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popthebutterfly 's review for:
Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
by Julian Randall
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
Author: Julian Randall
Book Series: Pilar Ramirez Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Dominican American MC, Dominican characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Dominican Republic
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (parental death, violence, gore, 1 HP reference, war mentioned)
Explanation of Above: There is a parental death mentioned briefly. There is some violence and small blood gore. There are mentioned of war and there is 1 HP reference.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and she doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin Natasha—who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship.
When Pilar hears that Lorena’s professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to take matters into her own hands. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin’s name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within.
She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home.
Review: This book revolves around a girl who, after wondering about her missing cousin Natasha, finds herself in Zafa after opening a file on her sister’s professor’s desk. It’s up to her to defeat El Cuco to free Natasha and get back home. For the most part I really loved this book! I loved the Percy Jackson feel to it and I loved the magic system. The book did good to show a lot of action scenes in quick secession and I loved how there wasn’t a down moment since picking up the read. The book did well with the historical aspect, teaching readers about DR leader Rafael Trujilo and his regime.
The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little too choppy and it was a bit too fast paced for me.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend.
Book: Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
Author: Julian Randall
Book Series: Pilar Ramirez Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Dominican American MC, Dominican characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Dominican Republic
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (parental death, violence, gore, 1 HP reference, war mentioned)
Explanation of Above: There is a parental death mentioned briefly. There is some violence and small blood gore. There are mentioned of war and there is 1 HP reference.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and she doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin Natasha—who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship.
When Pilar hears that Lorena’s professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to take matters into her own hands. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin’s name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within.
She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home.
Review: This book revolves around a girl who, after wondering about her missing cousin Natasha, finds herself in Zafa after opening a file on her sister’s professor’s desk. It’s up to her to defeat El Cuco to free Natasha and get back home. For the most part I really loved this book! I loved the Percy Jackson feel to it and I loved the magic system. The book did good to show a lot of action scenes in quick secession and I loved how there wasn’t a down moment since picking up the read. The book did well with the historical aspect, teaching readers about DR leader Rafael Trujilo and his regime.
The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little too choppy and it was a bit too fast paced for me.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend.