“Sometimes we stray so far from what’s rational that we can only explain it through fantasy.”

Manu and her mother are undocumented immigrants in the US and when her mother is found by ICE the secret’s she was keeping from Manu are exposed. Manuela goes on a hunt to find the answers about her past. What she finds is a magical world where girls are brujas and boys are lobizónes- a world where she doesn’t exactly fit how she should.

Lobizona has a few of the YA tropes that I grew up on- “the chosen one” being the most prominent- but steeped in Argentine stories and lore and it was so much fun to read. What’s the one instance I forgive insta-connection between love interests? When it’s werewolves! I love werewolf stories and Manu’s was set in such a fascinating world.

I loved learning about the magic, how it worked, how Manu adapted to her unique situation, and the relationships she built after a lifetime of isolation from her peers. Lobizona takes on some hard-hitting themes- alienation, immigration, gender roles, and talks explicitly about menstruation in a way I don’t think I’ve seen in a YA novel. I had a wonderful time diving into this world and seeing Manu come into her own over the course of the story. This is definitely setting up for the rest of the series and I can’t wait to read it!

As a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher ( St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books) for an advanced readers copy of Lobizona by Romina Garber I shall give this review. In the tradition of Isabelle Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez Garber creates a textured reality much like our own with the exception that Witches (Bruja’s), Werewolves ( Lobizon) and magic are real. The use of magical realism in this novel brought an opportunity to explore issues that many undocumented immigrants face, as well as blending plausible and possible events together. The novel follows Manuela Azul, or “Manu” as she navigates the end of her adolescence while caught between life as an undocumented immigrant and a mysterious past introduced to her when ICE arrests her mother and finds a fantastical world much like our own. An aspect of this addressed early on is Manu’s experience transitioning to womanhood and messages in her dreams experienced within three days of her monthly cycle. These messages are filled with stories told to her when she was younger and gives an opportunity to discern between what is plausible and possible. Manu has always been protected by her mother and now that she is within ICE’s hold does an opportunity to learn about her heritage become a reality. The characters in this novel were flushed out and showed a lot of potential. The novel’s pace was excellent as it gave opportunity to take in the novel’s events before the next. Trust me when I say there were many you needed a moment for, ha! Garber utilizes many tropes in young adult literature such as a chosen one, and magical school setting. By acknowledging their predecessor made the presence of these tropes understandable as Garber individualized them to her world. The world building was something I appreciated as she explored the layers to the characters place in them. The novel’s ability to address identity gave this a timely assessment for many teenagers reading this novel and gave a voice to individuals usually without. I cannot recommend this novel enough and give it a full five out of five stars on goodreads.

I don't usually get along so well with contemporary fantasy, yet I loved this book.
This book will make you so mad, but in a really important way.

So with that said, and because I have no real complaints about it, let's dive into the great stuff!

What I Loved:

•Manu has to deal with not being allowed to exist in either our world or the magical realm. Here's the part that will (and should, and needs to) infuriate you. Manu is a human being, and should have to explain and justify her existence to no one. Yet in both worlds she finds herself hiding, trying to escape those who'd find her actual life to be illegal. I have so much rage that I want to spill out, but I suppose that would turn this into more of an essay than a book review, so I will just say this: Manu belongs. Everyone belongs, and no one is "illegal", because a person cannot be illegal. It's positively infuriating, but the author does such a phenomenal job in the juxtaposition of the two worlds being so different, yet in some truly terrible ways, very similar.

•Manu's family had my heart from the first page. Her mom would basically move heaven and earth to keep Manu safe. Manu isn't even totally sure from what or who at the start, but that there are threats from both ICE, and her father's Argentinian family they had initially run from. Perla is the surrogate grandmother who took Manu and her mom in when they arrived in the U.S., and has been keeping them safe ever since. Also, she is just a strong and loving women who I was so grateful Manu had to confide in and talk with.

•The people Manu meets in the alt-world are wonderful. I mean, obviously there are some bad eggs here too, but as a whole, I was so glad that Manu finally found some people who were willing to accept her for exactly who she was. I don't want to get into it too much because it's such a lovely part of the story, but trust that she will find her place.

•Manu grows so much! Obviously, she has to make some huge choices at the start of the book (and throughout) that will really test her as a person. She also has to decide how willing she is to push current norms and boundaries, which is no easy task, especially for a young woman who has spent most of her life hidden away. As such, Manu really begins to discover who she is when she confronts all the worst things she's feared.

•The Argentinian folklore is incredible! This story is unlike any I have read before, and I just adored it! I felt like I was so immersed in the world, that it was so well crafted, and the atmosphere was incredibly on point!

•The author had such a clever way for translating Spanish. Manu would sometimes translate phrases from Spanish to English in her narration, and she explained it for the reader:
"Whenever Ma is upset with me, I have a habit of translating her words into English without processing them. I asked Perla about it to see if it’s a common bilingual thing, and she said it’s probably my way of keeping Ma’s anger at a distance; if I can deconstruct her words into language—something detached that can be studied and dissected—I can strip them of their charge."


