theme keeps popping up in my writing), and another YA romance about a princess.

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