Hello, hello, hello friends!
I today I’m bringing you a review for Lobizona by Romina Garber. I read an e-Arc of this book back in April and had a lot of fun doing so! Seriously, it hooked me from the very first page.
Romina Garber was one of the very first YA Latinx authors I read. I remember asking my mom to gift me Zodiac because I thought it was the coolest idea and then when I saw that the author was Latinx I was even more excited. So when I read about Lobizona I knew I had to get it because the author is so dear to me! Anyway, on with the review.
Lobizona
Author: Romina Garber
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: August 4th, 2020
*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley which in now way influenced my thoughts or opinions.
Some people ARE illegal.
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.
Topics dealt with: ICE Raids, menstruation, homophobia, sexism
Lobizona centers around Manuela’s life after her mother is deported. The story takes place in Miami and as the synopsis mentions Manu is an undocumented immigrant. Manu goes on a journey about finding herself and exploring her Argentine roots deeper. The novel also talks about different Argentine myths. I am not an OwnVoices reviewer for Lobizona, if you wish to read more about its representation please read Cande’s review over at Latinx Magic!
The story is well paced novel and has some amazing world building! The world building was on of my absolute favorite aspects, it’s magical and lush. Most of the novel is set with the magical school and I loved how unique the setting was. El Laberinto is full of greenery and fully encompassed the magic that the Garber wanted to create. There is also a magical world besides the school, but I won’t get into that much. Only thing for you to know is that I loved all the nature aspects of the setting.
Lobizona deals with some amazing themes such as immigration, equality, and family. Garber discusses immigration not only in the real world, but incorporates them seamlessly within the fantasy world too. Family is a huge one and found family as well. I adore stories where main characters have deep connections to their parents and grandparents. Manu has so much love for her mother and the exploration of their relationship is one I enjoyed. It isn’t perfect, but both of them try to understand each other. Then there’s Manu’s surrogate grandmother, Perla, who has fostered her love for reading. It was so cool to read about Latinx authors that Manu loved because of Perla. My heart!
Equality and gender roles within the magical society was another theme that was greatly incorporated from reality to fantasy. What does it meant to be the only of your kind and how will it uplift others? The exploration of this question was masterfully done.
Then there’s the characters. I loved the whole group of friends and their dynamic. They are all very different, but there’s so much love between them and for Manu to get to experience that it was great. You see her growth externally (building relationships) and internally (solidifying her identity and autonomy). My favorite side character was definitely Catalina!
There’s romance in Lobizona which I was too thrilled about how it developed at first but liked it later on. I was more invested in Manu’s friendships and family to be honest.
The take on the werewolf myth is so different from others I’ve read or seen. I thought it was fresh and it really captivated me. It had been a long time since I read paranormal fantasy and this one is just what I needed to get back into it. I really like this new wave of paranormal books but with diverse characters.
My only critique for this book would be the pacing at the beginning. I know it’s a fantasy and they tend to be slow when starting, but the reason Lobizona felt slow was not because of world building per se. It was due to direct translations of what the characters were saying in Spanish. There were a lot of lines that would just repeat themselves in English, lines that could’ve been understood with the context. I found myself skipping the English lines, they were just cumbersome. Besides that I loved it!
Lobizona exposed me to a culture that I hadn’t been to before and also explored themes of equality and family. It grabbed me from that very first page and didn’t let me go. Lobizona was one of those books that I didn’t want to end. I could’ve stayed in that world for more than just the allotted pages. And those twists were amazing!
A gorgeous book inside and out! Lobizona comes out on August 4th and believe me you won’t want to miss it!!
Links to preorder: Bookshop | Target | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
Sofia says
Thanks for the great review! I can’t wait for it to come out, it looks so good ?
Natalie says
Thanks for reading! I can’t wait for you to read it and read your thoughts on it 🙂