•In addition to the obvious discussion about immigration, there is discussion of sexism and LGBTQIA+ rights. Even in the magical realm, some of these harmful issues were still very, very present.

Bottom Line: Very thoughtful, with a wonderful main character who had to go through a lot, Lobizona left a big impression on me. I will be eagerly awaiting its sequel!

I wasn’t sure what I should expect when I went into this, but Lobizona pleasantly took me by surprise. The synopsis doesn’t give much away other than the basic plot of the first quarter of the book, but there is so much more to this story! The writing was incredible, the story was captivating, and I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters.

The worldbuilding is what shines in this book. Romina Garber deftly combines magical realism with elements of paranormal fantasy; brujas, werewolves, a magical academy. And within that unique and enthralling setting she weaves Argentinian folklore. It was so excellently crafted and nothing short of perfect.

I really appreciated the themes in Lobizona and the issues that the author brought to life. The book heavily focuses on freedom, struggling to belong, prejudice, and misogyny. A lot of the internal conflict for Manu revolves around her attempts to figure out who she is and where she belongs. I’m completely invested in her story and I’m really looking forward to where the next book takes us!

As I’ve heard stories about what it’s like to come to the US as an immigrant, I’ve been moved, felt sympathy, wanted to change things. Nothing has ever made me feel like I’ve slipped into someone else’s shoes the way this book did, though.

Manu is smart. She’s vulnerable, yet fierce. She loves her family, but she’s always felt like an outsider who did not belong, even among them. More than anything else, this is the story of a girl who has never belonged not just finding her place, but carving it out of the landscape and building a true family around her.

I really, really like this book. The magic was fascinating, and again and again the story comes back to questions about what makes a person valuable. Is it where someone was born? What gender they are? Whom they love? What they can do for someone else?

LOBIZONA explores all that and on top of it delivers a sizzling romance set in a dazzling landscape. If you like found families, revolution, and unexpected alliances, this is one you’re going to want to grab, fast.

This book is a great fit for fans of WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT or GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

LOBIZONA is a thrilling page-turner that compellingly interweaves Argentine folklore, magic, and contemporary U.S. politics. Readers who love stories set a magical schools will love Garber's addition to the trope and will no doubt want to study at El Laberinto

Manu and her mother fled Argentina after the death of her father and now live in Miami as undocumented immigrants with Perla, a surrogate grandmother. Not only must Manu hide inside the four walls of their apartment from ICE, but she has unique eyes (pupils of silver stars and yellow sun irises) that always draw attention. Not able to go outside or attend school, Manu lives through books and dreams of getting her green card to no longer live in fear.

After Perla is attacked by a mysterious man and her mother gets taken by ICE, Manu learns that she is, in fact, not just human. She makes her way to El Laberinto, a school for witches and lobizon (a type of werewolf) and discovers her connections to an international magical community. In many ways, this newfound knowledge brings clarity to Manu (why her eyes look the way they do, why her periods have been so debilitating), but she still feels like an outsider. El Laberinto has strict gender segregation - as in only girls are witches and only boys are lobizon. There's little room for diversity of genders and sexualities and this becomes a key plot point. Manu's magic does not work the same way as other witches....because Manu isn't a witch. Not only is Manu considered "illegal" in the United States, she also finds out that her new community thinks the same thing of her, just for different reasons.

Manu's story is a great coming of age story: making new friends, figuring out one's identity, crushes, and standing up for oneself. My only critique is a bit of insta-love but based on clues in the book, I think it makes sense for where this relationship is going. Overall, Garber does an excellent job showing how Manu must overcome multiple systems of oppression (the United States' racist immigration policies and the patriarchy of her new culture) and readers will root for Manu every step of the way. As a massive soccer/football/futbol fan, I love that Garber added a magical sport for her world. I felt like I was reliving old World Cup matches in terms of the skill, intensity, and excitement in her writing. Furthermore, for Manu to break barriers in this sport was great and a useful commentary on how women athletes are often viewed as less competent or good as men.

There were many twists (some I never saw coming) and I can't wait for the second book in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

LOBIZONA manages to accomplish a lot it one book. It is simultaneously setting up a series, a look at the life of an undocumented immigrant, an urban fantasy based on Argentinian mythology, a “magic school” book, a mystery, a portal fantasy, and a romance. At times, I think it struggles from trying to do a little too much, but overall, this is an absolutely great book that stands out as being one of a kind.

First, we need to talk about the cover. The cover is truly stunning and the team at Wednesday design continue their reign as my favorite cover designers. I feel like the tone of the book is perfectly encapsulated by magic and tension of the cover. Beautiful.

Another stand out for me is that this is a fantasy book that talks about menstruation! It so important to normalize these topics for young women and I’m absolutely thrilled whenever an author doesn’t try to pretend periods don’t exist for their supernatural heroines.

