I enjoyed Loteria's take on life and death. I think this was done well . But would love to know more about the author's approach in this interesting take. Definitely a book to read and discuss with others because there are so many cultural and philosophical layers that can open conversations with readers. I think this is a book that offers exploration into difficult subjects that might not be explored so clearly in children's literature. Clara's journey is unique and deserves your understanding.

Life and Lady Death, Catrina play their yearly Lotería game; this time, for a little girl’s life and debate about free will, love, hope, and fate while a story unfolds about a girl named Clara who lives in Oaxaca City with her family. After Clara draws a cool dragon for her little cousin Esteban, he notices the exact dragon drawing on the gigantic El Arbol de Tule. Before she can figure out why it’s there, Esteban’s mother dies and he is lured into a mythical world called Aztlan by El Diablo. Clara embarks on a perilous journey to find and save Esteban. On her journey, she learns about the power of her drawings — and makes the ultimate sacrifice for love. Oaxaca City brings back so many wonderful memories for me so I immediately loved this story and that it was filled with Mexican and Aztec mythology and culture.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Life and Death have come to play a game…
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On the hottest day of Oaxaca City, Life and Death stroll into town to play a game of la Loteria. But first they need someone to play for: enter Clara, an eleven year old girl who helps at her parents’ restaurant. Each card they draw changes her Fate, even though Clara is unaware of the game. When her cousin, Esteban, disappears Clara doesn’t hesitate to chase after him into a spooky fantasy world called Kingdom of Las Pozas. In the end, Clara is given a choice from both Life and Death, but in a shocking twist of events, she chooses—
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I was not prepared for this MG book. It gutted me. I love a good twist ending and the fact that this one had such an unexpected wrap up that I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. I loved the premise with it being a battle between Life and Death and believe it could have even more books after this one. This was full of culturally rich characters, settings and stories: one that will stand the test of time.

CW: death, death of a parent, violence, vomit, blood

This is a darker MG book so watch who you recommend it to. 5th and up.

This story is more serious than it initially seems as Clara journeys through the mythical world of Los Pozas to save her cousin. I enjoyed learning about the actual game Loteria, even looking more into it online and finding a site to play it on. I loved the concept of Clara's journey being determined by the cards that Life and Death play during the game, and also their philosophical discussion during those interludes. Difficult concepts were presented, and it all depends on the viewpoint of the reader, and they can be thought of in different directions. We chatted with the author at Words & Whimsy Book Club on Facebook, and presented the book as our first feature of the Middle Grade Must Haves on 9/13/2021.

Have you ever wondered what happens between life and death? Clara tempts fate when she goes beyond what the eyes can see to find her missing cousin.

This narrative is mainly based on fantasy adventures in the Mexican culture. Your taken into a world filled with philosophical questions.

<i>Lotería IS the Spanish word for “lottery,” but it’s also a bingo-like game (with pictures instead of numbers) that people play for money, sort of like a running low-stakes poker game or a family keno night. That’s what they’re talking about in Karla Arenas Valenti’s fantasy novel.

Unbeknownst to 11-year-old Clara, her life is now controlled by Lotería cards. She sets out to find her missing little cousin Esteban and stumbles into a magical but cruel world where she will need every ounce of courage to deliver Esteban. The ending took me completely by surprise.

Valenti’s words, of course, soar on their own, but Dana Sanmar’s illustrations really add to that magical realism feel.

One explanation for you gringos out there: You will already be familiar with La Catrina, the grand dame of el Día de los muertos who has been appropriated for Halloween; however, do not confuse El Catrín with La Catrina’s skeletal companion. La Catrina’s usual escort is Don José, so named for the man who first drew her in the late 19th century as part of a satirical cartoon comment on colonialist social climbing. El Catrín is the sophisticated dandy who becomes the symbol of Life in this book. Happy reading!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Clara is caught in a game of Loteria played by Life and Death themselves. Every time one of the players gets a character on their card the story changes for better or worse. If Life wins the game Clara survives, if Death wins, she takes Clara. Clara is unaware that this is happening all she knows is she needs to save Esteban from the man in the red suit.

This book was cute but it was very dark. It reminded me of the book of life mixed in with some Encanto. Clara is very determined and loves her family but feels left out because she does not feel as extraordinary as them. When her little cousin disappears one night after a tragedy, she embarks on an adventure that could change her life forever. She encounters characters that will only help her in exchange for something, a forest that is alive, and magic at every corner.

I feel like it was a little darker than I expected for a middle grade, but it also shows a lot of character. Clara must face tough decisions and also come to realize that not everything in life is free. She must believe in herself and overcome adversities.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#middlegrade #magic #audible #netgalley #arc #ebook #Mexico #Oaxaca #arboldelTule #Life #Death #loteria #Family #love #Culture #fantasy #adventure

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Loteria

Author: Karla Valenti

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Mexican MC and characters

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, magical realism, Mexican mythology and lore

Publication Date: September 7, 2021

Genre: MG Fantasy

Age Relevance: 8+ (poisoning, scary moments, death, grief)

Explanation of Above: The MC is poisoned by a scorpion at one point in the book, but is ok. The book shows a character’s death and the grief after it. There are also some scary moments, including a moment with a spider.

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 320

Synopsis: It is the hottest hour of the hottest day in Oaxaca City when Life and Death walk into town, ready to begin a new game of Lotería. But first, they need a pawn, a child whose fate will be determined by the winner of the game: a long and prosperous life or an untimely death. Fate finds this child in a robin-egg blue house, tucked beneath a massive jacaranda tree. And so, the game begins.

