We live in an age marked by moral relativism, in which many young people confuse what is good for them with what is perfect. Objective truth is set aside, firm values ​​are dissolved, and it becomes increasingly difficult for them to dare to dream of something great, to believe that noble ideals are worth living—and dying—for. How can they believe in a love that lasts a lifetime if everything around them tells them nothing lasts forever?

That is why it is more necessary than ever to offer them stories that ignite their imaginations and touch their hearts. Stories that make them look up, inspire them to live with hope and desire authentic, pure, free love, and convince them that goodness, truth, and beauty are not only possible but desirable. We need them to watch movies, listen to songs, and read novels that awaken in them that deep longing for something greater, truer, and more human.

I’ve always been impressed by the success of the Keira Knightley remake of Pride and Prejudice. Without showing a single explicit scene, it manages to maintain a vibrant and captivating romantic tension. It’s proof that love can move without hypersexualization, that it can move without kisses, without caresses, without risqué scenes. Love is possible without reggaeton, without filters, without premature intimacy. Authentic, profound love, the kind that is unhurried and earned with sacrifice, continues to touch the heart when it is given voice.

Along these lines, I want to recommend a recently released novel: Hearts on the High Seas, written by Ana Cuadrado and published by Editorial Alexia. It is the first installment of a young adult trilogy that has all the ingredients to become a benchmark among those seeking something more than superficial entertainment. The story takes us to the sea, to the world of pirates, but it’s not just any old story. It’s an adventure full of courage, loyalty, and dreams. The protagonist is a strong and sensitive young woman, capable of risking everything to defend what’s right, of giving herself for love, of dreaming of a horizon that doesn’t settle for the immediate.

Ana Cuadrado has managed to weave a gripping plot with deep and vibrant characters, who not only entertain, but also pose essential questions: What is worthwhile in life? What am I willing to give up for what I love? What does it mean to truly love? With careful, agile, and emotional prose, the author manages to move the reader, move them, and elevate them. It’s not just a pirate novel: it’s a story that speaks to the human heart and its desire for the infinite.

Hearts on the High Seas is an invitation to live with lofty ideals, to not settle for the easy or the immediate, to discover that true adventure lies in truly loving. And that, today, is more necessary than ever.

With this work, Editorial Alexia remains faithful to its mission: to offer young adult literature that expands the hearts of young people. Literature that sows hope, that awakens the desire for a more beautiful, nobler, and fuller life.

As the author, Ana Cuadrado, herself says:

“There is no greater freedom than that of a heart that loves with all its being. That’s why I write: to remind young people that true love not only exists, but is worth waiting for.”