I found that Romina Garber’s portrayal of Manu’s tension and fear over being discovered as an undocumented immigrant was incredibly powerful. It really reminded you that undocumented immigrants are people that are rarely treated as such. It was a timely reminder.

For me, I felt like the action really picked up once Manu arrived at the “magic school” portion of the book. I won’t say too much to avoid spoiling anything, but I do want to explicitly mention it, since I didn’t realize going in that this would be a “magic school” type book. Honestly, I may have picked it up sooner if I had. I was disappointed by the number of Harry Potter references (can’t be helped since this ARC was printed a while ago – I hope these mentions are taken out before publication) but it was exciting to see this trope steeped in non-Western European folklore. I loved the Argentinian spin and the secondary characters we meet there. It also led to one of the more frustrating parts of the novel for me – Manu’s search for her identity. I wish she’d figured out more what she was sooner (it’s not a secret to the reader), so that she could spend more time becoming who she was. I felt the most interesting part of the novel was the final quarter, where she was starting to balance the question of belonging and finding her own path. I wish she started that journey to self-discovery just a little sooner.

I also found the gender discrimination within the novel to set-up some interesting further plots. There is a clear gender hierarchy that punishes any aberration – despite that fact that it is clear there are LGBTQ+ side characters who cannot be open with their identity. However, Garber makes it clear that the women are ready to challenge that status quo, which is one of the many reasons I’m excited to see where the rest of the series goes.

This was a fast, immersive read that deftly balances political commentary with traditional YA fantasy elements. The way Garber parallels contemporary ICE threats in the US and the appalling dehumanization of undocumented immigrants with the rigid fantastical society that central character Manu finds herself in was really effective, and it made what could have been a cliched homage to Harry Potter have high stakes--and teeth! Manu herself is a Harry Potter fan, so the book itself repeatedly compares the magic world she finds herself in to Hogwarts, etc., and this at times was a bit distractingly meta (and unluckily-timed, given JK Rowling's recently outed bigotry), but this was a minor blip in an otherwise very good book. The Harry Potter comparisons are even more ironic given that THIS book actively explores how harmful social binaries (mostly the gender binary) can be. The opening was fantastic, and while I did think the pace bogged down a bit once Manu discovered her own magical realm, it picked up again by the end.

I am really living for unique werewolf stories lately! Lobizona is a YA urban fantasy novel that blends Argentinian culture, US immigration, and magic in such a beautiful and exhilarating read. ⁣
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Manu is such a gripping character. She’s quick-witted and fierce, having spent her entire life hiding from ICE and devouring books behind closed doors. She’s proud of her Argentinian culture but is cut off from it. When her mother is taken into custody, Manu runs, and finds a secret school for people like her. She’s never had a chance to fit in the outside world, but as she starts to discover her true culture and nature, it seems she won’t quite fit in here as well...⁣
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I want to tell you more but I don’t want to give the twists away! The twists are amazing. And the world-building is exceptional: suffice to say the werewolves are more connected to the moon than you’d think. It’s so creative. And the juxtaposition of Manu’s illegal status with her illegal existence is both excruciating and powerful. It’s evidence of something I love in YA fiction: the ability of an author to use the fantastic to shine a light on current atrocities.⁣
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In case you can’t tell, I loved it.

4.5 Stars

CWs: ICE raids, anti-immigration sentiments, descriptions of intense menstruation pain, incurred homophobia (side characters), incurred sexism and gender essentialism, descriptions of blood and violence

Lobizona is an exciting, beautiful, original Latinx paranormal fantasy about Manu, an Argentine immigrant living undocumented in the United States while trying to figure out the meaning behind her strange star-shaped pupils.

What I love about this story is how it challenges society's binary perspectives and binary-based magic systems. The Argentinian mythology explored in this story states that the seventh consecutive son in a family with be a lobizon and the seventh consecutive daughter will be a bruja. Lobizones hunt and protect while brujas strengthen and nurture, and that's the way it's always been. Until we get to Manu, who is this world's first Lobizona—a female werewolf. Every aspect of her life, from being an undocumented immigrant to being considered a magical "aberration," presents a direct challenge to the system and disrupts these commonly held beliefs of what it means to be "normal" and worthy of existence. In the beginning, this is a source of paralyzing fear forManu, but as the story progresses, she learns that being different is powerful and something to embrace.

I also really love the parallels between this hidden magical world of Lunaris and Manu's experience living undocumented in Miami. Throughout the story, there's so many examinations of borders—where one thing ends and another begins—whether it's the border between Manu's fear and her agency, the literal borders between the U.S. and Argentina, the border between humanity and magic, the border between El Labertino and Lunaris. These are crossings that Manu has to make one way or another, and they all represent two parts of herself that are equally real and valid. She has a foot on either side of these "borders," and she struggles feeling like she's both too much and not enough for any given world or circumstance. It was also really interesting to see how the lobizones and brujas are almost like immigrants themselves, making passage to Lunaris only during the full moon before being exiled back to their hiding places in the human world.

