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Lobizona

(Wolves of No World #1)

Romina Garber (Goodreads Author),

Romina Russell (Goodreads Author)

4.22 · Rating details · 1,952 ratings · 771 reviews

Some people ARE illegal.

Lobizonas do NOT exist.

Both of these statements are false.

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.

Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.

Her surrog ...more

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published August 4th 2020 by Wednesday Books

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Mar 16, 2020 chai ♡ rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, lgbtq-ff-side, lgbtq-rep-side, poc-rep, read-in-2020, ya-sff, 2020-releases, fiction

✧ find this review & others on my blog ✧

The beginning of “Lobizona” is nightmarish.

Manuela Azul’s life is laden with eggshells, and she walked on tremulously, fraying a little more every time she had to put on her mirrored sunglasses to hide the unnatural bright yellow engulfing her eyes from the whites to the irises, the dread and fear rising through the cracks. The possibility of being snapped up by ICE, or of her father’s past catching up to her first, is always there, hovering in the air ✧ find this review & others on my blog ✧

The beginning of “Lobizona” is nightmarish.

Manuela Azul’s life is laden with eggshells, and she walked on tremulously, fraying a little more every time she had to put on her mirrored sunglasses to hide the unnatural bright yellow engulfing her eyes from the whites to the irises, the dread and fear rising through the cracks. The possibility of being snapped up by ICE, or of her father’s past catching up to her first, is always there, hovering in the air like an axe. Her whole life, Manu had waited for them to find her and her mother. She never doubted that they would.

And then they did.

Alone, Manu sets out to look for answers to the thousand questions circling inside her head like harpies, and finds a magical school for witches and lobizones (Argentinian werewolves). For years, Manu’s eyes were a strange fact she had to bend her life around, yet here is a place where she fit with the familiar comfort of a well-worn coat. But Manu’s lies about her family are as thin as a zither string, and when her father’s real identity is dragged to the fore, the truth of it blows out the embers of hope that let Manu believe she finally had somewhere she could call home.

Young adult fantasy gets another jolt of diversity with “Lobizona”, a vibrant representation of Argentinian culture and folklore. One of the things I relish most in fiction is when fantasy is interwoven with our world and its timeline. “Lobizona” dwells in the low-lit overlap of myth and reality—and the way it owns that space is spellbinding. The notion of werewolves and witches is exhilarating, and the authors milks it for all its considerable worth. A book like “Lobizona” doesn’t undo any clichés—it deals in them, and while it's not particularly complex or unpredictable, it perfectly counterbalances the elaborate world-building elements Garber has managed.

The strength of the novel, however, lies in its thematic gravity: the author touches upon a smorgasbord of topics that inform many conversations today (race, immigration, prejudice), and the passionate politics of the book come through with vivid clarity because we’re lost inside the experiences of its protagonists. There’s a sympathetic sense of dislocation and dread that permeates every corner of the story, and which kept my interest firmly moored to the page. Manu has lost the unbruised part of herself when she lost her freedom to exist without the constant fear of being wrenched away from her home. It’s the sort of truth that one can say only when they’re looking away from it, offhand, distracted, because to meet its eye is enough to curdle your blood. But hope is small enough to nest within Manu’s palm, and seeing all her courage pile itself hand over hand was a welcome respite.

All in all, this was solid read!

☆ ko-fi ★ blog ☆ twitter ★ tumblr ☆

...more

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Oct 16, 2019 Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it

Recommended to Chelsea by: St. Martin's Press

Shelves: bookstagram-made-me-do-it, from-publisher, netgalley, giveaways

"The horrors Perla left behind when she came to this country darken her glassy gaze, and I realize she never got away. No matter how many borders we cross, we can't seem to outrun the fear of not feeling safe in our own house."

I think it's fair to note that, while this is definitely YA fantasy, it reads more like contemporary fiction sprinkled with magical realism. Those looking for high fantasy involving werewolf folklore might be disappointed in this slow burning tale, because it feels as if ...more

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Jan 31, 2020 megs_bookrack rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs-read

Lobizona was a mixed bag for me, however, it did give me a lot to think about which I always appreciate in a novel.

Manuela Azul, our protagonist, is an undocumented immigrant, living in Miami with her mother and a surrogate grandmother.

She has learned to hide in plain sight not just because of her immigration status, but also because of her odd eyes. She has pupils like no other.

