Genre
I chose this book to fulfill the horror genre option from the reading list. It was a nominee for Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel by the Bram Stoker Awards.
Targeted Age Group
The targeted age range for this book is ages 8-12.
Summary
Upon finding out that her mother might be alive, Felice runs away with her uncle’s friend to the town of Tres Leches. There, she learns that her mother is La Llorona, and that in order to save the town and help her new friend keep his mayorship, she has to face her greatest fear, and end her mother’s curse.
Justification
La Llorona is a well-known part of Mexican folklore, and I wanted to see how she would be explored in a children’s book. In addition to this book’s nomination for the horror genre, it’s also on the 2024 Lone Star Reading List, which would give me the chance to explore that list.
Evaluation
Before I get into the evaluation of the literary elements of this book, I want to mention that I read this book as an e-book. I typically don't read e-books; I find it difficult to concentrate and too easy to get distracted on a screen-device, even if I'm just on a laptop. My overall experience with reading an e-book for this particular book is that it wasn't a negative experience; I still fully enjoyed the book and even had a hard time wanting to put the book down. However, it wasn't my most enjoyable book reading experience, since I usually had to go out of my way to read the book in a format for which I don't have a comfortable setup.
I want to start off discussing the style and language, which was my favorite aspect of experiencing this book. This book incorporates both English and Spanish. López (2023) playfully engages with language in this book in a way that makes it very entertaining to read. One brief exchange that illustrates this is found later in the book (no spoilers are shared here), in Felice’s exchange with the town cartographer:
“‘You can have it for five cents and not a penny more.’
‘You mean a penny less?’
‘Well, I will be penniless if you pay me with a nickel. Five pennies will be fine, but if you have a nickel, I’ll take that, too. Whatever’s best for you. Don’t go saying I’m unreasonable. My reasonableness is my special advantage and the reason I’m the number one cartographer in Tres Leches, Tejas.’” (López, 2023, p. 175).
In this instance, the unexpected nature of the cost is met with the playful use of the word “penniless” and how each person is interpreting what it means to be without pennies. López’s (2023) book is full of fun—bordering on lyrical—dialogue like this, that rambles on and gives characters the space to roll their words around their mouth like a jawbreaker candy, sizing them up and uncovering new layers.
This book features several characters, and I want to focus on Felice and La Llorona. Felice is the protagonist of this book. She has a deathly fear of water, which is a large part of what hinders her from accomplishing her goal of freeing her mother. Since La Llorona (or Alegra, which is her real name in this telling) lives by the river, Felice has to figure out how to get close to the river so that she can speak with her mother. Her fears, care for others, and enjoyment of little things (like popcorn and her emoji purse) make her a character that readers can relate to over the course of her journey of finding out who she is and where she comes from. La Llorona only makes a brief appearance in the book, but despite the short scene, her presence is felt throughout the story. López (2023), in her author’s note at the end of the book, presents the question behind this novel: “What if La Llorona wasn’t a monster, but a loving mother who temporarily lost her way, and what if one of her children survived?” (n.p.). By asking this question, López (2023) paves the way for a book that, like many other modern treatments of folklore, legend, and mythology, seeks to repair the misogynistic ideas that have dominated classic tales. I believe that López (2023) successfully accomplishes what she set out to do, all through the point of view of a loveable female main character, a sympathetic monstruo, and a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging story.
Lastly, I want to discuss the theme. This book teaches that hurt is healed through community, friends, and family, not through giving in to the pain. Many characters fall into despair, or nearly do. As Felice befriends two other characters by the names of Ava and Rooster, she grows to understand that not only is she not alone in having a ‘monster’ as a parent, but her friends have been subject to ridicule their whole lives because of who their family is. Her friendship with Ava and Rooster, her care for her Uncle Clem and mother, and her desire to help the people in Tres Leches weave together to help Felice learn that everyone is struggling with their own fears, uncertainties, insecurities, and desires. Once she is able to learn these lessons for herself (and overcome her own fear), she is finally able to save the town of Tres Leches (with the help of her friends and family) from a future that would doom them to misery and loneliness. All in all, this was a highly enjoyable book that I have already been recommending to my friends. Happy reading!
References
López, D. (2023). Los Monstruos: Felice and the wailing woman. Kokila.
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