So in many ways, Manu is twice hunted, twice targeted, twice feared, because of the challenge she presents within both of these worlds. She has to fight tooth and nail for her right to exist and to exist openly, especially because she comes to represent everyone who's ever wrongfully been limited or boxed into labels that don't fit simply because it's more convenient for everyone else. I feel the story is about how if we let ideas, traditions, and laws matter more than actual people, we are creating a world that confines us—we are drawing a border between what is and what could be. Language and societal norms don't exist in a vacuum. They're not stagnant; they're things we engage with, create, and shape for ourselves.

I also just really love Manu as a character, because she describes herself as being an Argentinian with a little bit of Elizabeth Bennet in her, which I really appreciate. She's aware of the rules that dictate her world and her safety within it, she's afraid because she's internalized so much self-hatred, but she is not quiet, she is not fragile, she is not submissive. She is determined, opinionated, and incredibly smart. To see her go on this emotional journey and get to be her true self for the first time in her life is extremely satisfying to witness on the page.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting lost in this world and its beautiful magic, in all the ways it's like our world and the ways its not. I think it very thoughtfully explores the realities of being undocumented in contemporary America while also presenting a lush and magical parallel world that has its own problems. I was deeply invested in the story, and I'm so excited to see what comes next for these characters. If you're looking for a unique Latinx fantasy with a ton of heart and a lot to say, this is definitely the story for you!

I didn't get to finish this in time, but I WILL come back to do so as soon as I can. I really LOVE the seamless integration of the magic and realism. The context of having to hide from ICE and trying to become a citizen was so timely and compelling--not to mention enlightening. Fantastic concept, fantastic writing--highly recommended!

Some of my favorite quotes were:

“We use magical realism in our daily lives too. Consider our superstitions. We are always willing magic into reality—that’s our way.”

"“Any moment now, the shift will happen, and I’ll be transported to the only place where I don’t have to hide. The one world where it’s safe to be me."

“There are horrors in this world that defy explanation.. . . Sometimes reality strays so far from what’s rational that we can only explain it through fantasy.”

Included as a top pick in bimonthly August New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

Holy wow, this book.

I knew I would love this as soon as I read the description, and then the cover came out and I fell even more in love!

This is such a wonderful timely YA fantasy, it's just so damn good!

Let's start with our sweet Manu. She's been sheltered her entire life, because her father's family is looking for her, and they're "very dangerous people." You'd think it would be easy enough to disappear in Miami. Buuuuut Manu's eyes are a dead giveaway: they're golden suns with silver star pupils.

She's such a brave character, and I love that we learn about her new world as she learns about it too. She's in a constant state of tension, as she's an undocumented immigrant in the US, as well as undocumented in the world of brujas and lobizones. She can't risk anyone finding out anything about her. She's literally dreamed of this life since she was thirteen, and still learns something new every day.

I love how much she loves one of my favorite authors, Gabriel García Márquez, too.

Romina Garber has found such a beautiful, lyrical way to challenge, well, everything! Sexism, misogyny, homophobia, immigration status...this is a perfect read for 2020, and I cannot WAIT for the sequel.

A lovely immersive read, I give Lobizona 5 out of 5 yerba mates. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing a copy in exchange for review.

There are so many things to love about Lobizona. The magic worldbuilding, the friendship dynamics, the complicated family history - it’s so good. I was struck by the challenging and raw details about the main character’s immigration status and the fact that she never felt safe and home, in the real world or in the magical academy where she finds herself. I know so many readers will see themselves in this story and fall in love with the characters in this book. I can’t wait for the next book in this series so I can jump back into this fresh and original fantasy world that Romina Garber so skillfully created.

Manuela Azul must run. Her mother has been captured by ICE, her grandmother is recovering in the hospital, and her father is dead. With nowhere to turn in Miami, Manuela flees to the Everglades, hoping to stay out of sight and retain her freedom. What she finds there in the Everglades is a secret connection to her family's past, an explanation behind her monthly dreams, and the realization that her family wasn't only hiding from ICE. Manuela's heritage is steeped in Argentinian folklore, however for her the discovery of that heritage carries danger in its wake, for she, and only she, is the product of an illicit union. Others like her are killed at birth. Despite the wonders she's found in the Everglades, Manuela must decide whether it's worth risking everything to live an honest and open life, or whether it's better to remain in the shadows and on the run forevermore.⁣
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Lobizona is exactly what I needed from a book right now! Main character with an affinity for the moon? Check! Split between two worlds, unable to live safely in either? Check! Personal growth in order to find her most authentic self? Check! Manuela struggles to figure out what she wants to do with her unique life, and how best to approach the bind she finds herself in. A quote I loved is, "Why settle for being a son of the system, when you can mother a movement?" The other characters Manuela meets also deal with their own struggles, and are trying to find their place in a world that pigeonholes them into rigid roles. I really appreciated how Romina Garber wove the moon and menstrual cycles meaningfully into the story, and how she also normalized it. The writing about undocumented immigrants and their struggle to find security and peace was spot on. There were some tropey aspects, but I feel that was unavoidable while dealing with so much other complex subject matter. Manuela is a great character who has to fight against so much to find a place in the world, and I devoured her journey and was left wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel already!⁣
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⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded to 5 stars!