When her grandmother has an accident that forces Manu to call emergency services, a series of events begins that will ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Elle (ellexamines) rated it really liked it

Shelves: elle-recs-list, z-2020faves, 4-star, y-2020releases, x-buylist, favorite-squads, sff-pn-urban-fantasy, postcolonial, x-arcs, z-2020reads

This released today, August 4th 2020!

4 1/2 stars and I keep waffling back between four and five, but please do know I'm absolutely obsessed.

Lobizona follows Manu, an undocumented immigrant confined to her home both by ICE and by her starry eyes. When her life at home falls apart, she escapes to the magical world of Kerana, where she is still, regardless of appearances, wrong.

Manu lives at first with her mother and family friend Perla. In Garber’s Argentinian mythology, seventh sons become were ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Lauren Lanz rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-stars, author-of-colour, fell-asleep, young-adult

Hearing that Lobizona was an Argentinian werewolf story was enough to convince me I’d love this book. Sadly, it turned out to be a weak contemporary and an even weaker fantasy.

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

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

Manu and her mother are undocumented immigrants. Running from their father’s life of crime in Argentina led them to the confinement of a cramped apartment in Miami, Florida. Manu is unable Hearing that Lobizona was an Argentinian werewolf story was enough to convince me I’d love this book. Sadly, it turned out to be a weak contemporary and an even weaker fantasy.

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

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

Manu and her mother are undocumented immigrants. Running from their father’s life of crime in Argentina led them to the confinement of a cramped apartment in Miami, Florida. Manu is unable to leave the apartment, seeing as her pupils are shaped as stars, and her eyes shine a vibrant yellow. When her mother is arrested and taken to a detention center to be deported, Manu narrowly escapes, finding herself caught up in a world of werewolves and witches, her only hope of uncovering her past and saving her mother.

~★~

In terms of the fantasy aspect, nothing of note takes place until a third into the book. Before then all we hear is constant descriptions of Manu’s bizarre eyes.
I found myself undeniably disappointed with the way the “chosen one” plot unfolded. It was frustrating and boring to read about Manu perfecting anything magic related on her first try.

Love triangles don’t typically bother me, and neither did the one in Lobizona. I didn’t care for the characters, meaning Manu’s love life was of little concern to me. The insta-love and miscommunication was painful, though.

It took me about 200 pages to start enjoying Lobizona even mildly, which says a lot. Within the first couple of chapters, clusters of cultural references were being listed and repeated without explanation, making it hard for me to absorb the story. Paragraphs of dialogue were frequently included without english translation which left me -a non latino reader- feeling stranded. Having to stop and translate whole chunks of dialogue throughout the entire book took away from my reading experience largely. It was unfortunate that the cultural aspect felt so forced to me, whereas in stories like Furia, I was able to experience and appreciate the Argentinian culture with ease.

The thing I did like about Lobizona was the challenging of gender roles and conversations surrounding misogyny and sexism. The women in this novel never hesitated to speak up and think for themselves, which I appreciate. ...more

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Dec 05, 2019 Amy Imogene Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs-reviewed, read-in-2020, favorites, ya-fantasy

Argentinian lore, werewolves and witches, futbol, fighting gender roles, identity, belonging, Other, and the plight of the undocumented... this was wonderful.

Concept: ★★★★★
First 50 pages: ★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★

Manu is an undocumented Argentinian immigrant living in secret in Miami with her mother. Manu's life is a double-edged sword of secrets—on the one hand, Manu and her mother are in the USA and in hiding from the government, and on the other hand, Manu is also forced into hidin ...more

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Jul 25, 2020 jenny✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-of-colour, poc-reppin, instalove, shapeshifters-and-weres, worldbuilding-awesomeness, witches, boarding-school, ownvoices, latinx, ya-fantasy

“If you’re undocumented, you’re unwritten. Embrace that.”
“You’re saying if no one’s told my story before… I get to tell it the way I want?”
“Exactly.”

8/4/2020: If you're a fan of Argentinian werewolves, elemental witches, and alternate dimensions... you're in LUCK bc this book just dropped today!!! 🌙

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars! Steeped in South American mythology, a defiant challenge of sexism and misogyny, exploring the struggles faced by undocumented immigrants... Lobizona is unlike ANY story I'v ...more

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Feb 20, 2020 Romina Garber added it · (Review from the author)

7/21/2020 update:

LOBIZONA IS ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!!!!

If you have yet to see the sheer gorgeousness that is the hardcover, I recommend visiting my Twitter or IG pages to check it out. Wednesday Books absolutely SLAYED IT.

If you'd like your copy PERSONALIZED, please place your PREORDER with my amazing local indie bookstore, Books & Books, & I will pick out a quote for you & make your copy extra special. <3

https://booksandbooks.com/event/virtu...

4/11/2020 update:

A bit of news: Lobizona’s pub date has ...more

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Aug 09, 2020 Melanie marked it as to-read

Recommended to Melanie by: Caro

Shelves: young-adult, own-voices

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Sep 02, 2020 Mariah rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbr-2020-releases, miami-library, read-in-2020, to-buy

"Why settle for being a son of the system when you could mother a movement?"

The half of my heart that is all South Miami is still in pieces.
I need to own a physical copy of this book so I can hold it in my hands. ...more

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Dec 15, 2018 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read

Shelves: edelweiss

um excuse me why aren't more people screaming about this??

also this is set in my home state so huzzah!! ...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Ash rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: teenage readers looking for diverse fantasy

Shelves: dnf, 2-stars, read-2019, arcs, fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’ Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF ~30%.

My one-sentence review of this book would be: Lobizona is a four-star contemporary novel and a one-star fantasy novel. In other words, I have very mixed feelings about it. But let’s start with the positive.

Lobizona stars Manu, an undocumented immigrant whose mother brought her to the United States from Argentina when she was very young. She is bilingual, she loves to read, and she Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’ Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF ~30%.

My one-sentence review of this book would be: Lobizona is a four-star contemporary novel and a one-star fantasy novel. In other words, I have very mixed feelings about it. But let’s start with the positive.

Lobizona stars Manu, an undocumented immigrant whose mother brought her to the United States from Argentina when she was very young. She is bilingual, she loves to read, and she aspires to one day work for NASA as an astronaut. Particularly in the first section of the book, Lobizona explores the challenges undocumented immigrants face in America, as well as questions of identity regarding Manu’s physical differences and her father, who she knows next to nothing about.

If you strip away the fantasy elements, Lobizona is a well-written, modern young adult contemporary novel about the immigrant experience. It effectively communicates the alienation, the fear of discovery, and the unrelenting hope that defines Manu’s life as an undocumented immigrant, and it does so in a way that is both accessible to teenagers and enlightening for adults.

But Lobizona is also a young adult fantasy novel – a genre I have a fraught relationship with – and unfortunately, in that respect, it did not live up to my expectations. Although I will say, the one thing I appreciated about Romina Garber’s fantasy world was its basis in Argentinian folklore. I’m always on the lookout for fantasy novels that stray outside the typical Western European sphere of influence.

The novelty wore off quickly, however, once it became clear how utterly cliché the rest of the fantasy elements in this story were. Manu is special: the first ever lobizona (female werewolf), an only child with powers that are usually reserved for the seventh son or seventh daughter in a family. She has golden eyes with silver, star-shaped pupils (yes, seriously). Her werewolf powers include super strength and super speed, no exercise required, as well as super senses. Her transformation began at puberty and brought with it mysterious dreams of a magical world.

I decided to stop reading when the fantasy and YA clichés started to pile up about a quarter of the way into the story. Manu’s first interaction with Tiago was also incredibly off-putting. I have a policy where I quit reading at the first sign of instalove. Since I didn’t finish the book, I don’t actually know if they end up in a romantic relationship, but my YA spidey senses have rarely steered me wrong. I think I’m too far past my YA days to appreciate this book. Teen readers might enjoy it more than I did. ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle-books, arc-book-read

I went into this expecting very little but hoping for a whole lot. That cover! That synopsis! I couldn't help but be intrigued by it all.

And while I think this was a very well written story that deeply delves into life of an undocumented immigrant and all that entails, this sorely lacked in the fantasy department as a whole.

It dragged a little for me and overall, I found myself wanting to skim pages to get to the action of the story. To find out all the mystery and intrigue and it just never q ...more

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May 26, 2019 Tucker (TuckerTheReader) marked it as not-released-tbr

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

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| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram ...more

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Aug 08, 2020 alana ♡ rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed-arcs, from-publisher, tough-topics, lgbt

“But why settle for being a son of the system, when you can be the mother of a movement?”

