Friday, June 9, 2017

Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Goodreads.com Summary

When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero’s journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer’s original tale.

With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother’s house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them? 

Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.

My Thoughts on the Book

I had never heard of this book before, but I was the lucky winner of Donalyn Miller's Book-a-Day Giveaway!  At the time I received it, I was reading another book, and, to be honest, I wasn't exactly excited to start this book - not into mythical stories.

The book has a good storyline and blends the present day with Aztec stories, which were fascinating to read about because I knew nothing about these cultural stories.  If you are into fantasy/myths of any kind you will enjoy this book! The book even had a chupacabras!  

My main problem with the book was that the sisters were so foolish.  They did not listen to the wisdom given to them, and that drove me crazy!! To be fair, if they did listen to the advice they were given, there wouldn't have been much of a story.  

It is a nice story about the importance of sisters and the bond they have with their mother.  

Like I mentioned before, if you like cultural myths/stories, then you will enjoy this book!


My Favorites (from the past six months)

Hey, friends! I've written a few blog posts over the past six months but haven't shared what I've been reading, and I have read ...