Starred review from August 2, 2021
“And so it was that the fate of a child... hung on a pile of beans and a deck of cards.” In Oaxaca City each year, Life and Lady Death come together for 36 hours to play Lotería, a game of chance that will decide the future of one human being without their knowledge or consent. After arriving on a hot summer day, Life and Lady Death let loose their magic, which chooses as its next target Clara, a steadfast 11-year-old who draws fantastical creatures. But when the consequences of the game and grief drive Clara’s eight-year-old cousin Esteban to enter the perilous Aztlán through a nopal cactus, Clara must go after him—and face dangerous obstacles awakened by the Lotería cards—to keep a promise. From the first line of this philosophical debut, Arenas Valenti demonstrates a gift for interweaving immersive, sensory-rich storytelling (“Life sauntered into town on a wave of heat”) with a thoughtful discussion of fate vs. determinism. Fans of Coco will savor this tale and Sanmar’s occasional illustrations, which visualize Clara and Esteban’s journeys and the Lotería cards as the game progresses. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary.
May 27, 2022
Gr 4-7-In this book based on the card game Loter�a and set in Oaxaca, Mexico, 11-year-old Clara has been marked for a Loter�a. Life and Death only deal the cards once a year, and each card they draw impacts Clara. Whoever wins, Life or Death, will determine Clara's future, or lack thereof. Meanwhile, Clara's aunt suddenly passes away. Her grieving cousin Esteban disappears into the night and to save him, Clara has to travel to Las Pozas, a mythical kingdom beyond the Aztl�n portal, where every choice has direct consequences. Can she overcome the game? Can she save her cousin? Narrator Frankie Corzo's slow, methodic voice is a solid fit for the philosophical elements of the story. Her narration helps to bring the likable characters and their emotions to life. The plot is well developed and does justice to Aztec mythology, but gets significantly bogged down in the middle. The imagery is detailed and helps set the scene for listeners. The characters are Mexican. VERDICT Recommended for collections where mythological fiction, folklore, fantasy, and philosophy are popular.-Kira Moody
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