Every card reveals a new twist in Clara's fate: a tree, a scorpion, a fateful arrow, a mermaid, a deer, a treacherous rose. But Clara knows none of this. All she knows is that her cousin Esteban has vanished, and she’ll do whatever it takes to save him, travelling to the mythical Kingdom of Las Pozas in her search. And although it seems her fate was sealed as soon as the cards were dealt, Clara just might have what it takes to shatter the game and choose a new path.

Review: I loved this book! It was a fun read that reminded me a lot of Coco. The book is Mexican Mythology and Lore inspired and had so much culture in it as well. The book is also very informative and offers a ton of information in the back about the card game that is played throughout. The book is also very adventurous and younger children who are just beginning their fantasy reading journey would love this book. The book had well developed characters and world building as well.

The only thing I didn’t like about the book is that the POV switching was a bit confusing for me as the voices were not that different, but it was still a fun read.

Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!

Lotería was such a wonderful book! Our organization, Tome Student Literacy Society, selected Lotería for our 2022-2023 It List for our elementary students. We loved the incorporation of folklore and magical realism. We were rooting for Clara throughout the story!
We can't wait for our students to read this book and use it to complete literacy-based projects. We will also be including questions from the book in our Reading Bowl competition.

This is a beautiful story and an interesting look at what control over our lives we have. I really enjoyed the story and recommend the audiobook as well. The characters were well developed and I believe age-appropriate though I think the author could have easily made Clara a little older as well.

I enjoyed learning about the game Loteria and more about their wonderful culture.

A great story about free will and fate. Students will enjoy using this book to answer BIG questions.

What a wonderful story; and interesting way to look at fate and freewill.
I will admit that as someone who has spent a lot of time playing Loteria, that is what caught my attention, and being familiar with the cards it was a lot of fun finding them throughout the story. The way they were intertwined with the story and played out was perfect.
The story is a great adventure, through a fantastical land where you never know what you'll find next. And the imagery is just beautiful, both the descriptions and illustrations, which I instantly fell in love with.

This was a middle grade that I wasn't expecting. It was wonderfully written though it was quite heavy at points. My eyes watered when I wasn't expecting but I'm glad that the author didn't shy away from the hard things. I loved the alternating perspectives and the illustrations throughout the story.

This was a very fun adventure! I like how how the story is set in Mexico! Clara is an admirable young girl who is determined to save those she lives! This novel reminds me of Disney’s Solimar! More review to come closer to release date!

Once a year, Death and Life spend a few treasured days together, playing La Loteria, a game of chance created in Italy and played widely in Mexico. A random person in the area will be the beneficiary of the game - death or life, depending on the outcome of the game - but that person will never know that the game is taking place. This year, a young girl named Clara has been chosen, and her life will change in ways no one - not even Life and Death - could anticipate.

Based on aspects of mythology native to Mexico, as well as philosophical ideas that go back to ancient Greece, this is a fascinating and engaging tale with two intertwined stories. In one, Clara - her life impacted by her inclusion in the game - struggles to deal with the challenges that the game creates in her life, while in the other, Life and Death play their game, while discussing the philosophy of free will versus determinism written at a level appropriate to the tweens and teens the book was written for, while not condescending to readers in any way. The illustrations enhance the story, while also making it easier for readers to keep track of the game between Death and Life. The culture and mythology that this novel is based upon are fascinatingly well-done and significantly enhance the story, which is recommended for anyone who enjoys either topic. Because this novel deals with death and loss, it is recommended that younger readers read it with and adult, or discuss the ideas with an adult who has read the novel, as some of it may be disturbing for tweens.

I am providing this review in return for being given a preview copy of the novel by NetGalley.

This book was very unique with a cultural belief I wasn’t familiar with. It was interesting to read but hard at the same time. This wasn’t exactly a feel good story but if you look between the lines, you see it was. An eleven year old struggles with heavy burdens while Life and Death play a game with her soul. The story was so descriptive and full of adventure and sorrow. The ending just about broke me. I liked how they kept Clara as strong and caring through out.

Very fun and cute! We love stories like this in our house and this is a great book to add to our library collection.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book with plenty of fantastical elements. It's incredibly dark, though, and heartbreaking. I would be hesitant to recommend it to middle-grade readers for that fact alone. It's definitely one of those books where the parent would need to decide what's appropriate for their kid, as obviously, not all kids handle things at the same levels. The adventure Clara goes on to save Esteban was frightening, but incredibly interesting. The metaphorical conversation of fate versus free will though felt a bit over the heads of the intended reading age.

Wow what a little gem of a story. This is exactly why I read middle grade - to find books that tackle big issues for a younger audience with creative storytelling.

Seriously, this book deals with big themes: life vs. death, choice vs. destiny, good will vs. expectations. It takes on these questions through the common game of Loteria, played by the characters of Life and Death. Throughout the story, both Life & Death make sure to note that Clara's destiny has already predetermined and they are merely flipping the cards over that reveal her fate. However, things happen during this story that bring that idea into question.

I especially loved the ending - it honestly was not what I would expect from a middle grade read and I think that's why I loved it so much. I like that actions and choices have consequences and I like that this book teaches young readers to make the choices they can live or die with. It also teaches kids to think about seemingly impossible situations with critical thinking. There's a lot of good lessons in here.

I feel like I need to mull this one over for a bit, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I put it right on my Amazon wishlist. I have the ARC from Netgalley, which was downloaded as a pdf in black and white. I can only imagine how beautiful the illustrations are in color. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if I read this again in the near future and bumped it up to 5 stars. We'll see.