Viva Lola Espinoza

April 10, 2023
A high-achieving teen learns that she’s been cursed to be unlucky in love in Cerón’s vibrant debut. Seventeen-year-old Mexican American Lorena “Lola” Gómez has always been under pressure from her parents to perform well in school. So when she gets a C in Spanish, her parents send Lola to live with extended family in Mexico City for the summer so she can improve her Spanish-speaking skills. Lola quickly falls head-over-heels for Río, an employee at her aunt’s restaurant, but when she mysteriously faints following their first kiss, Lola learns that the women in her family are cursed, and that romance may be a real danger to Lola’s health. Desperate to change her fate, Lola begins unraveling her family’s history with the help of Javi, one of Río’s friends. As Lola’s Spanish skills improve and romantic entanglements blossom, Lola finds that both love and the true origins and cure of the Gómez enchantment might be simpler than she thought. While Lola’s lengthy musings sometimes stall narrative flow, candid conversations surrounding colonialism provide heft, while Cerón’s vivid descriptions of Mexico City and the effortlessly woven Spanish dialogue present throughout ensure a rollicking fun read. Ages 13–up.