Oh goodness, Pilar Ramirez has my whole entire heart. This book gives such strong Dominican vibes, while also being and immersive fantasy where you can't help but cheer our protagonist on. It's full of Spanglish and may be the first book I've read that's written this way and it's FANTASTIC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pilar Ramirez is a 13 year old from Chicago who goes on the adventure of a lifetime. Pilar is a budding filmmaker and is filming a documentary about her Aunt who disappeared years before during the Trujillo reign in the Dominican Republic. Pilar literally falls into the pages of a story into the magical world of Zafa while looking for her aunt. While in Zafa she meets many different characters she thought only existed in her grandmother’s stories. With many references to true events, this is also a Dominican legend/folktale. There were parts that felt slow to me, but I really liked the overall story. I do wish there would have been a list of all the Spanish words and their meanings. I knew most of them, but I don’t think most kids reading the book would. Great for fans of Percy Jackson, this would be a great addition to any middle school library!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s for the ARC of this!

This was an action packed middle grade portal fantasy that gave me some Jumanji vibes! Pilar was such a fun character, and I loved the history and mystery woven into the exciting, fantastical plot. Recommend for fans of Aru Shah, Percy Jackson and anyone who is excited for Dominican characters in middle grade stories!

Pilar Ramirez is a young Dominican photographer growing up in Chicago. Things in the neighborhood are changing (gentrifying) and since her sister Lorena has gone off to college Pilar is feeling off. Pilar’s family moved to Chicago after fleeing the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic and after her cousin Natasha went in Miami. After finding herself in the magical world of Zafa, Pilar works to defeat the villains of Zafa (El jefe and El Cuco) but also solve the mystery of why her cousin went missing.

Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa is a fun adventure story that intertwines magic with Dominican culture. Pilar herself is relatable Latinx protagonist who is rightfully suspicious of what her eyes are showing her and is always looking to investigate more. Pilar has confidence in her own abilities as an adventurer and her decision to join in the campaign against the villains in Zafa makes sense. The world building is deep in this novel as Zafa is a colorful place with coconut shaped predators and shape shifting butterflies.

The author Julian Randall does use some Spanish slang in Pilar’s vocabulary but that just makes her personality and culture shine. Anyone who grew up in a Spanish speaking home will appreciate the relatability of some of the things that Pilar’s family experiences especially those who have relatives that have had to flee their homes due to violent dictators. The sprinkling of Spanish words only strengthens Pilar’s connection to her community and culture. Perfect for young fans of adventure, I hope that Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa is the first in many adventures for this character.

Pilar Ramírez and the Escape from Zafa is the start of a new Middle-Grade series by Julian Randall. The author obviously has talent. The writing and plot are well paced and fun.
The author sprinkles many Spanish words into his writing. I speak Spanish, so I enjoyed this. Make sure to have google translate open if you or your middlegrader aren’t up to speed on Spanish.
I had a problem with some of the world building. The story explains that people who “disappeared” during the Trujillo dictatorship were actually taken to a different world by El Cuco, the Dominican Boogeyman. This seems incredibly disrespectful to the memories of the people who suffered this fate. I’m surprised the author felt comfortable adding such a fantastical spin on such a real and tragic story, especially considering his own family almost suffered the same fate.

This is a fun book that reminds me of Kwame Mbalia's Tristan Strong series. It is full of humor, adventure, magic, and important themes_ such as growing up and when a beloved community changes.
The book is full of Dominican myths and legends that come to life too, which caught my attention.

Any way, it follows twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez who, as a said, her world is changing, because her sister Lorena moved away for college, her chores doubled, her family refuses to talk about a cousin who disappeared in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship, and her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying. However, after she tries to find out the mystery of her cousin's disappearance, she finds herself in Zafa, an island of magic and mystery, with various creatures, and where her cousin may be. Can she save her? Will she be doing this all alone? Find out!

I just reviewed Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa by Julian Randall. #NetGalley

Pilar has a very strong voice and personality. The adventure picks up VERY quickly, and I didn’t have any trouble following what she is doing or why. It is an interesting angle to teach kids about history while also exploring mythology and family history.

I couldn’t really piece together the timeline at all. Pilar is 12. She appears to be living in the present day, with cell phones and 2021 slang. But her mom moved from the DR in 1957 at 13. So her mom is 77 years old? And she’s 12?

The use of Spanish was different than I typically have seen. The words in Spanish were words like pero (but), porque (because), pues, and similar, whereas I’m used to more phrases, descriptions, and feelings. My guess is that this is because of both Pilar’s personality and because of the younger audience.

Overall, I think this book has a lot of potential as a quick, fast paced read, especially for its target audience of 9-10 year olds — who probably won’t be so caught up in the timeline as adult me, and more interested in the forest adventures. But I would also totally understand if someone said it wasn’t for them.

