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Summer of the Mariposas
When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero’s journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer’s original tale.
With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother’s house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them?
Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.
With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother’s house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them?
Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2012
252 people are currently reading
3457 people want to read
About the author
Guadalupe Garcia McCall
18 books360 followersI was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. My family immigrated into the U.S. when I was six years old. I grew up in Eagle Pass, a small, border town in South Texas. Eagle Pass is the setting of both, my debut novel in verse, UNDER THE MESQUITE, and my 2nd novel, SUMMER OF THE MARIPOSAS, fall of 2012 from TU Books. After high school, I went off to Alpine in West Texas to study to become a teacher. I have a BA in Theatre Arts and English from Sul Ross State University. In Alpine, I met my husband, Jim. We have 3 grown sons. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of English at George Fox University in Newberg, OR and live with my husband in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews
December 2, 2023
A masterclass on magical realism and a twist on the hero’s journey.
October 29, 2012
Under the Mesquite by Ms Garcia McCall was one of the most underrated books I read last year. I’m not sure whether it was because I’ll always have a soft spot for well-written, beautiful verse novels, or because it was just a gorgeous and very affective story, but it’s wonderful and I would recommend it to you all in a heartbeat.
And while I didn’t have the same love for Summer of the Mariposas, I still really enjoyed it.
The Mexican and Aztec influences absolute thrum through this story, weaving all the other threads of character and plot and creating a rich and gorgeous book. Unfortunately, I have limited (read: zilch) experience and knowledge in Mexican or Aztec culture so I have a feeling that a lot of the references went over my head. And, I guess, a lot of the magic went with it. I took as much from this story as I could but I can’t help but think the reason why I didn’t love this story as much as I wanted to was because it lacked the magic that I found with Under the Mesquite.
That’s not to say that Ms Garcia McCall skimped on the detail and just threw random Aztec beliefs at you left, right and centre. They were wonderfully incorporated into the girl’s adventure but some of them just didn’t really stick with me. Also, they kind of got a tiny bit repetitive. I guess that’s one of the sad things about reading a book about a completely different culture; unless you have an already existing knowledge of it, as much as you want to it’s sometimes difficult to not see it through your own eyes that you are used to seeing your own world through.
Does that make sense? I’m not sure if it does but I can’t think of how else to explain it.
But I did learn something from this book and I will always adore stories that are steeped in tradition and folklore and superstition. There’s something so pure and interesting about them and I always want to know more. Actually, this book has a wonderful “Author’s Note” that explains more about the inspiration behind the mystical things that the sisters experience which was much appreciated and gave me a great starting point to begin to find out about the stories that are referenced in this story. All of this folklore and beliefs gave this book an incredibly beautiful “campfire” type of feel or, because you don’t get many opportunities to sit around campfires in Manchester, the kind of story your grandparents would tell you on a rainy day while you drink tea and eat ginger biscuits.
If Under the Mesquite made me realise that Ms Garcia McCall could work her way around beautiful verse, Summer of the Mariposas ensured my belief that she could do the same with prose. The language was stunning and gave the book a dreamy feel to it, like when the sun’s setting and everything is painted in that glorious dusky orange colour.
All in all, this book is lovely. It’s a story about the connections between sisters, growing up, finding out who you want to be and a gorgeous exploration of the bond between a daughter and her mother. If you’re looking for a gentle story with an important moral, then you should definitely pick up this book. And then read Under the Mesquite because it’s even better.
Although, I must warn you: if you’re hungry, you should not read this book. I swear one of these days Ms Garcia McCall is going to end up with me on her doorstep with an empty plate held out and an expectant look on my face. When she keeps talking about tortillas like that, she only has herself to blame.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers.
And while I didn’t have the same love for Summer of the Mariposas, I still really enjoyed it.
The Mexican and Aztec influences absolute thrum through this story, weaving all the other threads of character and plot and creating a rich and gorgeous book. Unfortunately, I have limited (read: zilch) experience and knowledge in Mexican or Aztec culture so I have a feeling that a lot of the references went over my head. And, I guess, a lot of the magic went with it. I took as much from this story as I could but I can’t help but think the reason why I didn’t love this story as much as I wanted to was because it lacked the magic that I found with Under the Mesquite.
That’s not to say that Ms Garcia McCall skimped on the detail and just threw random Aztec beliefs at you left, right and centre. They were wonderfully incorporated into the girl’s adventure but some of them just didn’t really stick with me. Also, they kind of got a tiny bit repetitive. I guess that’s one of the sad things about reading a book about a completely different culture; unless you have an already existing knowledge of it, as much as you want to it’s sometimes difficult to not see it through your own eyes that you are used to seeing your own world through.
Does that make sense? I’m not sure if it does but I can’t think of how else to explain it.
But I did learn something from this book and I will always adore stories that are steeped in tradition and folklore and superstition. There’s something so pure and interesting about them and I always want to know more. Actually, this book has a wonderful “Author’s Note” that explains more about the inspiration behind the mystical things that the sisters experience which was much appreciated and gave me a great starting point to begin to find out about the stories that are referenced in this story. All of this folklore and beliefs gave this book an incredibly beautiful “campfire” type of feel or, because you don’t get many opportunities to sit around campfires in Manchester, the kind of story your grandparents would tell you on a rainy day while you drink tea and eat ginger biscuits.
If Under the Mesquite made me realise that Ms Garcia McCall could work her way around beautiful verse, Summer of the Mariposas ensured my belief that she could do the same with prose. The language was stunning and gave the book a dreamy feel to it, like when the sun’s setting and everything is painted in that glorious dusky orange colour.
“We splashed around in that cold, clear water like river nymphs, born to swim and bathe till the end of days. It was a magical time, full of dreaminess and charm, a time to watch the mariposas emerge out of their cocoons, gather their courage, and take flight while we floated faceup in the water.”
All in all, this book is lovely. It’s a story about the connections between sisters, growing up, finding out who you want to be and a gorgeous exploration of the bond between a daughter and her mother. If you’re looking for a gentle story with an important moral, then you should definitely pick up this book. And then read Under the Mesquite because it’s even better.
Although, I must warn you: if you’re hungry, you should not read this book. I swear one of these days Ms Garcia McCall is going to end up with me on her doorstep with an empty plate held out and an expectant look on my face. When she keeps talking about tortillas like that, she only has herself to blame.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers.
November 2, 2022
I had to teach this to my 8th graders.
They didn’t like it.
I didn’t like it.
They didn’t like it.
I didn’t like it.
July 23, 2012
I love my cinco hermanitas!
August 22, 2018
Esta es mi primera reseña en español, por lo que será muy breve. (Intenté incluir acentos: los hablantes nativos pueden corregirme aquí).
Si bien este libro está bien escrito, la trama se mueve a un ritmo muy lento y, en ocasiones, la escritura se demora. Me gustó mucho lo que hizo la autora con la mitología mexicana, sin embargo, la ejecución de sus ideas fracasó.
Este libro no es tan bueno como "Under the Mesquite". Recomendaría mucho, mucho más. Espero disfrutar su próximo libro mucho más.
Si bien este libro está bien escrito, la trama se mueve a un ritmo muy lento y, en ocasiones, la escritura se demora. Me gustó mucho lo que hizo la autora con la mitología mexicana, sin embargo, la ejecución de sus ideas fracasó.
Este libro no es tan bueno como "Under the Mesquite". Recomendaría mucho, mucho más. Espero disfrutar su próximo libro mucho más.
November 26, 2023
This book sucks
Don’t read
Don’t read
November 6, 2017
Top Shelf Review. Originally appeared in the July 25, 2012, edition of The Monitor.
A Magical Mexican-American Odyssey
Guadalupe García McCall is an up-and-coming Latina author whose first book, Under the Mesquite, won this year's Pura Belpré Prize and was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award. Born in Piedras Negras and raised in Eagle Pass, García McCall—like many along the border—straddles two overlapping worlds, and that convergence of culture and geography enriches her character-driven writing. In her second novel, Summer of the Mariposas, she takes arguably the oldest story in literature—the Monomyth or Hero’s Journey—and reshapes it to resonate with the unique harmonies of Latina sisterhood and motherly love.
