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vonhippo's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Bullying, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
ghostlydreamer's review
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have to say, I am very impressed with this one. This is the third installment in the A La Brava series, and while I can't speak for what others felt, I truly felt like there was significant improvement here compared with the last two installments. The plot was much easier to follow this time, and that made the story so much more enjoyable. I pretty much understood everything right from the get-go, without having to go back or scratch my head as I asked myself questions.
I loved Loquita as a character. I think she is my favorite amongst the superheroes so far. She's young and she's trying to figure out who she is and what's going on. You can tell that she's struggling, that things don't always make sense. She is misunderstood not only by her classmates, but sometimes even by her parents. But she's still trying to do the right thing. The way that she takes the name (Loquita) and makes it her own, finding acceptance and peace and a positive identity within it, was lovely. She took something that could have (and was) negative and turned it into something positive and beautiful. I also love that she's learning how to fight. MMA is her outlet, and she uses it to her advantage later in the book as well.
This book covers a lot of difficult themes, so I would maybe recommend checking out some content warnings if you are worried about that. That being said, Kayden Phoenix works with these themes wonderfully. They are very difficult events and themes to incorporate into a story without it feeling insensitive or like a mere plot device; instead, Kayden manages to share an important message with her readers that, I think, came through the narrative perfectly. I applaud Kayden for this. The book has a very strong message and, along those lines, I love her dedication in the beginning.
Another thing I love was the family emphasis. We often see books where one or more parental figures are absent (whether by choice or not). Characters that come from "broken" homes. And I think those themes are extremely important to explore. But it was so nice seeing Loquita come from a loving household. Her parents may not have understood her at times, and there are natural arguments and tension between Loquita and them, but they love her. They support her. They want to be there for her. They just want her to be okay. Similarly, I love that we got to see a little snippet of things from Loquita's sister's perspective. The difficulties of being the younger child, of feeling ignored while her parents are fussing over Loquita. Can I also mention that I love Leche the cat, and the little quips of humor throughout between Loquita and her mom and dad?
Finally, I think the use of the supernatural was very creative with this book. I love how this was tied into the themes explored, and it was very clear and easy to understand what was happening. I think the artwork helped as well, which, as always, was absolutely STUNNING. I mean, can we just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this one was? I think it was the most gorgeous yet. I mean DAMN.
So. I recommend this one. 10/10. Best one of the series so far, and I love that these only keep getting better and better.
I loved Loquita as a character. I think she is my favorite amongst the superheroes so far. She's young and she's trying to figure out who she is and what's going on. You can tell that she's struggling, that things don't always make sense. She is misunderstood not only by her classmates, but sometimes even by her parents. But she's still trying to do the right thing. The way that she takes the name (Loquita) and makes it her own, finding acceptance and peace and a positive identity within it, was lovely. She took something that could have (and was) negative and turned it into something positive and beautiful. I also love that she's learning how to fight. MMA is her outlet, and she uses it to her advantage later in the book as well.
This book covers a lot of difficult themes, so I would maybe recommend checking out some content warnings if you are worried about that. That being said, Kayden Phoenix works with these themes wonderfully. They are very difficult events and themes to incorporate into a story without it feeling insensitive or like a mere plot device; instead, Kayden manages to share an important message with her readers that, I think, came through the narrative perfectly. I applaud Kayden for this. The book has a very strong message and, along those lines, I love her dedication in the beginning.
Another thing I love was the family emphasis. We often see books where one or more parental figures are absent (whether by choice or not). Characters that come from "broken" homes. And I think those themes are extremely important to explore. But it was so nice seeing Loquita come from a loving household. Her parents may not have understood her at times, and there are natural arguments and tension between Loquita and them, but they love her. They support her. They want to be there for her. They just want her to be okay. Similarly, I love that we got to see a little snippet of things from Loquita's sister's perspective. The difficulties of being the younger child, of feeling ignored while her parents are fussing over Loquita. Can I also mention that I love Leche the cat, and the little quips of humor throughout between Loquita and her mom and dad?
Finally, I think the use of the supernatural was very creative with this book. I love how this was tied into the themes explored, and it was very clear and easy to understand what was happening. I think the artwork helped as well, which, as always, was absolutely STUNNING. I mean, can we just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this one was? I think it was the most gorgeous yet. I mean DAMN.
So. I recommend this one. 10/10. Best one of the series so far, and I love that these only keep getting better and better.
thtblklibrarian's review
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
This is my first Kayden Phoenix book even though its the 3rd in the collection. I read out of order I guess! I really wanted to like this. I like the drawing style however It was confusing and felt like an incomplete story. Also how do 2 brown haired brown eyed people give birth to a red head w green eyes?
for non Spanish speakers (I am not an expert but I grown up around Spanish all my life)
you at ita at the end of words to make them cuter. for example
Muneca = Doll
Muñequita = little doll (like a pet name)
so for the title of this book they are calling her Loca = crazy but in a cute way.... so Loquita ( thats not cute)
She can see the ghosts and pre-ghost's ( of her sister?) & demons but why she gotta be crazy and then she just accepts it as her name. That was whack.
for non Spanish speakers (I am not an expert but I grown up around Spanish all my life)
you at ita at the end of words to make them cuter. for example
Muneca = Doll
Muñequita = little doll (like a pet name)
so for the title of this book they are calling her Loca = crazy but in a cute way.... so Loquita ( thats not cute)
She can see the ghosts and pre-ghost's ( of her sister?) & demons but why she gotta be crazy and then she just accepts it as her name. That was whack.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
dredre36's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Another great book by Kayden Phoenix! These just keep getting better and better! Excited to read Rucka next!
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