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Don’t mind me I’m just over here drooling over how good this was!
I have yet to see a bad review about Lobizona and honestly after reading it I completely understand why. This was so freaking good and I devoured pretty much the entire book in one sitting. If you love stories with magic, lovable characters, beautiful writing, hard-hitting but important topics, impeccable world building, and ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 jocelyn rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of We Set the Dark on Fire (Mejia), The Beautiful (Ahdieh)

Shelves: arcs, magic-witchcraft, latinx

4.5 stars

Lobizona is so damn satisfying. I read the last half of the book in a frenzy, taking turns between white-knuckling the book in my hand to having to set it down to squeal about it. It is both dramatic and poignant, seamlessly blending heavy topics with some serious entertainment. There is so much care, creativity, and uniqueness in here that I don't know that I'm able to unpack all of Garber's excellent excellent choices. The lush world of the Septimus is everything I could've hoped for ...more

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May 08, 2020 Bethany rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-interested, favorites, 2020-faves-6-stars, 2020-arcs

If Lobizona is not yet on your radar, it absolutely should be! One of the best YA fantasy novels I've read this year, it combines magical realism, portal fantasy, Latinx werewolf mythology, and a decidedly progressive vision of the world into a smart, engrossing tale that you won't want to put down. Vivid imagery, a cool magic system, fantastic world-building, important themes, interesting characters, and unexpected twists all contribute to making this something truly special.

I can't tell you t If Lobizona is not yet on your radar, it absolutely should be! One of the best YA fantasy novels I've read this year, it combines magical realism, portal fantasy, Latinx werewolf mythology, and a decidedly progressive vision of the world into a smart, engrossing tale that you won't want to put down. Vivid imagery, a cool magic system, fantastic world-building, important themes, interesting characters, and unexpected twists all contribute to making this something truly special.

I can't tell you too much about the plot without spoiling things, but the story follows Manuela (Manu) Azul, a sixteen-year old girl from Argentina living illegally in Miami with her mother. Manu's existence is a constricted one, not only because of her immigration status, but also because of her unusual eyes that she must hide behind mirrored glasses. She also has extremely difficult periods each month and her mother gives her pills that keep her unconscious for the first three days of her cycle, during which she dreams vividly of a dangerous and magical world. Things begin strange and quickly get even stranger as Manu tries to uncover the secrets of her identity and her estranged father's past, and gets sucked into a dangerous yet magical world she never knew existed.

Without getting into details, we also end up getting a great friend group, forbidden love, and queer representation (not the MC). But things don't go the way you might expect in this kind of story and the author has thoughtfully woven in big issues that are well worth your time and consideration. Obviously this addresses immigration, legal status, and the problems with ICE, but it also addresses misogyny, the problems with a binary system of gender and gendered expectations, privilege, and even, (in a truly brilliant scene) the problems with awarding a privileged status to only "special" or talented outsiders when every life has value. It's such a smart and important book, but also a fun and thrilling one. Not to mention, if a certain book announcement has you excited for vampires and werewolves, Lobizona just might scratch part of that itch. (to be clear, this does not have vampires, but it DOES have werewolves and witches!)

Clearly I was a fan of this and I'm very excited to see people talking about it once it's widely available. There is a lot that could be said, but spoilers! So I'll just say, please read this one. I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Cande rated it it was amazing

Shelves: latinx-books, series-por-terminar, 2020-favorites, all-time-favorite

Trigger Warnings: menstruation, ICE arrest, discussions about immigration and fear of deportation, homophobia (called out by the characters)

Lobizona is about Manuela Azul, an undocumented Argentinian immigrant living in Miami, whose discovery of a magical world turns her life upside down. When I saw this book, ownvoices Argentine rep, I was cautiously curious. I mean, internally, I was screaming with excitement, but I didn’t want to place my expectations too high. Oh, but friends, this book clim ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Vicky Again rated it it was amazing

Lobizona is magical and engaging and so much fun. A dash of romance, a hefty dose of witches and werewolves, and a deep-set mystery and hidden secrets leads to a novel that speeds by and leaves you wondering, "How soon can I get book 2?"