Things and people will exist that some will invariably think should not belong in the world, but those naysayers are proved quite wrong in Lobizona by Romina Garber.

Manuela, Manu, Azul has led a sheltered life while on the run with her mother from her father's family, confined within a small apartment in Miami as an undocumented immigrant from Argentina and hiding behind sunglasses when among others to shield them from seeing her incredibly unique eyes. After Manu's latest lunaritis period, her senses have heightened, making her notice odd things taking place around her surrogate grandmother Perla's home; these odd things culminate in Perla being attacked and Manu's mom being detained by ICE. With few options left to her, Manu seizes control of her life and pursues a route she hopes will provide answers about father, leading her toward a world she only experienced in her lunaritis dreams and the stories Perla told her about brujas and lobizónes, but it might just be a place she could finally belong.

A richly imagined and presented tale that wrestles with the struggle of finding and asserting your identity while weaving in magical realism through mythical elements from Argentinian lore. The exploration of belonging and embracing your true identity is well conveyed, demonstrating that there's not one "right" way to be and that it's relative to each individual. The open discussion of menstruation was quite novel and it played a fairly significant role in the story's development, which otherwise followed quite closely with other very familiar and predictable YA tropes, particularly around romantic involvement. Fantasy stories have long been venues to discuss topical issues in a manner that's more palatable for the masses than a direct discussion, but this tale takes the issues of immigration and gender a step further by anchoring the same discussion in both the real and fantasy worlds and forcing their intersection, though a majority of the deeper realizations take place within the fantasy world.

Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Very heavy handed with references (and direct statements) to current anti-immigration/refugee sentiments and LGBT discrimination/gender equality, especially in US. First scene of the book is an ICE raid on MC's building that is home to immigrants and refugees from Latin America. Also talks about menstruation and debilitating cramps (one of the first YAs I've seen do so). Absolutely loved the fantasy elements - can't remember the last YA werewolf story I've read and loved. Contains my absolute favorite description of Magical Realism - "Sometimes reality strays so far from what's rational that we can only explain it through fantasy." My fav YA read since Erin Bowman's Contagion.

There's too much cursing for me to add this to my Middle School collection, but EVERY High School should have this book on their shelves. Topical but in an accessible format (fantasy but with contemporary problems). Anticipate this being on many award lists in the coming years, as it should be. Can't wait to see this on the NYT Bestsellers list.

This review can also be found on my blog, Where the Words Take Me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC and to Wednesday Books for asking me to participate in the Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review.

Lobizona by Romina Garber covers a variety of angles and experiences, and for that reason, it’s a somewhat tricky novel for me to review. Allow me to state early on that my rating is much closer to 3.5 stars than 4—but I believe in rounding up half ratings and have always done so with other books in the past. The things that Lobizona does well, I was incredibly endeared to, but there were also many elements that I either didn’t care for or left little impression on me.

At its heart, Lobizona is about the Latinx immigrant experience in America and how the experience—while shared—is ultimately different for each generation of a Latinx family. For instance, Manu’s mother Soledad, who brings Manu to America when Manu is a child, faces a different set of struggles than Manu even though they share the same fear of being deported. Soledad had to sacrifice her dream of practicing in the medical field, so she and Manu could be safe—and presumably so Manu could have a better life. Manu grows up with greater, stronger ties to America and its culture than she does to Argentina, which Soledad and their fellow Argentine immigrant Perla can only share with her through language and stories.

And each in their own ways, Manu, Soledad, and even Perla by association find themselves caught between two worlds—well, make that three: Argentina, America, and the mystical Lunaris. It’s this pull and tug, this question of belonging, of where home truly is that Garber demonstrates with aplomb in Lobizona, which makes sense given Garber’s own personal experiences.

We also have the discourse that is at the heart of every immigration conversation: the illegal immigrant and what the repercussions are when you view a fellow human being as being illegal, as if you’re debating whether they have a right to exist the same as you. Readers are being asked to examine that as we follow Manu, who has been declared “an illegal” for different reasons by the U.S. government and the Septimus, which is both the people and ruling body of Lunaris. Yet Manu is also a teenage girl who just wants to have normal teenage experiences: a school to attend, friends to hang out with, a first crush, freedom.

The emphasis on cracking down upon illegal immigration in America has done its far share of fostering xenophobia within the nation. Politicians like to create an “Us versus Them” mentality and encourage that we view people who look or sound different than us as Others. It’s much harder to do that when you can empathize with people instead. When you can see their dreams, hopes, and desires reflected in your own. As a white, native-born American, I can’t identify with or claim any part of Manu’s experience as an Argentine immigrant, but I can understand her heart and what she wants. At the same time, I can’t ignore the privileges that my citizen status and my skin color give me that make it much easier for me to achieve my dreams over Manu achieving hers. The playing field is nowhere close to level, and Lobizona demonstrates that point in both overt and subtle ways throughout. It’s in the characters’ fear of law enforcement and how Manu especially has to hold herself back and make herself smaller to keep from being noticed.

