Reviews

Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa by Julian Randall

Only show reviews with written explanations

amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Pilar Ramirez is a 12 year old cracker jack film maker. She's from Chicago, lives with her mother, grandmother and sister, and goes by the name Purp. When chasing down a lead about her mother's cousin who disappeared in Trujillo era Dominican Republic, she's sucked into Zafa.

Zafa is connected to Dominican Republic. It's filled with ciguapos, a Bruja, and dark, black dust that protects them from El Cuco and his minions.

Through the course of the book, Pilar races to save the people of Zafa and solve the mystery of her beloved cousin.

The story is rich. Pilar's spunky voice paints it well. In between the action and the mystery, we learn about the history of Trujillo, the impact of generational grief, and the power of stories.

It was an utterly stunning read, and I cannot wait for the next book.

librarypatronus's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s for the ARC of this!

This was an action packed middle grade portal fantasy that gave me some Jumanji vibes! Pilar was such a fun character, and I loved the history and mystery woven into the exciting, fantastical plot. Recommend for fans of Aru Shah, Percy Jackson and anyone who is excited for Dominican characters in middle grade stories!

antoinettepowb's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Such an amazing read!! Pilar is an awesome character; from the fierce love of her family, the dislike of her gentrifying neighborhood to charging into a fight on a magical island. The storytelling from a 7th grader was truly authentic and I could imagine any one of my students telling it. I loved the mix of the Spanish language and the represented history of events in Dominican Republic. I can't wait to have this book on the classroom shelves of my middle school.
Thanks NetGalley!