I spoke about this book on a bookhaul instagram live and I absolutely LOVED this book! I'm so sad that this was only a duology because I loved Pilar & all the characters in this book! I would highly recommend it.

An absolute joy.

I loved reading about Dominican Republic and seeing Pilar understand her mother's love for the island. I also love that the author unapologetically uses Spanish words/Dominican Spanish without pandering to an audience that may be unfamiliar. The use of Spanish feels natural and not forced in as a reminder of who Pilar is and where the story is taking place.

Readers who don't speak Spanish can google the words. You'll be fine.

Pilar and Carmen are back! One of my favorite aspects, as with the first book, was the seamless blend of English and Spanish languages. The other is the fierce loyalty between Pilar, her friends and family. I loved reading about the Dominican Republic and the culture. Pilar's adventure to save the world from Trujillo coming back to life is fast paced and full of action. Great wrap up for Pilar and her family. Thanks NetGalley!

This novel, like Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa, which preceded it, is set against the history and mythology of the Dominican Republic. Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon takes place a year after the first volume, during a trip to the Dominican Republic, which Pilar takes with her family - the first time her mother and grandmother have been there since they left. The time frame between our world and Zafa, which is a mystical, magical world inhabited by brujita (witches) is inconsistent, so for Zafa, Pilar has just left, and that part of the story picks up right where it stopped.

Pilar remains a fun and enthusiastic character, but there is less of the tween angst that characterized her in the first novel, and it makes her a little less unique than she was, although those who read the first book can still see some of it coming through. This second novel is a good sequel, but will be somewhat confusing for those who haven't read the first one, or who read the first one some time ago. As with the first volume, Pilar, like every character in the novel, speaks English with a mostly consistent admixture of the Spanish of the Dominican Republic, which can make reading the novel complicated for those who, like myself, don’t speak Spanish, and can sometimes make it difficult to differentiate between characters, especially with the occasional admixture of American slang. Still, it's a fun book to read, and those who read the first book will enjoy this one too.

I enjoyed this duology very much. I enjoyed learning about new cultures and the plotline. It was fast-paced, and I was excited about every chapter. If you don’t read the first book, you’re going to be a little confused. However, it’s so good, why wouldn’t you read it?!

ANOTHER ABSOLUTE BANGER for the middle grade shelf. Julian! You've done it again. I could read about Pilar Ramirez all day honestly and have heavily pushed my nieces and nephews to become fans as well. How that's going, well, we will see in time. HIGHLY recommend people pick up the first and I will be raving about this sequel as well when it drops. Thank you so, so much!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon

Author: Julian Randall

Book Series: Pilar Ramirez Book 2

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Dominican American MC, Dominican characters

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Dominican Republic

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Genre: MG Fantasy

Age Relevance: 10+ (parental death, violence, gore, war mentioned)

Explanation of Above: There is a parental death mentioned briefly. There is some violence and small blood gore. There are mentions of war.

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Pages: 272

Synopsis: After being magically transported to the mythical island of Zafa and rescuing her long captive cousin Natasha, Pilar is back in Chicago . . . and hiding the shocking truths about Zafa and Natasha being alive. So, when she and her family are invited on a trip to Santo Domingo, Pilar welcomes the distraction and the chance to see the Dominican Republic for the first time.

But when Ciguapa and close friend Carmen magically appears in the DR searching for help, Pilar is soon on the hunt for the escaped demon El Baca and his mysterious new ally. Now, with a cursed storm gathering over the island to resurrect an ancient enemy, Pilar will have to harness her newfound bruja powers if she has any hope of saving her own world, Zafa, and most importantly her family before the clock runs out and ushers in a new era of evil.

Review: This book revolves around our MC a year after the previous book’s events. Pilar is invited with her family to go back to the Dominican Republic and good times are had until Zafa residents reappear to PIlar looking for her help yet again. The book did better this time with the pacing and it felt like it was smoother and more even. The book had great historical references with the history of the DR and I loved learning about it. The book also had good world building and character development.

However, I did think that the book is still too fast paced and I think it would be better slowed down. But overall it was good!

Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
It has been one year since the events of Pilar’s first visit to Zafa and her family and sister Lorena’s professor have won a trip to the Dominican Republic. Pilar hasn’t told her family about Zafa or that her cousin, Natasha, is still alive and still a tween because, of course, her family would never believe her! Upon arriving in the DR, Pilar has a disturbing vision of a rising storm so powerful she passes out. Her family thinks it’s just the Caribbean heat. But other things start happening, from the Uber driver giving off bad vibes to the return of Carmen, the ciguapa from Zafa. A very powerful former bruja is trying to bring back a demon from the first book and Pilar and Carmen must return to Zafa to help prevent this from happening.
This is a good sequel but did drag in some areas. I, unfortunately, found myself getting a little bored in the middle. The action does pick up and the ending is satisfying. Reading the first book is necessary to understand and appreciate the events in this sequel. My rating is 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
#PilarRamirezAndTheCurseOfSanZenon #NetGalley

I haven't read the first book in the series, but this was a fun read. While some elements followed up on events that happened in the first book, new readers will be able to keep up with the action. Pilar is a strong protagonist and I love that her American and Puerto Rican culture exist together unapologetically. She relies on her wits and the support of friends and family to help her defeat those who use dark magic.

This was a very action-packed book that will be appealing for readers who want to follow adventure. I highly recommend this book for all ages!

It’s been a while since Pilar saved the magical world of Zafa, and rescued her cousin, Natasha, who was revealed to have been alive all this time. Now, Pilar and her family have been invited to leave Chicago for a trip and travel back to the island where it all began. It’s the first time Pilar sees the Dominican Republic, and she’s determined to get so much material for her documentary. But her trip gets interrupted when Carmen, the Ciguapa and friend from Zafa, arrives and tells Pilar about the magical land being in danger. What’s worse, it seems like the danger is reaching out into Pilar’s world too. If Pilar doesn’t hurry and stop this new danger, both worlds will be doomed.

I received an advanced reading copy of Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon in exchange for an honest review.

Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon is a middle grade fantasy novel by Julian Randall. It’s also the sequel to Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa, which I read a short while ago. Of course when I found out about the sequel, I had to read it!

Like the first book, our main character is the young Pilar, whose voice really pushes the narrative forward in her usual charismatic and bilingual fashion. I loved seeing more of Pilar with her family in this book particularly, since in the last one she spent so much of her time away from them, but here we get to see her interact with them for a good chunk of the book.

Another difference is that here, the plot takes place in both worlds, Zafa and our own world, with some of the more dramatic moments happening here. It made for very interesting situations, especially as Pilar tried to keep her family safe and also in the dark about this whole other world she is protecting.

My favorite part, though, was Pilar connecting to her roots. She has never been to the Dominican Republic, but it’s such an important part of who she is. Here, Randall brings the island forward, and shows what it’s like to know of a place that influenced your whole history, while you’ve never even seen it before. Randall does talk about some darker parts of history, as he did in the first book, but in the end, this is a story about hope and beating out evil with light every time.

The book was so fast paced I hardly felt like the characters had a moment to breathe, but that meant I read through the entire thing so quickly that I was surprised at myself. I did enjoy how Randall brought Pilar’s story to an end, and think this is another great book for any fan of middle grade adventure, such as any in the Rick Riordan Presents line up.

Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon will be released on February 28. You can preorder your copy from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) here.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
This sequel picks up about a year after the first book finished. Pilar and her family are given a trip to the Dominican Republic through a research grant. Once there, Pilar experiences a series of events that are obviously connected to the events of the past both in this world and in Zafa.
Randall brings readers back into this world and continues to reveal more about these characters. Pilar and Natasha have to figure out how to defeat a new character before she resurrects Trujillo and unleashes the full power of evil magic on all worlds. After a series of battles and confrontations, good defeats evil for what should be the final time. The book ends with Natasha reunited with the family. The final beach scene offers a conclusion that wraps up the whole story. Middle grade readers will appreciate the fantasy elements along with the action and energy.

The finale of the duology of the Pilar Ramirez series finds her in the Dominican Republic. A good second book in this series!

Excellent follow-up to the first Pilar Ramirez book! Full of adventure and imagination, Randall expertly explores generational trauma in a kid-accessible way through fantasy and adventure. Highly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and MacMillan for access to this E-ARC. I was printed access to provide you an honest review in advance of the publishing day.

