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A review by caidyn
Lobizona by Romina Garber
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? Yes
3.75
I received an ARC both through Edelweiss and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
CW: racism, sexism, rigid gender boundaries, ICE raids and detainment, and unwanted sexual advances
Wow, what a book. I really enjoyed this one and the world that it's set in! Manu is an undocumented immigrant from Argentina who's father is a leader of a crime family. She and her mother are on the run. But, things aren't quite what they seem and Manu discovers that there's a whole lot more to her life that she doesn't know.
I found this to be an enjoyable read! I loved how the worlds -- reality and the more fantasy-based one -- mirrored our own. There were chances to combat it and the book did, taking with it sexism and those very rigid gender boundaries and applying them to multiple worlds and showed how they were wrong. It was a good read!
I think my main con for the book was the pacing. It felt off in some respects, mainly because there were so many things that had to be built up for the reader. I'm not in the immigrant community and so I was really appreciative that Garber set the stage so I, as a not own-voices reader, could really get into the mindset of being undocumented and the fear there. But, it did take a lot of time up and I would have liked the fantasy world to be fleshed out just a little more. And by the time it was starting to be built up, the book was coming to a close and then it had to be wrapped up quickly. The reveal at the end felt a little lackluster for that reason.
Still, it was an enjoyable read! I'm excited to read the second book and see how things build from there. It's definitely a series to watch out for!
CW: racism, sexism, rigid gender boundaries, ICE raids and detainment, and unwanted sexual advances
Wow, what a book. I really enjoyed this one and the world that it's set in! Manu is an undocumented immigrant from Argentina who's father is a leader of a crime family. She and her mother are on the run. But, things aren't quite what they seem and Manu discovers that there's a whole lot more to her life that she doesn't know.
I found this to be an enjoyable read! I loved how the worlds -- reality and the more fantasy-based one -- mirrored our own. There were chances to combat it and the book did, taking with it sexism and those very rigid gender boundaries and applying them to multiple worlds and showed how they were wrong. It was a good read!
I think my main con for the book was the pacing. It felt off in some respects, mainly because there were so many things that had to be built up for the reader. I'm not in the immigrant community and so I was really appreciative that Garber set the stage so I, as a not own-voices reader, could really get into the mindset of being undocumented and the fear there. But, it did take a lot of time up and I would have liked the fantasy world to be fleshed out just a little more. And by the time it was starting to be built up, the book was coming to a close and then it had to be wrapped up quickly. The reveal at the end felt a little lackluster for that reason.
Still, it was an enjoyable read! I'm excited to read the second book and see how things build from there. It's definitely a series to watch out for!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexism, and Xenophobia