This one was so good! It's a very brutal book that's sometimes hard to swallow or read about what's going on but that's what makes it so worth it. It really demonstrates the torn-ness of Sal and Charo and makes you question your own ideals about friendships and general relationships. Definitely worth picking up and reading!

Loca tells the story of Sal and Charro, best friends since their school days in the Dominican Republic. Both come to New York City in search of a fresh start. Sal, a gay science enthusiast, is trying to escape the haunting memories of his best friend’s violent death while stuck in a dead-end job. Charro, free-spirited and full of hope, dreams of new opportunities but ends up trapped in a controlling relationship, working at a supermarket and unexpectedly becoming a mother.

One night, while out together, Sal finds love at a gay nightclub, and this relationship introduces both him and Charro to new circles of people. As Sal navigates the tension between his desires and self-identity, Charro embarks on her own journey of self-discovery, figuring out what kind of woman she wants to be.

The novel talks about relationships, friendships, abandonment, and the longing for belonging. It shows us how friends can become family, especially when traditional identity groups fail to provide the support one needs.

Overall, I enjoyed Loca but felt that the secondary characters didn’t add much to the story. I would have preferred more depth from Sal and Charro, as their individual journeys were the most compelling parts of the book.

Loca was one of those books that crept up on me. Usually when I start reading ARCs, I read the first 50 pages or so and then put down my rating of the intrigue, and that's how I figure out what order I'll read things in. If I like them the most, I'll try to finish them before the IndieNext deadline, things like that. But with Loca, I found myself blazing past the first 50 pages. I fell in love with Sal and Charo, mostly because they were so complex and real. I felt like I was making new friends, watching their lives and rooting for them to succeed, despite their flawed choices and setbacks. This book is a snapshot of two lives, with the friendship between the two at the heart of it all.

A dynamic portrayal of the complexities and importance of even the most flawed relationships, friendships, and families.

This book was good, but the ending was a bit abrupt for my liking. I like a little bit more resolution in my favorite books, this just didn’t have that. Apart from that, it was a pretty great book. I adored the characters, they seemed so real to me. All of the issues that they dealt with are still occurring in the US even now, so it was timely. Great story, but hopefully the next one will have a more fully explored ending.

We get to read how the characters want to belong. They do what must of us do, deny our desires/wants and then wonder why things do not work out as we hoped. As we get to know each character we get to learn how selfish, tough, strong, honest, brave and honest they are. The main characters are Sal and Charo; with Sal we see how hard it is for him to make decisions, we get to see how Charo decides to make a very hard decision of trying to learn what make her happy and the Woman she wants to be. Must Read and recommend.
Thank you Simon & Schuster for the ARC through Netgalley.

Elegant, brutal, blunt. Loca is a book that, at its very center, is asking: What would you do to hold on to your tiny corner of the world? Your job, your reputation, your ambition—the expectations of your family. When it’s been beaten into you that what you’ve managed to accrue has, and never will, simply boil down to hard work and determination… what would you be willing to give up?

Would you tame your mannerisms, make sure to only show affection to your romantic partner behind a closed door? Would you bury yourself under the many layers of an identity that doesn’t represent you; wearing a suit instead of a dress, a tie instead of earrings, tailored pants instead of sheer tights? Would you work to hide your accent, not speak out of fear that your pronunciation of certain words or phrases would be judged? Would you shun yourself from a community that you identify with, as to not be lumped in with them? And, if you did this, would it be worth it? Would you be protected? Would the armor this performance offers be enough?

Passing—presenting yourself as anything else than the dreaded other—comes with a cost. Physical and monetary safety, broader opportunities, a placid and surface-level acceptance; this weighed against dignity, pride, sense of self. Would it be worth it?

Loca is at its strongest when it poses these questions. The initial main cast of characters are tangible; well-drawn as actualized people. Their wants, needs, and fears are all clearly, brilliantly—and, most times, brutally—communicated. It’s when the novel enters its third act, introducing an entirely new supporting cast—that are not nearly as well explored, only with a few exceptions—that Loca falters. This is where, unfortunately, it went from a five star to a four star read, at least for me.

The ending, still, is poignant. Sal, specifically, is a character who will stay with me for a long time.

(Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the arc, allowing me the opportunity to preview this title before its release.)

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this upcoming read.

This book started and it took off running. In the first 15% so much happened that I felt a little confused. However once I got my own footing, this was such a great book. I enjoyed this story of dominican culture and of ones identity. Not just ethmicity wise but orientation.4.5 stars

I requested and received an eARC of Loca by Alejandro Heredia via NetGalley. The novel follows best friends Sal and Charo through one year of their life living in New York City. It’s 1999 and Sal finds himself struggling to build the future he has envisioned for himself. He finds himself weighed down by his past, while Charo finds herself weighed down by her present. At twenty-five she is a young mother in a relationship with an at times controlling and possessive man. She is quickly succumbing to the version of life that she sought to escape in her old country. When the two go out to a club together and Sal meets a new man, both are ushered into a new social circle that pushes them to reconsider the way their lives are going and what they really want from life.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. I was very interested in the friendship between Sal and Yadiel during Sal’s childhood in the Dominican Republic. Yadiel and Renata, figures from Sal’s young adult life, were such vibrant characters that I looked forward to the flashback scenes contained in the narrative. I also like the way that the flashback scenes function in the story, demonstrating what it means to be torn between two places and to be caught between the past and present. Heredia imbues his characters with such humanity that is impossible not to enjoy the time spent with them on the page. Sal and Charo are both complicated and dynamic characters, both flawed in their own ways but easy to sympathize with which makes Loca a compelling reading experience.

Sal demonstrates an indifference and uncertainty that I found frustrating, but could easily empathize with. Although, our contexts are quite different, I’ve found myself in a similar state many times. It’s a complicated grief reaction. While reading Loca, I wanted nothing more than for him to succeed or find some sense of contentment. It reminded me to treat myself more kindly. Although I appreciated Sal’s story, I often found myself drawn more to Charo’s journey as a young mother and the complicated relationship dynamic she shares with Robert. After spending so much time with Charo and Sal, I couldn’t help but feel like they still remained enigmas to me by the time I reached the end of the novel. There were gaps I wanted filled in, questions I wanted answered. All things considered, I really enjoyed Loca. I craved a bit more resolution, but the ending felt hopeful, and maybe that’s enough.

I loved spending time with the characters in Loca. It follows a group of queer Dominican immigrants in NYC in 1999 while jumping back to show their time prior to moving as well. It felt authentic and raw. While the plot is lean, I kept coming back to learn more about their lives. It is a book filled with grief, but is very hopeful. A definite recommend. Thank you Simon & Schuster for the ARC through NetGallery.

I went into this with excitement and also a little trepidation. I hold stories about Dominican immigrants to a higher standard, I am always waiting for the story to start turning stereotypical and being disappointed.

I am very happy to report that this was not the case! I loved Heredia’s writing, I felt connected to the characters and I kept rooting for them. This was a wonderful debut and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

Sal and Charro, best friends from the Dominican Republic, seek new beginnings in this compelling narrative. Sal, a gay man, grapples with the violent death of his best friend and the challenges of establishing his career in New York. Charro, on the other hand, left the D.R. in search of opportunities, only to find herself with a child and a boyfriend who struggles to accept her friendships and truly seeing her for who she is.

The author excels in developing the main characters, providing the reader with a clear and deep understanding of their personalities and struggles. As the story unfolds, several secondary characters are introduced, some of whom are explored in more depth than others.

This novel is a valuable contribution to literature about the complexities faced by minority groups, including LGBTQI and non-white communities. Such stories are essential for fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of diverse experiences.

Alejandro Heredia's "Loca" is set in 1999 during a global existential crisis. People were torn between excitement for the future and burdened by the past. The story follows two main characters, Sal and Charo, who have moved from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, to New York City. Sal, who is gay, and Charo, a young mother, both struggle for freedom and fight against social stigma and shame. Both deal with societal issues and prejudices based on their identities.

The narrative focuses on how their personal choices bring a degree of liberation while also highlighting that they were attempting to escape something. Now, they are haunted by guilt, a sense of blame, and a feeling of powerlessness.

Astronomy and astrology are referenced multiple times, reinforcing Sagan’s quest to find life beyond our known home. The book explores both the families we are born into and the families we choose. It also delves into ideas about fate and our futures.

I highly recommend this read. It does deal with heavy emotions, but the characters also show capability, resilience, and compassion. As a reader, I felt transported to the various times and places through well-crafted, atmospheric prose. The struggles of coming of age, the consequences of our choices, our aspirations, and the search for belonging are all universally relatable. Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Loca was a moving and colorful example of what life looks like when you take the reigns. The difference between doing what society predicts for you and listening to your inner heart is razor thin. You can fall so easily on one side or another. And oftentimes having a marginalized background can make you feel even more so like fate has your life in its hands. There are powerful systemic forces working against immigrants, POC, queer people, the neurodivergent, women, and others. But even when things look dark and bleak in the face of power, there are individual choices one can make to take charge of parts of their life and destiny.

Our two main characters each discover this after years of living "the dream" that so many have placed on them. The American Dream is something that was promised through hard work, but there are choices that have to be made alongside that work. Choices like the people you fall in love with, the people you keep company with, the things you apply yourself to.

I think Heredia did an excellent job of balancing the lives of these two characters on his fingertip. I do wish that Sal's mental health had been explored a bit more, and that we got a little more resolution on his lot in life. I feel a little more sure of what Charo's life looks like after the events of the novel, and I wanted to feel closer to Sal. Maybe that was due to the pacing of the book, as the middle third focuses heavily on Sal and them both while the final third is focused well on Charo and left me a few more questions about Sal.

Overall I enjoyed my time with these characters, and the writing was beautifully done.