Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa (Pilar Ramirez Duology, 1)

This YA blew my socks off. Randall is a national treasure. Five stars, hands down.

Pilar Ramirez is a 12 year old cracker jack film maker. She's from Chicago, lives with her mother, grandmother and sister, and goes by the name Purp. When chasing down a lead about her mother's cousin who disappeared in Trujillo era Dominican Republic, she's sucked into Zafa.Zafa is connected to Dominican Republic. It's filled with ciguapos, a Bruja, and dark, black dust that protects them from El Cuco and his minions.Through the course of the book, Pilar races to save the people of Zafa and solve the mystery of her beloved cousin.The story is rich. Pilar's spunky voice paints it well. In between the action and the mystery, we learn about the history of Trujillo, the impact of generational grief, and the power of stories.It was an utterly stunning read, and I cannot wait for the next book.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.Book: Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from ZafaAuthor: Julian RandallBook Series: Pilar Ramirez Book 1Rating: 4/5Diversity: Dominican American MC, Dominican charactersRecommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Dominican RepublicPublication Date: March 1, 2022Genre: MG FantasyAge Relevance: 10+ (parental death, violence, gore, 1 HP reference, war mentioned)Explanation of Above: There is a parental death mentioned briefly. There is some violence and small blood gore. There are mentioned of war and there is 1 HP reference.Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.Pages: 304Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and she doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin Natasha—who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship.When Pilar hears that Lorena’s professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to take matters into her own hands. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin’s name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within.She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home.Review: This book revolves around a girl who, after wondering about her missing cousin Natasha, finds herself in Zafa after opening a file on her sister’s professor’s desk. It’s up to her to defeat El Cuco to free Natasha and get back home. For the most part I really loved this book! I loved the Percy Jackson feel to it and I loved the magic system. The book did good to show a lot of action scenes in quick secession and I loved how there wasn’t a down moment since picking up the read. The book did well with the historical aspect, teaching readers about DR leader Rafael Trujilo and his regime.The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little too choppy and it was a bit too fast paced for me.Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend.

I love Pilar and I can't wait to see what other things she gets up too in the future. This was such a fun adventure, I literally laughed out loud at work a few times. I know there are a lot of reviewers saying there is "to much spanish" but there really isn't. It was easy for me a non spanish speaker to follow along and it does not take away from the story at all, and if you aren't sure what a word means maybe use google. Pilar goes on a journey not only learning more about her family, culture and heritage but also herself. It is rich in Dominican folklore and history, which for me is twice is fun since I have 0 knowledge of it and I get to learn some while reading too

If you love a terrific main character, TONS of action and adventure, and a bit of history mixed in with modern day, THIS is the book for you!!

This book was such a fun read, super recommend!

Refreshing depiction of a smart and spunky heroine who speaks Spanglish porque that's how Latinos speak for real.

(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review)Pilar Ramirez is a young Dominican photographer growing up in Chicago. Things in the neighborhood are changing (gentrifying) and since her sister Lorena has gone off to college Pilar is feeling off. Pilar’s family moved to Chicago after fleeing the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic and after her cousin Natasha went in Miami. After finding herself in the magical world of Zafa, Pilar works to defeat the villains of Zafa (El jefe and El Cuco) but also solve the mystery of why her cousin went missing.Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa is a fun adventure story that intertwines magic with Dominican culture. Pilar herself is relatable Latinx protagonist who is rightfully suspicious of what her eyes are showing her and is always looking to investigate more. Pilar has confidence in her own abilities as an adventurer and her decision to join in the campaign against the villains in Zafa makes sense. The world building is deep in this novel as Zafa is a colorful place with coconut shaped predators and shape shifting butterflies.The author Julian Randall does use some Spanish slang in Pilar’s vocabulary but that just makes her personality and culture shine. Anyone who grew up in a Spanish speaking home will appreciate the relatability of some of the things that Pilar’s family experiences especially those who have relatives that have had to flee their homes due to violent dictators. The sprinkling of Spanish words only strengthens Pilar’s connection to her community and culture. Perfect for young fans of adventure, I hope that Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa is the first in many adventures for this character.