Every scene that involved the ICE gave me chills and churned my stomach. The dread and fear roll off the page, and it’s impossible to not be affected by it. If prior to reading this book you didn’t know that the U.S.’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a despicable agency devoid of empathy, then you will probably gain a better understanding of them here. I find them antithetical to the ideals this country claims to uphold, not to mention going against everything that lovely poem says on the Statue of Liberty. You know the one.

However, it isn’t all hardship and despair. Much of Lobizona is also about rebellion, especially against the unfair and the unjust. There’s a certain rebellion that happens when you’re proud about who you are and where you come from when it’s not the dominant culture. As a result, Garber has poured so much Argentine joy into her work. It’s in the loving descriptions of food and drink. It’s in the emphasis about family and community and folklore. It’s in the full-blown Spanish that appears on the page by an actual Spanish-speaking writer, not someone who’s relying on their long-ago high school classes, Google translate, and a prayer.

Then, there’s the characters, starting with Manu. She is a malleable character to start with, and a large part of her journey is her figuring out how to take the path she wants rather than go along with everyone else for x, y, z reason. Hers is a journey of discovering independence along with what her role is within a community and how she can shape it for the better. Of discovering what she truly wants and where she belongs.

That isn’t to say her character isn’t frustrating at times. I found myself at odds with many of her choices the further the book went, but I can’t ignore that she’s young, sheltered, and suddenly on her own, and who can’t sympathize with that? I think I was so frustrated because I was rooting for her so bad that I made myself impatient for her to take the reins and create the life she wants for herself. I’m invested in Manu, but in truth, she’s not where the majority of my investment is anymore.

That would be Saysa and Catalina. Saysa has that blend of kindness that also possesses a backbone of steel. Catalina, meanwhile, has an emotional iciness that puts a barrier between her and others, but it comes from a place of wanting to protect herself and others because she feels so much yet so much is also expected of her. I’d read more about both of them, especially Saysa, who is here to get so much stuff done. I really liked them both as individuals but also together in every facet of their relationship. I loved seeing friends and loved ones support and respect each other while not being afraid to argue or voice separate opinions and still be able to talk to each other after the fact.

Tiago, on the other hand, I have mixed feelings about. There are facets about him that I liked—such as the fact that he’s a big reader and collects banned texts—but so much of him is devoted to being Manu’s love interest, and I did not care for their romance at all. Unlike Manu, I find his indecisiveness to be extremely unattractive, and I also got really tired of hearing how musical his voice sounds every time he speaks. Their friendship is interesting, and I wouldn’t have minded seeing their relationship progress to romance organically. What actually happened was far too fast and literal instalove as Manu herself declares she’s in love with him despite only knowing him for a month. Her mother’s romance with Fierro—which was only seen in disjointed flashbacks—was more engaging.

The entire time, the tension between Manu and Tiago only stems from Tiago already being in a relationship with Catalina. Eventually, the situation has light shed on it, but I really disliked reading a romance for most of the book that read like cheating but also “we just can’t help ourselves.” This situation turned me off from the whole thing, and with more books to come, I can’t help wondering, where is left for Manu and Tiago’s romance to go? We blazed through it at lightning speed. I know Latinx readers haven’t had their share of seeing themselves portrayed in YA romance nor the terrible tropes like instalove that can come with it. That doesn’t mean writers should be lazy with romance, either, and that’s a true statement I express across the board. Not everything has to be a slowburn and some things shouldn’t be, but at least give us something to believe in and also invest in. This just wasn’t it.

Carlos and Jazmín can choke, too, but that’s about all I have to say about them or anyone else. No other characters made much impression on me. Well, okay, one other one did, but that’s a spoiler.

The pacing was also not the best. I was engaged with the first third or so. When I wasn’t busy being intrigued with the mystery behind Manu’s existence along with her, I was being pulled into the tense atmosphere or the sudden, frantic action of the story.

Then came Manu’s entrance to El Laberinto and its academy, where I perked up even more… only for my excitement to wane as nothing much happened when there should’ve been given the circumstances behind Manu arriving there. I enjoyed learning about the world building alongside Manu, and I loved that everyone had glowing eyes that reacted to their powers. That’s my jam always! But Manu’s fear of being discovered meant she took a backseat on most things—or tried to—so things weren’t as exciting as they could’ve been if she had been in a position to participate earnestly. I understood her predicament and enjoyed seeing how she evaded detection at first, but then the incompetency of the teachers and Cazadores became too comical to believe.

The entire time, I couldn’t help but wonder, Manu, girl, what about your mom? How are you here having minimal fun at magic school when your mom’s in the situation she’s in? I felt such an urgency to what was going on in the human world that I became impatient with Manu and her insistence on staying in El Laberinto. Once she learns and reveals that she’s a lobizona instead of a bruja—not exactly a spoiler since the title sadly gives it away—I thought the pace would pick up again, but it continued to wane. In fact, I became more frustrated than ever.

