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A review by lrb0135
Lotería by Cynthia Pelayo
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I liked this book well enough. The idea is a good one, though ambitious.
The author boxed herself in a bit with such specific parameters for each of the 54 cards of Loteria. Perhaps if the author didn't have to tie each mirco story into something horrific, she wouldn't have had to resort to using non-Latino folklore several times. For example, there's a longer story about Japan's Aokigahara Forest that only very loosely ties to latinidad because the protagonist is part Brazilian.
While it's clear the author has talent, the scope of this project is too narrow. A couple of ways to expand it would be to tell stories with varying tones and themes not limited to the horrific and macabre; to combine multiple cards into one story, and when running out of material, to venture into Spanish or Caribbean folklore before diving into other parts of the globe.
The poetry didn't add anything for me. I'd nix that, but I realize it's an easy way to limit a card to 1-2 pages.
Ultimately there were some fun sPoOky moments in this book that I enjoyed, but I did have to push through this one, thus the 3.25 rating. I'd say read this one at your leisure a few pages at a time between reading other books.
The author boxed herself in a bit with such specific parameters for each of the 54 cards of Loteria. Perhaps if the author didn't have to tie each mirco story into something horrific, she wouldn't have had to resort to using non-Latino folklore several times. For example, there's a longer story about Japan's Aokigahara Forest that only very loosely ties to latinidad because the protagonist is part Brazilian.
While it's clear the author has talent, the scope of this project is too narrow. A couple of ways to expand it would be to tell stories with varying tones and themes not limited to the horrific and macabre; to combine multiple cards into one story, and when running out of material, to venture into Spanish or Caribbean folklore before diving into other parts of the globe.
The poetry didn't add anything for me. I'd nix that, but I realize it's an easy way to limit a card to 1-2 pages.
Ultimately there were some fun sPoOky moments in this book that I enjoyed, but I did have to push through this one, thus the 3.25 rating. I'd say read this one at your leisure a few pages at a time between reading other books.