Manu is such a relatable character--both in the sense that she wants to be able to see more of the world but is forced to be sheltered, and that she's determined and curious and resilient. She ends up going on this journey to a place akin to magic school (yes, I ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 Fanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, diaspora, latine-mc, racism-colorism-classism, speculative-paranormal, set-in-america, 2020-releases, review-copy-arc-provided, author-is-ownvoices, latine-author

September 02, 2020: Argentinian culture and folklore infused with contemporary and timely themes of immigration, family, and revolution—witches and werewolves in a magical school, finding the strength in oneself, and a constant challenge against sexist hierarchies or stereotypes, in the midst of a turbulent wave raging through a world that clearly mirrors today's society.

April 15, 2020: Super excited to be on a blog tour for this! It has definitely got my attention with the witches and wolves i ...more

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Aug 18, 2020 Jenny Lawson rated it it was amazing

So good. Suspenseful but fast-paced. Wonderful characters My only complaint is that the next book in the series isn't already in my lap. ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 Hayley ☾ (TheVillainousReader) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, fierce-female-friendships, magic, paranormal-romance, favorites, fantasy, reread-worthy, romance, badass-females, latin-folklore

4.5 S T A R S

“When someone deviates from an accepted norm, they signal a gap in the system. A hole that hasn’t been plugged. The danger with exposing a foundation’s failings is it opens the door to the possibility that it’s a faulty structure altogether and should be torn down and built anew.”

Wow, Lobizona is such an important book. I've never before read the perspective of an undocumented immigrant and their voices need to be heard. They're stories need to be told. Through Manu's eyes we, a ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-bk-netgalley, ebk-kindle, arc-bk-from-publisher, z-2020, 1-book-riot-rec, arc-bk-blog-tour

This is an eye-opening story about undocumented immigrants and everything they go through : the fear to be deported, how they only want a better life... Poor Manu is confined in a small apartment and can't really go outside, because she's "different".

The book combines magical realism, folklore, werewolves, witches with some teen normalcy that makes everything more plausible. This is one powerful book that I will buy a physical copy of without a doubt. Can't wait to read the second book!!

Many tha ...more

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Sep 20, 2020 jut rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-s-books

If there’s no word in any known vocabulary to encapsulate me, that just means language can’t define me. A label can’t hold me. I’m beyond classification. I’m an original. I’m—
“Undocumented.”

wow, this is such an important book. i really appreciated the themes in lobizona and the issues that the author brought to life. the book heavily focuses on freedom, struggling to belong, prejudice, and misogyny, but also addresses a magical and brilliant exploration of identity, home and culture.

it's fille ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Adri rated it really liked it

Shelves: latinx-authors, ownvoices, arc

4.5 Stars

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

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

What I love about this story is how it challenges society's 4.5 Stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Jul 15, 2020 USOM rated it it was amazing

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Lobizona is a book about immigration and borders, secrets and powers, fear and trepidation, family and friendship. I loved how Garber wove immigration, existence, and revolution into the plot both in contemporary Miamia and this secret world Manu uncovers. Lobizona has everything I love - a timely discussion about immigration, a magical school setting, and a girl who tackles sexi ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, queer-reads, arc, from-publisher-or-author, young-adult-fiction, quarantine-reads, owl-readathon-2020

I received an ARC both through Edelweiss and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

CW: racism, sexism, rigid gender boundaries, ICE raids and detainment, and unwanted sexual advances

3.5/5

Wow, what a book. I really enjoyed this one and the world that it's set in! Manu is an undocumented immigrant from Argentina who's father is a leader of a crime family. She and her mother are on the run. But, things aren't quite what they seem and Manu discovers that there's a whole lot more to her life tha ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Charlie Marie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, fantasy, library, favorites, mcs-lgbtqia, weres-and-shifters, authors-bipoc, mcs-bipoc, contemporary, found-family

Holy moly, this book had me crying (in a wonderful way) for the last half hour! This book is about an undocumented Argentinian girl living in Miami who finds out she is magic & comes from a magic world, and it is the best medicine for my heart in these scary, divided times we’re living through. This book is about belonging and exclusion, and resistance against unjust systems, and finding your family, the family of your heart, all wrapped in a beautiful layer of magic, werewolves, & brujx.

