A review by kcv
The Gilded Survivor by Daniela A. Mera

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I started reading this one because it was on my kindle so I think I won it in a Goodreads giveaway. I had no idea what it was about and just dove right in. The first page has an author's note which explained that the author is bilingual and she switches between Spanish and English all day. She wanted the book to read the same way. Where most books with Spanish in them will italicize the Spanish, she didn't want the othering to happen. She wanted her characters to seamlessly speak both spanish and English and I LOVED IT. What a good start to Latinx Heritage Month. The book itself gives hunger games vibes, but instead of sending off poor kids to be killed, it's just a competition for young adult rich kids. This first book is all the lead up to the games and it's exactly what I wanted from Hunger Games. Give me the training, the preparation, don't rush into the games. It was such an enjoyable read. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.