*Note I have received a free copy of this book and it will not affect my thoughts or feelings towards this*
This book was such a fun adventure to go on and watch Pilar grow as a character. I thought the world building was interesting and had me wanting to know more about the world. I felt like the small (but important) commentary that is made is done really well for and easy to understand for younger readers. I loved the plot very much because it felt like a fun adventure that never slows down to much. Pilar as a character was fun because we get to watch her grow as a person and come into herself and not be scared to be who she is which is different from everybody else. Overall this was a fun quick story that is defiantly worth the read. Overall rating 4/5 stars

I enjoyed this ride with aspiring cinematographer/documentarian Pilar. Randall decided to use a dark period in Dominican Republic history to frame a story that encircles a young girl searching for a way to bring a little more healing to the lives of her mother and grandmother who have first hand experience of living under dictator Trujillo. He ensures to that it is represented in a way that will not only be digestible to young readers, but that they may also start speaking up and asking for the truth and for more stories to be told, as so much silence surrounds the island and that darkest of times.

It was however very jarring the extent to which 'pues' and 'pero' were used. I know Pilar is not fluent in Spanish, yet I felt that her trying to connect with that part of her heritage could have been shown in other ways. The use of Story and how important it is is what kept me in this tale and the creative way Randall chose to utilize Dominican folktale and creatures to bring this adventure to life.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Pilar is a 12-year old budding film maker who lives in a world where adults don't talk about the challenging side of their heritage and her current living area is changing around her. So, she is in a state of flux herself and has many questions she is trying to answer. She is filming a documentary on the Dominican Republic; in particular the dark time when people disappeared under a dictator. Her great aunt and cousin vanished with so many others. She wants to find out what happened to her cousin and hopes it will bring her mother and grandmother some peace. After this background is given, the story leaps to fantasy and mythology as Pilar is sucked into another realm with beings from the Dominican traditions. The learning curve is fast and steep as she joins the battle to defeat the evil beings who have taken over so much of the island and hold so many captive in a prison. Pilar learns that her cousin is one of those trapped there. The remainder of this book brings readers along as they battle and eventually overcome the evil to save everyone.
Randall pours her heart into this story and this shows. Though there are some slow portions, middle grade readers will appreciate how the characters are portrayed. I wish the traditions were explained more clearly but readers are given a taste of this culture. Two languages are woven in the story and at times, the context clues are difficult to decipher. Overall, a delightful story to introduce readers to these traditions and myths.

Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Pilar Ramirez, age 12, lives in Chicago in a rapidly changing neighborhood. Her family left the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo regime, when people, including Mami’s cousin Natasha, would go missing. Pilar is making her own documentary about her family history. Her sister tells her that there is a professor at her school who has information and arranges for Pilar to meet him. But when Pilar arrives at his office, she is sucked into a blank sheet of paper and finds herself in the land of Zafa. There she meets Carmen, a ciguapa, who rescues Pilar from coconut demons and worse. Pilar discovers that the evils of the Trujillo regime are alive on Zafa and that her cousin, Natasha, is in the infamous prison La Blanca. Pilar and Carmen have to fight the demons for any chance of rescuing Natasha and getting Pilar home.
I enjoyed reading about Dominican mythos against the backdrop of an extremely dark period that isn’t really taught in school. In Pilar’s thoughts and dialog, there is a mix of English and Spanish words. Some of the Spanish words I knew from my high school classes, others I needed to Google – the digital version that I had did not have a glossary. But readers can also just gloss over them and not lose track of what’s going on. I would recommend for grades 4 and up.
#PilarRamirezAndTheEscapeFromZafa #NetGalley

This book is such a labor of love. I can tell that the author pored so much of their heritage and background into telling this story. Sadly since I don't have more of an understanding of this heritage, the culture, and the myths this book was a little hard for me to follow hence my 3 star rating. I don't think that takes away from the book and its intended audience though. I love that more authors are able to bring representation to cultures that previously have not been mainstream and I know that some kido out there is going to be so happy to find this book in their local library, at their school, or in a book store.

Thank you so very much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Such an amazing read!! Pilar is an awesome character; from the fierce love of her family, the dislike of her gentrifying neighborhood to charging into a fight on a magical island. The storytelling from a 7th grader was truly authentic and I could imagine any one of my students telling it. I loved the mix of the Spanish language and the represented history of events in Dominican Republic. I can't wait to have this book on the classroom shelves of my middle school.
Thanks NetGalley!

I wanted to like this book. The description was very intriguing. I love books that show other cultures and their mythology. This book fell short and I stopped reading at 20% in. The story is told from the perspective of twelve-year-old Pilar, who is working on a documentary about her cousin's disappearance. In the process, she gets transported to a mysterious island, where she encounters a variety of creatures based on Dominican mythology. I just couldn't get into Pilar's character. She was sucked into a piece of paper that dropped her onto an island with mythical creatures. Yet she just accepted it and didn't really think it was at all odd. There is a lot of Spanish sprinkled into the writing. I do speak Spanish, so I understood the majority of the phrases, but there was no context provided to help readers who do not understand Spanish. I have read books written in a similar style in languages I do not understand, and I think this is a literary tool that can work when done well, but I don't think it was done well in this book.

That being said, I realize that I am not the target demographic for this book. A middle-grade reader might enjoy it and find Pilar more relatable due to the way her perspective was written.

Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa was such a great read. Pilar is a twelve year old girl learning about her world as it is changing by the minute. Past meets present for her when she finds herself in Zafa. One of the interesting things about this book was the authenticity of languages (Spanish and English) as Pilar narrates this story. I love how Julian Randall gave voice to bilingual children who will pick up this book and see themselves and their families in this book. As an English speaker I was able to follow along and learn some Spanish along the way as well.
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Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and she doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin Natasha—who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship.

When Pilar hears that Lorena’s professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to take matters into her own hands. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin’s name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within.

She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home

Thank you to #NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa by Julian Randall. This middle grade adventure novel is rooted in the history and mythology of the Dominican Republic and will be published March 1, 2022. All opinions are my own.

Twelve-year-old Pilar Ramirez is a budding documentarian. She is currently working on a piece about the dictatorship of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and the people he made vanish. Specifically, she is hoping to find out what happened to her mother’s cousin, who was about the same age as Pilar when she went missing. Lorena, Pilar’s older sister, meets a professor at her college who is an expert in this area and sets up a meeting for Pilar. Pilar arrives at his office to find it empty and begins searching the room for information and filming some B-roll. Upon touching a blank paper in her cousin’s file, she finds herself sucked within it. She lands on the island of Zafa, home of demons, witches, shapeshifters, and a magical prison where her cousin has been held captive for years. Pilar must defeat El Cuco, the Dominican boogeyman, in order to free her cousin and escape Zafa.

This was an interesting book. I loved that it introduced young readers to the history and mythology of the DR. I think it broke the history down in an accessible way that emphasized the injustices the people faced. I wanted to love this book, but I never really got to that point. I found the beginning of the story to be slow moving. I also found Pilar’s dialogue and narration jolting at times, not because of her use of Spanish, but because of her constant use of interrupters. Mainly, how she starts the majority of her sentences with “pues”. It feels like someone trying to hard to create a preteen voice by throwing in slang. At a certain point, I started skimming over the pues at the beginning of a sentence, so I could get to the meat of the story. I felt the adventure and action really picked up in the last quarter of the book. Had some of that been present a little earlier in the book, it may have grabbed my attention sooner and gotten me to really love it. Overall, it’s a solid story and a great intro to the mythology of the DR.

“I was just trying to finish my movie, inform the masses, and maybe score some extra credit to start off eighth grade…but now? Everything is upside down. And I mean that last part literally.”

Twelve-year-old Pilar Ramirez is going to be a famous director…one day. For now, she’s busy creating a documentary about her cousin Natasha who disappeared in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship. So when her older sister mentions a professor who studies that era, Pilar immediately goes to talk with him. But when he’s late to the meeting, ever intrepid Pilar decides to snoop around his office a little—and accidentally gets sucked into the mythical world of Zafa, a land where time is strange, butterfly shapeshifters are in charge, and coconut demons are the enemy. Pilar also discovers that Natasha is being held captive in a sinister magical prison that is slowly killing the land. The odds are steep, but Pilar will have to use every tool she has and dig deep within herself if she wants to save her cousin, her new friends, and escape from Zafa in time.

Chock-full of heart-pounding moments, Dominican history and mythology, and incredibly real characters, Julian Randall’s Pilar Ramirez and the Escape From Zafa is a must-read for any fans of action/adventure stories. Pilar’s voice is phenomenally written and so fun; I loved having her journeying through Zafa with me. I also enjoyed the clever mix of English and Spanish in the narration and dialogue. It added another dimension to the story and the characters that I’ve seen in very few other novels. I was so impressed with Randall’s skillful integration of Dominican history and mythology that felt accessible for readers of all ages and levels of familiarity with it. If you enjoy magical middle grade novels and races against the clock, get your hands on a copy of Pilar Ramirez and the Escape From Zafa ASAP because this is one novel you don’t want to miss!

Content Warnings: Mentioned police violence, kidnapping, fire, death, mentions of mass murder, death of a parent, war

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

This book was just okay. I appreciate what it was trying to do but it wasn’t for me. The added Spanish text sprinkled throughout took me out of the story (just because I am not bilingual, nothing wrong with their being Spanish words). I found this kinda like any other middle grade adventure book, even though I do think the characters were a bright side to the story!

This book is a fictional and magical representation of some of the things that happened in the Dominican Republic during the dictatorship of Trujillo. Perfect for a young reader to get a taste/understanding of the injustice in a softer way. I really like that the author wrote the story she felt was missing from her childhood.

I’m not bilingual, but I liked the bilingual writing. I think that representation is important even if readers don’t understand it. I also liked the use of slang. It felt authentic, and I know a lot of people talk like that, so it’s relatable. I’m honestly surprised the publisher allowed the slang because I know there’s a whole audience of people who won’t like it. I loved it though!

I found myself wishing the plot had more action. Also. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not bilingual, but the constant use of pues and pero threw me off. Again, not saying it’s wrong or it should’ve been written differently, but it was just new for me. Overall, an ok read. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it.

This is a Middle Grade. I just could not get into this book. I did not like the writing style of this book, and the characters where just ok. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.