Reviews

Felice and the Wailing Woman by Diana López

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xangemthelibrarian's review

adventurous funny mysterious

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

4.0

This feels very much like the wild adventures of The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson. It has that very fable-esque feel and a penchant for just accepting magic as real in a real world setting. I ADORE whatever that writing style is called. This story was a romp and I adored it.

jilljemmett's review

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medium-paced

4.0

Twelve-year-old Felice grew up with her Uncle Clem in Corpus Christi after her mother and brothers drowned in a river in their hometown of Tres Leches. When her uncle’s friend comes to tell them that Felice’s mother is haunting the river as La Llorona, Felice runs away to go meet her mom. However, Felice has a strong fear of water, so she can’t even approach the river. She meets two children who also have parents known as Los Monstruos. With her new friends, Felice must figure out how to save Tres Leches from La Llorona.

This was a fun middle grade story. I enjoyed the representation of Mexican culture. The descriptions of the food made me so hungry! I also liked the representation of phobia and anxiety. Since Felice knew the river killed her mother and brothers, she had a phobia of water. She couldn’t even stand being near rain without having a panic attack. She had to figure out how to manage and conquer her fear, rather than letting it control her life. This was a positive message for kids.

Felice and the Wailing Woman is a great middle grade book!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, death of siblings, parental abandonment, drowning

Content Warnings

bobbiejowoo's review

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I DNFed this one around 50% of the audio. I loved the narrator and the story was fun, but not exactly what I was hoping for... There was quite a bit more fantasy/supernatural than what I expected. (Thinking more of a ghost story?)

Nothing negative to say about this one, it's very possible it's the timing of trying to read this one that isn't clicking. It's definitely one I'd come back to try later.

rushmom's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I liked the characters and the humor and tone, but things were a little too pat at the end. Felice gets immediate insights that sound didactic. The story would have benefited from additional conflict or tension.