Lobizonas do NOT exist.
Both of these statements are false.
Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past--a mysterious "Z" emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal. . . .it's her entire existence.
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: ⭐⭐
My Review: This one started out so well!! I was hooked on the story and the characters and I just couldn't put it down. Then somewhere along the way about 40-50% in the story just started to fall apart and I was really wanting to just put it down. It really started to drag and I just started to not care. I did hold out to find out how this one ended and I will say that around 80% into the book it started finding its way again. But by that time I just didn't care. Sadly I think this one would have been a lot better if it would have been shorter. There is so much that could just be filler. I also do not think I will continue with the story unless the next one is way shorter than this one.
Review
FALL 2020 KIDS' INDIE NEXT PICK
BUZZFEED, "13 Fantasy Novels You'll Love", "17 Summer Must-Reads For Fantasy Lovers", and "38 Great Books To Read This Summer, Recommended By Our Favorite Indie Booksellers"
THE NERD DAILY, "The Most Anticipated 2020 Book Releases"
BOOK RIOT, "20 Must-Read 2020 SFF Books", "Most Anticipated Books of 2020", and "Summer 2020 YA Books: Your Reading List is Hot, Hot, Hot"
LATINXS IN KID LIT, "2020 Titles By/For/About Latinx"
TOR.COM, "The 25 Most Anticipated SFF Books for the Rest of 2020"
SHE READS, "Most Anticipated Books of 2020"
Spring 2020 OKRA Pick
"In a timely work of magical realism featuring references to Borges and Garcia Márquez, Garber tackles issues of nationalism, identity, and belonging...This layered novel blends languages and cultures to create a narrative that celebrates perseverance." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (Starred Review)
"Garber’s gorgeous novel combines the wonder of a Hogwarts-style magic school with the Twilight-esque dynamics of a hidden magical species that has strict rules about interacting with the human world." - BOOKLIST (Starred Review)
"This genre-bending mashup will win over fans of swoon-y, suspenseful paranormal dramas." - KIRKUS
"A politically exigent #ownvoices novel...with a rich exploration of hybrid identities, it's an astute and absorbing piece of magical realism." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Lobizona somehow loves its genre while simultaneously tearing it apart with werewolf claws, reveling in earthy magic and righteous anger." - NPR.org
"Steeped in Argentine folklore of lobizonas (werewolves) and brujas (witches), this is such an important story to tell, and it’s also an engrossing read. - BUZZFEED
"Lobizona by Romina Garber is the kind of book that digs its claws into you and leaves marks so you don’t forget what you just experienced...With Lobizona, Romina Garber is poised to become a strong literary voice of this era." - THE NERD DAILY
"Romina Garber's Lobizona is a young-adult fantasy novel of Argentinian folklore that doesn’t pull punches highlighting the plight of many undocumented immigrants in the United States." - USA TODAY
"Garber, who also writes under Romina Russell (Zodiac), uses exquisite prose to build an elaborate, gorgeous world that is likely to appeal to fans of Anna-Marie McLemore and Elana K. Arnold. Manu's exploration of her identity--both in Miami and elsewhere--reflects how Latinx communities have historically been and continue to be affected by U.S. politics. From the book's harrowing opening, Manu is set on a fantastical journey of self-discovery that subverts and reinterprets familiar fairytale tropes." - SHELF AWARENESS
“With vivid characters that take on a life of their own, beautiful details that peel back the curtain on Romina's Argentinian heritage, and cutting prose that shines a light on the difficulties of being the ‘other’ in America today, Romina Garber crafts a timely tale of identity and adventure that every teenager should read.”
–Tomi Adeyemi New York Times bestselling author of Children of Blood and Bone
“Romina Garber has created an enthralling young adult fantasy led by an unforgettable Latinx character Manu. In Manu we find a young girl who not only must contend with the injustice of being undocumented she also discovers a hidden world that may explain her very existence. I fell in love with this world where wolves, witches and magic thrives, all in a rich Latinx setting! Lobizona will surely place Garber alongside the Harry Potters of the world” –Lilliam Rivera, author of Dealing in Dreams and The Education of Margot Sanchez
FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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