Pilar is back in the second outing of pillar Ramirez we return to Zafa. It's been in years since people are got back from sofa after the last book. Her cousin Natasha has stayed in Zafa and has learned how to be a bruja. The magical world and the world that people are lives in collide yet again. A new big bad has risen and is attempting to bring Trujillo back from the dead.

As with the last book, this book is rooted in the author's Dominican culture. The plot is engaging in fast-paced. We get to see friends that we met in the first book. The climax feels real and incredibly terrifying given who this novels big bad is trying to bring back.

What I loved about the first book was pilar's voice. This does come through in the Curse of San Zenon. I also loved the history and the impact of that history on the characters. This also came through.

Randall does an amazing job weaving a story around the traumatic impact of History and rooting it in his culture. I found the first book to have a little bit more development of the characters' relationships particularly between Pilar and Carmen. Pilar and Natasha are cousins, and I think they just got less time to spend together talking as they were going on the quest.

***"*spoiler****"


This book is split between a couple different points of view at the very beginning of the novel. The readers kind of thrown into a dream without really knowing what was going on and who was talking.

It turns out that this is Pilar remembering the life of the person who turned into the demon she's facing in this book. How it was handled was a little too abrupt. I spent some time being fairly confused at the beginning of this book. Once I understood what was going on I really appreciated the perspective that those particular chapters gave to the entire book.

**Spoiler ends**

This is a good second outing. it has great heart. The story is exciting and interesting. I think I liked the first book a little bit more, but this was a great read.

I tried and tried to read this book, but the constant throwing in Spanish words just because it could be done was more than I could take pero maybe that was the point, to prevent readers from becoming engrossed in the story. There may be a good story in this book, but if I as an adult with some knowledge of Spanish got frustrated with the constant language changes how could I expect a middle school student to enjoy the book. I most definitely will not be adding this to my school’s collection.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I’m enjoying reading about all the various myths, gods and monsters of various cultures from around the world. I think kids will enjoy the action and adventure of this book along with getting to learn more about the Dominican Republic myths and culture.

Julian Randall shares another entry in an absolutely essential series — essential for young readers, classroom libraries, and school libraries. Pilar Ramirez is a wonderful, strong central character and the story is packed with adventure.

What worked:
Pilar is of Dominican Republic heritage which is a culture not often featured in novels. The story includes language, food, and other cultural details as much of the plot takes place on the island. The antagonists are mythical creatures in the Dominican folklore and a couple of them are returning from imprisonments. Seems like they may want to find a more powerful, magical penal system. The giant evil being resurrected in the plot was considered gone forever until the reality of its return faces the main characters. The conflict finds Pilar and her allies struggling to discover an impossible way to stop the overwhelming power being wielded by a bruja traitor.
Pilar is a bruja, and the dictionary defines that term as a sorcerer. Pilar is able to wield magic but seems more like a warrior-in-training, as her friend Carmen has been teaching her fighting techniques. Pilar is the only person able to see the storm growing over the sea and the truth behind this vision is revealed later. She also has dreams of people she’s never seen in places she’s never been and the meaning of these images becomes clearer as the story moves on. Most of the brujas in the world have died so Pilar may be the most powerful one left. La Bruja seems to be the boss, but she defers to Pilar’s judgment at crucial points in the plot.
The adventure has a good deal of action-packed scenes that will satisfy young readers. Pilar and her friends use magic to conjure weapons against their foes. Machetes are wielded in hand-to-hand combat as some beasts can only be defeated by removing their heads. Powerful storms and devastating winds create a dark, malevolent atmosphere to accentuate the intensity of the characters’ clashes. Pilar uses her magic and special gloves to traverse the city spiderman-style and to maneuver around giant creatures. She later learns that teamwork is a highly effective strategy against their enemies.
What didn’t work as well:
Authors often use vocabulary from other languages to enhance the cultural influence. This book frequently uses insignificant Spanish conjunctions which may distract readers due to over usage. Other Spanish phrases are used more strategically, adding a cultural flair to the events. The vocabulary seems more appropriate and blends into the story better when it’s used in the characters’ dialogue.
The final verdict:
I recommend reading “Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa” before reading this one as many connections are made to past events and characters. The action, suspense, and Dominican folklore should entertain young readers and I recommend you give this book a shot.