I soon realized after this that I had been much more interested in the brujas and their magic over the lobizones. Manu switching to lobizón lessons was a bore for me. I have personally never been into werewolves very much. They’re easily some of my least favorite magical creatures to read about, but I was excited to have my mind changed here since these werewolves are attached to Argentine culture and form half of a unique society.

Unfortunately, they don’t stand out that much or seem too remarkably different from any other brand of werewolf out there. They still have an alpha wolf (no mention of betas or omegas) and a pack mentality that has never resonated with me in any way. They play an extremely rough sport called Septibol, which strikes me as a blend of soccer and rugby, and they’re meant to protect the brujas when they travel to the dangerous world of Lunaris every full moon.

This is where the worst thing about these werewolves—and the Septimus society at large— comes into play: everything is built on a gender binary that is loaded with sexism and misogyny. Only lobizones can play on the Septibol field, while brujas must say on the sidelines “for their safety” as they use magic to influence the game. No bruja can go unescorted outside of the Citadel while in Lunaris; a werewolf must always accompany them. While homosexual relationships aren’t strictly forbidden by law, same-sex marriages aren’t allowed in Septimus society, because everyone has to pair up and make babies. Even being infertile is a cause for disgrace and arrest. Everything is about reproduction for the survival of the species. And boy, do I hate that.

It’s a rare day that I pick up a book with a fantasy element where I also want to read about sexism and misogyny in said fantasy world. When Lobizona settled on this route, I felt like it was taking on too much at once without giving every issue proper space and nuance. Reading about Manu’s immigrant experience—first in America and then as it related to Lunaris—was poignant. Reading about how unfair it was that boys play a sport that girls can’t, and there needs to be a gender revolution because of it was kinda juvenile. To be clear, the gender issues brought up in this book are serious ones in real life; it’s just that whenever the characters bring them up, the dialogue surrounding them in the text feels incredibly heavy-handed. I had thought once Manu became a lobizona and essentially broke the gender binary as a result, we would get somewhere deeper, but, well…

Since so much of the gender and misogyny discussion centers around Septibol, I considered that it’s likely related to the message about how lauded men’s sports teams are in Argentina and the U.S. (and the rest of the world) while women’s sports teams are largely underfunded and underpaid despite being made of athletes who usually perform better and accomplish greater feats with little recognition. This view of women—of the skills they have and the results they produce—as being lesser than men doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It all stems from a deeper place. All women have felt the effects of sexism in our day-to-day lives, some worse than others depending on the culture and society.

I just really, really, really, really didn’t want to read about it right now in a YA fantasy book with witches and werewolves. This was an extra contemporary element that took me out of the magic that Garber was trying to create. Sure, maybe she was trying to show the reader and Manu that no place is perfect, that you will probably encounter new problems by trying to run away from your old ones, which is a great message to have. But I rather felt like Manu had plenty of old and new problems to be dealing with without needing to overthrow the patriarchy, too.

This problem is just a personal reading preference of mine; there have been few fiction books with worlds built on sexism and misogyny that I have enjoyed, and no, The Handmaid’s Tale wasn’t one of them. That honor might actually go solely to We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia.

Finally, there’s the too many Harry Potter references. Listen, I am a big fan of Harry Potter (Slytherin House is best house), but I did not care for the constant comparisons Lobizona made to it. Especially given J.K. Rowling’s recent transphobic statements when Lobizona is attempting a feminist narrative, but I recognize that book has been finished well before anything could be done to remove these comparisons. I know how to separate art from the artist and in fact do so every day with many creations, but I know some people “can’t” do that or refuse to, so I hope this doesn’t hurt the book and this series in the future. I hope people still give it a chance because there’s a lot about it I think readers will love, both the same things I did and the things I didn’t.

I acknowledge that Garber was doing it as a fan of Harry Potter herself, and she was likely making these comparisons as a form of self-awareness of the tropes her book shares with Harry Potter: a seemingly ordinary girl thrown into a world of magic with no prior knowledge about it; a magical school; a separate world from the mundane human world; witches and werewolves; truth potions and a magical sport; etc. I also acknowledge that, as a Latinx immigrant who grows up in a different culture, you have to assimilate a bit to that culture if you want to get its references. The U.S. culture largely doesn’t know any Argentine stories, but they certainly know Harry Potter.

However, it’s for that very reason that I wish Garber had included more Argentine literature in her book rather than having Manu constantly compare her life to Harry Potter and also Elizabeth Bennet. I wish Cien Años de Soledad had been integrated much more strongly in their places instead, given it’s a story Manu has interesting ties about with her mother. That isn’t to say I have a right or a demand to be told that story. I just hope if Garber wishes to share more Argentine stories and folklore that she will feel confident that she can do so even more than she already has and can trust that her readers will keep reading. I’m definitely a person where I would rather read or learn something new than be told the same things over and over. That’s a large reason why I pick up diverse books; the unfamiliar in this case isn’t intimidating but warmly welcomed.

