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This was my book club pick for July, picked by my friend Sarah! This one had been on my radar for a little while but it wasn't something I was planning to read right away, so I'm really glad I was pushed to read it sooner because it was SO good!
"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."
- from Storygraph
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This book really was a great story for kids like me who grew up with the full Harry Potter obsession, but are looking for new, modern, thoughtful books to read to fill that void left behind (now that a certain she-who-shall-not-be-named author has decided to make the entire series unpalatable for me). A magical kid, with a bit of "chosen one" energy, not knowing about their true identity until they stumble upon a magical school tucked away from the rest of the world. A new found family of friends that are charming, witty, and stand up for what's right. The beautiful descriptions of the magical world blew me away, and I am now dying for a chance to visit Lunaris. I also loved how the very real topics of immigration and deportation played a role, both in the magical and non-magical sides of the world. I was so thankful that the sequel is already out because as soon as I finished this book, I immediately picked that one up at the library.
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Prompts Completed:
2022 Once Upon a Book Club Reading Challenge (A book featuring a character that loves reading)
2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge (Bonus: A book that features two languages)
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Content Warnings: Misogyny, Immigration and Deportation
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