There’ ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Wilmarie (lesbe.reader on IG & TikTok) rated it liked it

Lobizona by Romani Garber has me feeling all kinds of things. I honestly don't know how I feel. Part of me really liked it, especially after I hit the 48% mark but then the ending happened and I'm confused. Please don't come here to explain to me, I got it, I just don't know. I'm so conflicted. I think the best way to review this book is with a list of what I like and what I did not like.
Things I dislike:
Even though the ending took a big chunk of pages it all felt rushed. Also, what the hell hap ...more

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Jul 28, 2020 Leah rated it it was ok

It's clear from the previous ratings and reviews that I am the odd one out, so please take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

To begin with, I was really looking forward to this book. There are so few Argentinian-inspired fantasies, I'd have been a fool to not pick it up. And even though these kinds of #ownvoices stories were not written for me, I enjoy reading them because it's an opportunity to learn about a different culture from someone who regularly experiences it. So imagine my disappointme It's clear from the previous ratings and reviews that I am the odd one out, so please take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

To begin with, I was really looking forward to this book. There are so few Argentinian-inspired fantasies, I'd have been a fool to not pick it up. And even though these kinds of #ownvoices stories were not written for me, I enjoy reading them because it's an opportunity to learn about a different culture from someone who regularly experiences it. So imagine my disappointment when this just did not hit.

What I Liked
This handled the undocumented immigrant life well. It was very thought-provoking in that someone in desperate need of safety and security would be considered illegal and unwanted because they don't check a few boxes right off the bat. It's sad the life Manu is forced to live because of it. Homeschooled, no friends, confined to a building filled with senior citizens and watching the world go by from the rooftop because that is where she's safest. And how that life parallels with Manu's life as a lobizona was interesting. Even though she finds a place where she might finally belong, she is still hiding because her hybrid status is illegal in this magical world too.

There was an interesting discussion throughout of sex, gender, LGBT and how restrictive it is in the Septimus world. Girls are only brujas and boys are only lobizones. Therefore this world is highly binary on who can do what. For instance, in the sport septibol, wolves are on the field, witches on the sideline. Marriages can only be hetero because the population must be grown. If you lean towards a certain team, well, you can have a side relationship if your husbands are okay with it.

This book does not shy away from discussing menstruation as it is a central theme for the story. Much of it revolves around the full moon, which is when Manu gets a debilitating period that one might compare with endometriosis.

What I Didn't Like
This was hard to get into. The beginning was kind of hard to be interested in. While I enjoyed the author using spanish, I skipped over quite a few exchanges because there was very little to hint what was being discussed. The book tended to forget things introduced. For instance, NASA is brought up a lot in the beginning because Manu is interested in space and dreams of working for them when she becomes a citizen, but then it's entirely thrown away when Manu meets the Septimus. Same with "the other Manu." A big deal is made over a girl who lives across the street from Manu who looks just like her and she's watched this girl's relationship grow, but nothing comes of it. Where things really started going downhill was Manu completely forgetting about her mother, who was taken away by ICE, because she discovers a random magical school in the middle of the Everglades. It made me really dislike Manu, because she literally throws her mother out of her head. Like, what the heck?

Also hard to follow was the world building. The fantasy/ magical realism elements are Argentinian-based, but they didn't come off well. I struggled to picture this magical setting or understand how certain things worked. There's a whole new world that everyone travels to at the full moon, and I'm still not sure if it was a new planet, a moon, a parallel universe.

This was also very tropey. I measure how tropey a story is by how often I roll my eyes ... and I think I strained a muscle in the last quarter. Manu being special is a lobizona, the first female werewolf, was the worst kept secret for me as the reader. Not only do we know this already from the title, but the hints throughout are pretty obvious. Still, we have to wait until over halfway through the book before we find out what Manu is. It's very hard not to draw Harry Potter parallels (especially when the author makes many herself to understandably help Manu cope with her new situation), but this witches and werewolf school is so underdeveloped. The system itself is clunky, and the classes are laughable. Wolves, today we go out into the woods and howl.

I'm really disappointed that this book fell so short of my expectations. The end of this book did not leave enough to keep me interested and I don't think I'll be looking for the second book. ...more

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About Romina Garber

Romina Garber

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Romina Garber is a NYT/International Bestselling YA author who also writes under pen name Romina Russell. Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Miami, Romina currently resides in Los Angeles but would much rather be at Hogwarts. As a teen, Romina landed her first writing gig—“College She Wrote,” a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn ...more