Currently, I am open to continuing this series, particularly if Garber leans further into her strengths and those of her characters while developing the story’s weaker elements more. I’d like to see Manu with a new direction, one of determination. I’d like to see what her and Tiago are like past the growing pains of whatever this book’s romance was. I’d like to see what a female werewolf is capable of in a world determined to keep her in line. I’d like to see where Saysa and Catalina will grow and where their paths will take them. I want to at last see this cursed city in Argentina the synopsis hinted at that we never got to. And if we must have a revolution over who has a right to exist that also includes eliminating sexism, then I hope it’s one treated with care toward a brighter, more inclusive future.

triggers for sexual assault, prejudice, homophobia, and violence

Freshly wrought. Inked with permanence, like documents. Rooted in colonialism and rebellion, Garber’s Lobizona shows the past impacts the future. Remember the stories of immigrants and their experiences. Through the past and into magical portals, we see magic has room for Argentinean teens.

Manuela’s life is centered by her identity as an Argentinean immigrant living in the United States. Documents surround her existence, a constant reminder of what will arrive in the mail. Her mother, taken by ICE, forces Manuela to see a new life: one of magic, transformation, and true origins.

Lobizón refers to the myth of the South American werewolf. It stems from European werewolf myths with the luison, which is from the stories of the Guaraní, an indigenous tribe in South America.

Garber forms a world of banned books, magical institutes, of law enforcement and military control, documents and identity, rage and binary systems, icy witches and sporty werewolves. Inspired by the impacts the tyrannical and violent military dictatorship, Guerra Sucia, had on her people, Garber relates the trauma that undocumented immigrants experience by using fantasy as a medium to tell a beautiful and enjoyable story.

Manu walks through the mist and enters a portal and into a magical world: El Laberinto, a territory of brujas and werewolves (or Septimus).

Lets just stop for a second. Please just appreciate that a magical Latinx led academy is right smack in the Everglades. Racist Hogwarts can’t compare.

Manuella’s references to Harry Potter remind me that this world isn’t exclusive to white magical kids. I want to point out that while Garber references Harry Potter she does so to make a point. She doesn’t praise or uplift it and instead seems to critique it negatively to make a point about the exclusivity of Rowling’s world.

This is a dream come true for all Latinx kids that felt they could never be worthy of seeing themselves in a magical story. Garber makes discussions around immigration, documents, and tyranny complex on a level that those outside of those experiences cannot. She has the range.

Welcome to the revolution, gentlepeople.

Manuella builds a tight knit group with Cata, Saysa, and Tiago. A group of gaggling puppy werewolves have their back at every turn. This book just gets better with each touch and every sentence. Guaranteed: this book will turn you into some frenzied ravenous werewolf and you’ll end up digging around in your fridge at 3 am for bookish snacks. I can’t say the last time a truly fun paranormal ever did that for me.

This book transformed into some furry sharp toothed book of magical rage and hot spicy relationships.

I am ride or die for this group. I am Han Solo runnning, shooting, screaming at the resistance; all be damned if his friends die. I’m all about the anti-toxic masculinity narratives Garber has for us. I’m all about boy werewolves that are sweet on their friends and bloody beasts against their enemies.

The way these boys fight against their binary world lights my heart on fire.

I don’t often read teen boys who are feminists. If you want girls who drone on about magical boys: Manu’s waxings on Tiagos’ ‘sonrisa’ eyes had me fainting like a feminist damsel in distress. Grave distress. Give me the burn! I pine for it daily. Give me a girl who waxes poetry about sweet eyes anytime. Can we also talk about how beautiful it is to hear two people speak sweet nothings in Spanish to each other? Lobizona has my whole heart.

These romantic monster fights is where literature is at. I accept no other questions at this time.

I will be waiting impatiently to assassinate my way through publishing in order to read all about Garber’s revolutionary brujas and lobizón.

Thank you Wedneday Books for an advanced readers copy via Netgalley.

Social Justice Topics:
▪️Immigration
▪️Racial Discrimination
▪️Me Too Movement
▪️LGBTQ+

Grade Level: 7 and up

“When we use labels like illegal, we negate a person’s worth and humanity, and the real dangers they’re running from—dangers that are not contained by borders because they were born from ideas” -Romina Garber

Wow. Wow. Wow. Lobizona has officially been moved to my FAVORITE YA novel.
Garber created a novel similar to Divergent, but built on something far more powerful—social justice. Her novels created a world, I hadn’t realized I needed, that focuses on the unjust treatment of immigrants, the bias caused by sexism and mysogyny, and the inequalities for people in the LGBTQ+ community.
I’ve already preordered this book for myself...I know for a fact I’ll talk about it with my students, but we’ll see if I’m willing to share my sacred copy.
August 4th. GET THIS BOOK.