Odilia Garza and her four sisters (independent Juanita; the irrepressible twins, Velia and Delia; and little, kind-hearted Pita) have a unified reaction to their father’s abandoning the family: they run wild. For a year, they do little to help their mother, preferring instead to exist free and unencumbered by responsibility. But when they discover a dead man floating in the Río Grande, they are drawn on an odyssey that rivals that of Odysseus himself. Guided by la Llorona, the weeping specter that bitterly regrets her crimes, the sisters take their father’s old car and drive the body across the border into Mexico, intending to simply return him to his own family and then visit their grandmother, whom they’ve not seen in some time. But dark forces block their path at every turn: witches, lechuzas, chupacabras, naguales and other mythic beasts. To defeat this bleak menagerie, the girls must learn to overcome the heartache that threatens to tear their family apart. With the help of shamans, their grandmother, and the Virgin herself, the Garza sisters are able to stand together, true and pure of heart, even in the face of their greatest trial: the return of their father.
Beautifully written, heart-wrenching, action-packed and funny as can be, Summer of the Mariposas is a must-read for kids 12 years and up. I especially recommend its use in schools with large Latino populations. In Texas, mythology is now a greater component of the essential knowledge and skills for English language arts, and I can envision units that pair this novel with the Odyssey or other traditional texts. García McCall is herself an English teacher, and I’m willing to bet that the interests and needs of her own students inspired her to craft this magical adventure.
Summer of the Mariposas will be published in October by Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books, which graciously provided me an advance reader’s copy.
A Magical Mexican-American Odyssey
Guadalupe García McCall is an up-and-coming Latina author whose first book, Under the Mesquite, won this year's Pura Belpré Prize and was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award. Born in Piedras Negras and raised in Eagle Pass, García McCall—like many along the border—straddles two overlapping worlds, and that convergence of culture and geography enriches her character-driven writing. In her second novel, Summer of the Mariposas, she takes arguably the oldest story in literature—the Monomyth or Hero’s Journey—and reshapes it to resonate with the unique harmonies of Latina sisterhood and motherly love.
Odilia Garza and her four sisters (independent Juanita; the irrepressible twins, Velia and Delia; and little, kind-hearted Pita) have a unified reaction to their father’s abandoning the family: they run wild. For a year, they do little to help their mother, preferring instead to exist free and unencumbered by responsibility. But when they discover a dead man floating in the Río Grande, they are drawn on an odyssey that rivals that of Odysseus himself. Guided by la Llorona, the weeping specter that bitterly regrets her crimes, the sisters take their father’s old car and drive the body across the border into Mexico, intending to simply return him to his own family and then visit their grandmother, whom they’ve not seen in some time. But dark forces block their path at every turn: witches, lechuzas, chupacabras, naguales and other mythic beasts. To defeat this bleak menagerie, the girls must learn to overcome the heartache that threatens to tear their family apart. With the help of shamans, their grandmother, and the Virgin herself, the Garza sisters are able to stand together, true and pure of heart, even in the face of their greatest trial: the return of their father.
Beautifully written, heart-wrenching, action-packed and funny as can be, Summer of the Mariposas is a must-read for kids 12 years and up. I especially recommend its use in schools with large Latino populations. In Texas, mythology is now a greater component of the essential knowledge and skills for English language arts, and I can envision units that pair this novel with the Odyssey or other traditional texts. García McCall is herself an English teacher, and I’m willing to bet that the interests and needs of her own students inspired her to craft this magical adventure.
Summer of the Mariposas will be published in October by Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books, which graciously provided me an advance reader’s copy.
October 19, 2012
(This review on B's Book Blog!)
We hiked through the sparse woods, making our way carefully down the beaten path we had created that summer, the summer of the mariposas.
I gave this book two stars because I neither hated it enough to give it less, nor liked it enough to give it more. So what happened here? Oh, I merely tolerated it. Being given two stars is just as bad as one in terms of mental health if you use my rating system. It's not bad, but it doesn't stir anything within me except for never-ending, terminal, utter boredom. The kind that can drive me crazy, kill me, make me fall asleep within 3 minutes, and make me so bored that I want to cry because there's nothing else to do, and because I blame my chronic cannot-not-finish-books disease that's slowly killing me and damaging my happiness. With that said, I assume you now understand the way I feel about this book.
I don't want to say anything much, simply because I don't really care enough about this book to want to talk about it. As a student of literature, I am fascinated by the idea of reading Homer's the Iliad and the Odessey one day. So when I saw that this book claims to be a retelling of the latter, I was deceived into wanting to read it. But honestly, it did not feel like it, it was not a retelling if you ask me. It annoyed me and bored me and annoyed me and bored me endlessly. The five girls took turns irritating me rather than made me like them. The journey wasn't fun. It dragged on and on and on and on. It could've ended much earlier than when it does. All I wanted to say is that if Homer's the Odessey were remotely anything like this, I'd stay far far away and never look back.
The moment I finished this book I let out a big heavy sigh and almost cried. It would be tears of happiness. Not because the book made me happy, but because I was happy I got it over and done with. It's still a wonder to me, 2 days later, how I brought myself to finish it. I was tolerating it for so long, putting it down and not wanting to pick it up. It asked so much from me and I didn't even want to spend any more time reading it. It's true that I didn't hate it, but it bored me so much that I wanted to die. And that's worse. Now I can move on with my life. Finishing it felt like an accomplishment in its own right, and that's about the only good thing that came out of reading this book. It's just not for me.
------------------------
I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.
We hiked through the sparse woods, making our way carefully down the beaten path we had created that summer, the summer of the mariposas.
I gave this book two stars because I neither hated it enough to give it less, nor liked it enough to give it more. So what happened here? Oh, I merely tolerated it. Being given two stars is just as bad as one in terms of mental health if you use my rating system. It's not bad, but it doesn't stir anything within me except for never-ending, terminal, utter boredom. The kind that can drive me crazy, kill me, make me fall asleep within 3 minutes, and make me so bored that I want to cry because there's nothing else to do, and because I blame my chronic cannot-not-finish-books disease that's slowly killing me and damaging my happiness. With that said, I assume you now understand the way I feel about this book.
I don't want to say anything much, simply because I don't really care enough about this book to want to talk about it. As a student of literature, I am fascinated by the idea of reading Homer's the Iliad and the Odessey one day. So when I saw that this book claims to be a retelling of the latter, I was deceived into wanting to read it. But honestly, it did not feel like it, it was not a retelling if you ask me. It annoyed me and bored me and annoyed me and bored me endlessly. The five girls took turns irritating me rather than made me like them. The journey wasn't fun. It dragged on and on and on and on. It could've ended much earlier than when it does. All I wanted to say is that if Homer's the Odessey were remotely anything like this, I'd stay far far away and never look back.
The moment I finished this book I let out a big heavy sigh and almost cried. It would be tears of happiness. Not because the book made me happy, but because I was happy I got it over and done with. It's still a wonder to me, 2 days later, how I brought myself to finish it. I was tolerating it for so long, putting it down and not wanting to pick it up. It asked so much from me and I didn't even want to spend any more time reading it. It's true that I didn't hate it, but it bored me so much that I wanted to die. And that's worse. Now I can move on with my life. Finishing it felt like an accomplishment in its own right, and that's about the only good thing that came out of reading this book. It's just not for me.
------------------------
I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.
October 30, 2024
I don't want to express how much I hate this
Because I hated so much
Live laugh love
Because I hated so much
Live laugh love
January 30, 2013
Check out this review and others like it at BadAssBookReviews
I loved Ms. McCall's first novel Under the Mesquite. I loved it so much that I repeatedly pushed it on the librarians in my town and now it is on the recommended reading list for 8th graders. I do not claim to have influenced the book being listed .... but I'd like to think my passion for the book had *some* influence. Summer of the Mariposas is different from Under the Mesquite but the same. Both novels center on the relationship between sisters. Both stories involve a Mexican immgrant family living in Texas but very comfortable moving between Mexico and Texas. And in both novels, the familial relationship are intensely important.
Summer of the Mariposas, however, is a novel that is definitely written for a middle grade to younger young adult reading audience. Adults and older teens will enjoy this book, but it is clear the audience is younger. The novel beautifully blends Texas border culture with northern Mexican culture. Interwoven in the story is a very latino style magical realism heavily rooted in Mexican mythology. What Ms. McCall has done is take traditional evil or negative Mexican images and myths and co-opted them and redefined them. I love that.
The eldest sister of a 5 sister sibling group, must keep her sisters together, protect them from evil mythological villains, call on the help of ancient goddesses, and reunite her family. This is a great adventure tale for and about young teenaged girls. Mix in Mexican cultural references (fully defined with a glossary), references (a lot!) to Mexican food, and the positive portrayal of characters not often in young adult and middle age books and what results is a truly unique novel. I preferred Under the Mesquite, however Summer of the Mariposas is a strong written work and I look forward to reading more by her.
Side note - -my 13 year old daughter, who straddles both Mexican and American culture as she is growing up in a house with a father who is a Mexican immigrant and then just plain old me ... is reading this book right now. I hope to update with her thoughts on it. This is a book that provides characters and cultural background for young people that she likely would not get in many other places.
I loved Ms. McCall's first novel Under the Mesquite. I loved it so much that I repeatedly pushed it on the librarians in my town and now it is on the recommended reading list for 8th graders. I do not claim to have influenced the book being listed .... but I'd like to think my passion for the book had *some* influence. Summer of the Mariposas is different from Under the Mesquite but the same. Both novels center on the relationship between sisters. Both stories involve a Mexican immgrant family living in Texas but very comfortable moving between Mexico and Texas. And in both novels, the familial relationship are intensely important.
Summer of the Mariposas, however, is a novel that is definitely written for a middle grade to younger young adult reading audience. Adults and older teens will enjoy this book, but it is clear the audience is younger. The novel beautifully blends Texas border culture with northern Mexican culture. Interwoven in the story is a very latino style magical realism heavily rooted in Mexican mythology. What Ms. McCall has done is take traditional evil or negative Mexican images and myths and co-opted them and redefined them. I love that.
The eldest sister of a 5 sister sibling group, must keep her sisters together, protect them from evil mythological villains, call on the help of ancient goddesses, and reunite her family. This is a great adventure tale for and about young teenaged girls. Mix in Mexican cultural references (fully defined with a glossary), references (a lot!) to Mexican food, and the positive portrayal of characters not often in young adult and middle age books and what results is a truly unique novel. I preferred Under the Mesquite, however Summer of the Mariposas is a strong written work and I look forward to reading more by her.
Side note - -my 13 year old daughter, who straddles both Mexican and American culture as she is growing up in a house with a father who is a Mexican immigrant and then just plain old me ... is reading this book right now. I hope to update with her thoughts on it. This is a book that provides characters and cultural background for young people that she likely would not get in many other places.
November 10, 2015
This review is dedicated to anyone who has had the painful punishment of reading this book. At first I was totally into the concept of the book think "Wow, this sounds different" but nope not different, just stupid. The author is probably a lovely person, but the book is not. The characters were stupid, did not think, and were poorly written. The Aztec myths were confusing and didn't make any sense to the story. In all honesty the lack of common sense is amazing. They find a dead body, and the first thing out of their mouths is that they are going to be on TV. Like maybe the mother should be investigated by CPS if you daughters have no respect for the dead or they need to see a doctor for the lack of emotions. They dad is completely understandable I would totally leave if this was the family I had. Only thing that was good was when I finished the book. That closing feeling was amazing, this was probably the only book I have ever read that I did not want a second part. This book was more than enough. Plus WTF is with the Lotería cards, like could you have at least taught us how to play the game. Sorry people but I just cant deal with this.
December 25, 2023
I had to read this for a school project and if I’m honest none of it made sense, and as an avid reader of complicated storylines and such, I still could not grasp all the twists. Somehow this book made it’s story blatantly obvious of what’s going to happen yet still shockingly bad at the same time. With extreme pacing making It feel very rushed. It was a good idea, except the changing of an amazing legend which got on my nerves throughout the book. This concept of morals thrown into a book that doesn’t properly demonstrate it’s development or let the journey sink in without throwing another twisted legend into the mix two pages later is not worth your while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
Summer of the Mariposas is a delightful Mexican American retelling of the timeless tale The Odyssey. I really enjoyed how the author, Guadalupe Garcia McCall seamlessly blends Mexican folk tales, mythology and magical realism elements together with the more realistic story. It is fiction that addresses real life issues with just enough mythical and magical realism elements to make it a truly enchanting reading experience!
December 19, 2018
Wow, what a ride. I absolutely tore through this. I loved the juxtaposition of the myths and legends. I picked this up randomly when I saw it on the table at this year's Texas Book Festival, and it did not disappoint.
The beginning is a little tough to get through, because there are so many characters dropped on you all at once, but give it twenty pages, and you'll fall in love with them. Some of the girl's decisions required quite a bit of effort to suspend my disbelief, but it all played out, and was worth it!
The beginning is a little tough to get through, because there are so many characters dropped on you all at once, but give it twenty pages, and you'll fall in love with them. Some of the girl's decisions required quite a bit of effort to suspend my disbelief, but it all played out, and was worth it!
October 26, 2023
Had to rewrite this because my review keeps disappearing. 😡
Was forced to read this for 2 WHOLE MONTHS in school. The book was okay for the most part, but it had its own flaws. The narrator of the story, Odilia, is the oldest one of the girls and she’s considered as the “responsible one”. Juanita isn’t that likeable and she’s considerate. The twins, Velia and Delia, kept getting on my damn nerves with their remarks of men wearing makeup and fat shaming their sister. Pita, the youngest one, who’s supposed to be the cutest and innocent girl, was actually an annoying brat who whines and cries too much. She acts like she’s two years old even when she’s ten! Her sisters baby her way too much like cmon, she needs to grow up!! The girls rely on magic way too much, I understand they use to for problems like Cecilia and the nagual but using it to cross the border and lying to people? They literally could done that without godly magic. The ear pendant La Llorona gave Odilia was pretty much a plot device. They rely on it whenever there’s a problem and the problem instantly disappears in a whirl of magic. Had mixed feelings about this book.
Was forced to read this for 2 WHOLE MONTHS in school. The book was okay for the most part, but it had its own flaws. The narrator of the story, Odilia, is the oldest one of the girls and she’s considered as the “responsible one”. Juanita isn’t that likeable and she’s considerate. The twins, Velia and Delia, kept getting on my damn nerves with their remarks of men wearing makeup and fat shaming their sister. Pita, the youngest one, who’s supposed to be the cutest and innocent girl, was actually an annoying brat who whines and cries too much. She acts like she’s two years old even when she’s ten! Her sisters baby her way too much like cmon, she needs to grow up!! The girls rely on magic way too much, I understand they use to for problems like Cecilia and the nagual but using it to cross the border and lying to people? They literally could done that without godly magic. The ear pendant La Llorona gave Odilia was pretty much a plot device. They rely on it whenever there’s a problem and the problem instantly disappears in a whirl of magic. Had mixed feelings about this book.
June 23, 2023
★★★★✩: It was pretty good, I enjoyed it. May end up re-reading.🧸
I forgot to rate this! But here it is! 🎀
I forgot to rate this! But here it is! 🎀
March 14, 2019
This is a wonderful book, and it is much more than a simple story. I don't usually like first person narrations, but the author somehow gives this a feel of an oral tale. I loved the mix of new world and old world mythology. And the the rewriting of the La Llorona myth is a subtle and kind feminist rewrite.
Read this book!
Read this book!
August 25, 2012
http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....
I am a HUGE fan of retellings and, lucky for me, there's no shortage of them these days. Fairy tale retellings are a dime a dozen, but I haven't come across a Mexican retelling of the Odyssey before and couldn't wait to dive right in.
Summer of the Mariposas (butterflies in Spanish, and that's just the first of dozens of words sprinkled throughout the book) tells the tale of the five Garza girls, cinco hermanitas: Odilia is the oldest and the narrator of the story; Juanita, the second oldest and the most headstrong; Velia and Delia are the twins, connected by their own bond, yet just as close to their other sisters; and Pita, the baby of the family.
Due to their Papa running out on the family, the girls' beloved Mama has been struggling to make ends meet and, as a result, the girls are more often than not left to their own devices. One day while they're swimming in their favorite spot, they spot a body drifting along in the current. Unsure of what to do, the girls decide to bring the body back to his family. With a little help from ancient Aztec goddesses and Llorona, the five sisters leave Texas and journey into Mexico.
While Summer of the Mariposas deals with highly fantastic elements (the girls battle witches, chupacabras, and trickster demons, to name a few), this is ultimately a story about family and bonds that can never be broken.
I absolutely adored this book. Everything about it, from the sisters and magic to that GORGEOUS COVER (!!), Summer of the Mariposas was a complete homerun. The imagery was beautiful, the wording was remarkable, the characters were fleshed out so well I felt as though I knew them.
Definitely keep an eye out for this book. You won't be disappointed.
I am a HUGE fan of retellings and, lucky for me, there's no shortage of them these days. Fairy tale retellings are a dime a dozen, but I haven't come across a Mexican retelling of the Odyssey before and couldn't wait to dive right in.
Summer of the Mariposas (butterflies in Spanish, and that's just the first of dozens of words sprinkled throughout the book) tells the tale of the five Garza girls, cinco hermanitas: Odilia is the oldest and the narrator of the story; Juanita, the second oldest and the most headstrong; Velia and Delia are the twins, connected by their own bond, yet just as close to their other sisters; and Pita, the baby of the family.
Due to their Papa running out on the family, the girls' beloved Mama has been struggling to make ends meet and, as a result, the girls are more often than not left to their own devices. One day while they're swimming in their favorite spot, they spot a body drifting along in the current. Unsure of what to do, the girls decide to bring the body back to his family. With a little help from ancient Aztec goddesses and Llorona, the five sisters leave Texas and journey into Mexico.
While Summer of the Mariposas deals with highly fantastic elements (the girls battle witches, chupacabras, and trickster demons, to name a few), this is ultimately a story about family and bonds that can never be broken.
I absolutely adored this book. Everything about it, from the sisters and magic to that GORGEOUS COVER (!!), Summer of the Mariposas was a complete homerun. The imagery was beautiful, the wording was remarkable, the characters were fleshed out so well I felt as though I knew them.
Definitely keep an eye out for this book. You won't be disappointed.
May 29, 2024
this was dog shit. every character was obnoxious, the plot twists were predictable, the fat “jokes” about Pita were overdone and stupid, changing literally everything about La Llorona was dumb, the fact they didn’t just call the police about finding A DEAD BODY was psychotic. i hated every second of this and i’d rather eat dick cheese than read this again.
March 4, 2019
The adventures in Mexico which involved monster fighting and magic were only worth three stars for me. I liked it. It was entertaining. Then came the ending which was redemptive both for the family, and on a cosmic level. That was worth a whole 'nother star.
October 13, 2024
Wayyyyy too much going on at once in my opinion
June 11, 2025
This book was so entertaining and made me feel emotions for some of the characters. There were so many plot twits and relatable feelings for a variety of readers. I read this book with my grade in 6th grade this year. I enjoyed reading it and liked the authors writing. It was so fun to read and it was a great book to end the year with! I hope all of you guys reading this review decide to pick up this book up from your local library because it is so good! It’s a powerful story with girls as the heroes!
July 3, 2024
Audiobook
January 27, 2025
1 star (would do 0 if I could) cuz what the freak is this book
First of all, ts was not even CLOSE to the odyssey so I don't get why the author says it was based off of it. Second of all, this book downright sucked cuz why're we turning basically a literal demon into some sunshine rainbows lovey dovey mother who loves her kids??? Oh freak no! my ELA class had to read this and it was literally one of the worst books I have ever read. And its not easy for me to find a book that I don't like, so this really says something.
This book made no sense and was literally the same thing over and over again. Like um I don't want to hear about how three or five or however many sisters killed a monster Tuesday, another monster Wednesday, and another one Thursday like bruhhh I DONT care😭😭😭
Also the fact that odilias dad just comes and goes towards the end is so goofy like i swear blud was as indecisive as the weather
I DO NOT under ANY circumstances know why anyone gave this book any awards cuz a literal 13 year old can write ts better
Cmon now someone put Guadalupe off of the internet ts SUCKED 😭😭😭😭😭😭
First of all, ts was not even CLOSE to the odyssey so I don't get why the author says it was based off of it. Second of all, this book downright sucked cuz why're we turning basically a literal demon into some sunshine rainbows lovey dovey mother who loves her kids??? Oh freak no! my ELA class had to read this and it was literally one of the worst books I have ever read. And its not easy for me to find a book that I don't like, so this really says something.
This book made no sense and was literally the same thing over and over again. Like um I don't want to hear about how three or five or however many sisters killed a monster Tuesday, another monster Wednesday, and another one Thursday like bruhhh I DONT care😭😭😭
Also the fact that odilias dad just comes and goes towards the end is so goofy like i swear blud was as indecisive as the weather
I DO NOT under ANY circumstances know why anyone gave this book any awards cuz a literal 13 year old can write ts better
Cmon now someone put Guadalupe off of the internet ts SUCKED 😭😭😭😭😭😭
October 27, 2012
Odilia and her sisters find a dead body in the river by their home. After going through the corpse's pockets and finding his address, they decide to travel from Texas to Mexico to deliver the body to his family believing it’s the right thing to do. That’s when they’re in for an adventure.
Taking their father’s car, without their mother’s permission, they embark on the trip. Before and after depositing the body, they meet witches, demons, chupacabras…all sorts of dangers. The odyssey these five sisters go through is amazing and entertaining. I felt exhausted, in a good way, when I finished this story, as if I had been traveling alongside the girls.
The imagery in this novel is lovely—butterflies and magical realism abound. The author heavily uses Mexican and Aztec folkore, which is quite interesting. While I was reading this I felt I was holding something special in my hands, and I can’t think of any YA book similar to this one. I received the galley from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.
Taking their father’s car, without their mother’s permission, they embark on the trip. Before and after depositing the body, they meet witches, demons, chupacabras…all sorts of dangers. The odyssey these five sisters go through is amazing and entertaining. I felt exhausted, in a good way, when I finished this story, as if I had been traveling alongside the girls.
The imagery in this novel is lovely—butterflies and magical realism abound. The author heavily uses Mexican and Aztec folkore, which is quite interesting. While I was reading this I felt I was holding something special in my hands, and I can’t think of any YA book similar to this one. I received the galley from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.
August 9, 2012
This is an absorbing read – I read it cover to cover in one afternoon!
Odilia and her four sisters embark on a clandestine journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family, and the return trip to Texas turns into a unique magical adventure. The author uses the legends of the ancient Aztecs as inspiration for the supernatural creatures and deities encountered in this modern retelling of “The Odyssey”.
Although written for young adults, I recommend it to adults as well. It is an uplifting celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.
Odilia and her four sisters embark on a clandestine journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family, and the return trip to Texas turns into a unique magical adventure. The author uses the legends of the ancient Aztecs as inspiration for the supernatural creatures and deities encountered in this modern retelling of “The Odyssey”.
Although written for young adults, I recommend it to adults as well. It is an uplifting celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.
February 8, 2025
this was the worst book i’ve ever read if you want to be happy don’t read it. these sisters are probably the stupidest and most gullible people ever i wanted to scream and throw the book across the room. the storyline was terrible and poor pita just gets fat shamed by her sisters the whole freaking book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2022
Lame on all levels. The characters are lame. The story line is lame. The ending is lame. Dead body is lame. Magical earrings like Jem and the Holograms is lame. I have nothing good to say about this book other than it helped with my rote Spanish practice.
March 1, 2025
This book is absolutely terrible. I don’t even know how it got 3 stars. The action scenes made me sleep. The character development was horrid, it gave me nightmares. Pretty sure that there’s a pedophile chupacabra. DONT READ THIS I BEG YOU.
January 6, 2023
worst book i’ve ever read
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