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carolined314's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Sexism, Deportation, and Sexual assault
Minor: Violence
namielle's review against another edition
Moderate: Xenophobia
ninamanon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The magic system and the world are beautiful though! Really loved that.
I really felt the loneliness and hopelessness of being considered “illegal”.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, Death of parent, Drug use, and Misogyny
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Manu and her mother are undocumented, laying low to protect themselves from Manu's father's crime family. But when Manu stumbles into the truth about her mother's job, she's also thrust into the truth about her father that will show her a side of herself that she never knew existed.
Garber builds upon folklore to create a magical realist coming of age story. The story starts in one area, following Manu and her mother, but it quickly becomes more than that as Garber explores family history, growing up, and what it means to be undocumented in the United States. Manu is an engaging and at times frustrating character, who is easy to care for. Her search for her father and to learn more about his past adds just enough mystery to create an engaging through line in the story. Adding in a full cast of characters that are distinct in both their frustrating characteristics and their lovable ones, a setting change that provides new opportunities for Manu, and a hint of magic make this story heartfelt, adventurous, and thought provoking.
As this is one half of a duology, Garber leaves the end of the story at a high point of action and a turning point for Manu. I'm interested to see what happens next and to learn more about the world that Garber has created.
Graphic: Grief, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Violence
thejuliebookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Garber has written excellent YA fantasy. This story discusses issues of sexism, binaries, gender roles and expectations, culture, and being undocumented with nuance, empathy, and anger. You’re definitely going to want to check the content warnings for this book.
I enjoy reading books with untranslated Spanish dialogue, phrases, or sentences. LOBIZONA was particularly fun for me, because it made me realize that I was unfamiliar with Argentine Spanish, and I went down a huge internet rabbit hole after reading the first chapter.
The most important stuff for plot or character development is translated, and non-Spanish speakers can easily use Google Translate for the rest. If this makes you frustrated, remember that language is an essential part of identity and culture – the Spanish is intrinsic to the novel and LOBIZONA would feel incomplete without it!
I’m not going to say too much else for fear of spoiling, as the synopsis for this book is quite vague. But know that I really loved this book and immediately purchased the duology.
Graphic: Confinement, Deportation, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Xenophobia
author2223's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racism
lupitabaeyongo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Xenophobia and Homophobia
melinabarbuto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Xenophobia, and Stalking
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Police brutality, Homophobia, and Drug use
rachelgronbach's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, and Xenophobia
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rep: Undocumented Argentinian female MC, Latine male love interest, Latine WLW couple, Latine cast.
CWs: Abandonment, blood, body shaming (for unusual eye color), confinement, drug use (sedatives), homophobia/homomisia, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia/lesbomisia, misogyny, outing, racism, sexism, transphobia/transmisia, violence, xenophobia.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia