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“A 17-year-old Californian enjoys a transformative summer before senior year with her mother’s relatives in Mexico. …The story thoughtfully touches on identity and heritage: Lola’s paternal grandparents were undocumented, Papi attended college in Mexico, and Lola feels sensitive about her language struggles. It also explores colorism in Latine communities…A tender coming-of-age story about family and first love.”

– Kirkus Reviews

¡Viva Lola Espinoza!

Written by Ella Cerón
Published by Kokila

A debut young adult novel that’s Pride & Prejudice with a dash of magic, about a booksmart teen who spends the summer in Mexico City, meets two very cute boys, attempts to learn Spanish, and uncovers a family secret that changes her life forever.

Lola Espinoza is cursed in love. Well, maybe not actually cursed — magic isn’t real, is it? When Lola goes to spend the summer with her grandmother in Mexico City and meets handsome, flirtatious Rio, she discovers the unbelievable truth: Magic is very real, and what she’d always written off as bad luck is actually, truly . . . a curse. If Lola ever wants to fall in love without suffering the consequences, she’ll have to break the curse. She finds an unlikely curse-breaking companion in Javi, a seemingly stoic boy she meets while working in her cousin’s restaurant. Javi is willing to help Lola look into this family curse of hers, and Lola needs all the help she can get. Over the course of one summer — filled with food, family, and two very different boys — Lola explores Mexico City while learning about herself, her heritage, and the magic around us all.

Look for the Spanish version, ¡Viva Lola Espinoza!.

Primary ISBN: 9780593405628
Publication Date: April 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 12 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (California), Mexico (Mexico City)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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