Lobizona by Romina Garber Review

Title: Lobizona 

Author: Romina Garber 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy 

Series: Wolves of a New World, book one 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I won a free advanced copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program—thank you so much to Romina Garber, Goodreads, and the publisher, Wednesday Books! 

Okay, so I’ll start this review off with a confession: Before Lobizona, I hadn’t read anything by Romina Garber! I bought myself Zodiac for Christmas, but I haven’t read it yet. So, I was so excited when this book finally found its way to my mailbox! As soon as I finished The Last Flight, I dove into Lobizona, and was pleasantly surprised! First of all, I loved how this book tackled the thorny topic of undocumented immigrants. People are people, period, that shouldn’t be up for debate. But I also adored the way that Garber took an undocumented Argentinian immigrant and dropped her into a world of magic, danger, and deadly secrets. Witches, werewolves, magic, secret schools and societies, dangerous secrets, and first love: All of these things formed to a completely unique series debut, and I loved it! I’ve always been a huge sucker for chosen one stories, but this time, there was a woman of color as the main character! I loved it so much. This book is definitely one of my favorites of 2020, and I cannot wait for the sequel! 

Some people are illegal. Lobizonas don’t exist. Both of these statements are lies. Manu has always known that she’s been different. With long, dark curls and bright golden eyes like stars, her mother has always taught her to hide, as they are hiding within the country illegally. But when ICE picks up Manu’s mother, she finds herself alone for the first time. Desperate for answers and to save her mother, Manu finds a magical school hidden within the swamps of The Everglades. She discovers that the myths her mother told her when she was a child are, in fact, true, and she is the first female werewolf, or Lobizona, to be born, ever. Manu must decide whether to stay under the radar like before, or risk the spotlight and maybe, just maybe, start a revolution in the process... 

I loved, loved, loved this book! Lobizona has made me a lifelong fan of Romina Garber, because I absolutely loved it. The best way to describe it, without giving anything away, would be like if Harry Potter and One Day at a Time had a baby! The pacing was breakneck, and I loved, loved, loved Manu, and her fierce devotion to herself and her family. I also adored her temper, her rage, and her frustration; I loved the way this book puts the reader squarely within the shoes of someone living in the US who is undocumented. The tension was breakneck. I devoured this book in less than a week, and there were several times that I had to put it down, just to make it last longer. I loved Manu’s world, full of danger, deadly secrets, and magic, and I loved the way that she came into her own. I also adored her friends, especially Tiago, Saya, and Jazmin. I’m so excited for the sequel to this explosive and relevant series opener! Romina Garber is a powerhouse in YA and I can’t wait to see what comes next! The bottom line: Rich, magical, relevant and surprising, I loved Lobizona! Next on deck: The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister!