I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I love this cover and I love books set in 1920s and I love stories of witches, so I was certain this would be a perfect fit! Sadly every time I started Bindle Punk Bruja I’d get a few chapters in and struggle to pick it back up again. I even tried it in a couple different formats, but in the end this just isn’t a book for me.

thank you netgalley for the eARC. I truly liked this book. It took a bit for me to get into it but i stuck it out and I am so glad i did!

I tried to like this book, I really did. I hoped it would be a gem along the lines of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, whose blend of Mexican culture and supernatural elements is awesome. Alas, after the first few pages, I became increasingly frustrated. Three major areas were especially problematic:

1. An incredible amount of repetition of material previously established, such as the way Luna uses her magic, her difficulties as an unmarried businesswoman in a man's world, and her relationship with the mobsters who want to take over her nightclub.

2. Anachronisms of speech and attitude abound. For example, the narrator uses the word "gender," but the story is set in 1925 in Kansas City, not the most progressive place back then, and gender didn't come into common parlance until at earliest the 1950s, gaining wider usage in the 1970s. Luna makes a casually disparaging comment about laws against inter-racial marriage, but the Loving decision wasn't until 1967.

3. Most importantly, the foolhardiness of the character. She makes a huge deal about how she can take care of herself, yet she repeatedly provokes the (armed, dangerous gangsters) men in her life for no particular reason. Any woman of that time period, especially a nightclub owner, would know how to smoothly manipulate and persuade such men without risking escalation. See: brothel madams through the ages. She also seems ignorant of the strings that must inevitably be attached to any deal she agrees to. If she thinks that by going along with a protection racket, she'll ever become independent, she's hopelessly naive.

I gave up at about 25% through the book when it appeared that the pace of the action was glacially slow and what had happened could have been told in about 3 pages. My suspicion is that the author has interesting ideas and talent, but is in serious need of editing. Her writing reads as very young and unconsidered. Maybe in another few years, her work will be on a par with her imagination.

Kansas City in the 1920s. Rose has big plans for her life. She may be a small time owner of an illegal club now, but just wait to see what she can do. Hiding her Mexican heritage and bruja magic, Rose passes as White and has a day job at the newspaper. But living outside the law is dangerous and brings out mobsters and Klan. Historical fiction and fantasy, prejudice and sexism. Luna Rose is a wonderful character in a fun and touching story. This will be a great one for book groups.

Welcome to 1920s Kansas City. There are all the speakeasies and gangsters you'd expect of a Prohibition-era story, but this book is so much more. Our protagonist is Luna at home and Rose to the outside world. She's Mexican, but the white man who fathered her and abandoned her just as easily gave her a gift of dubious quality. Thanks to her mother's hard work and her abuela's money, Rose can pass for white and grab hold of some freedoms that would have been denied her... as long as the lie doesn't come crashing down on her. The secret necessarily alienates her from her family, who live in two boxcars by the river while she luxuriates in a well-appointed apartment. She misses home in all its forms: the space to be fully herself, the ability to claim her family openly, the food and nostalgia of her childhood, and the language her mother insists she not use less it leave her English accented. Rose is also saddened by her weaker hold on the family magic, presumably another "gift" from dear dad, his contributions diluting her power. Despite her lack of healing and cursing ability, the bit of charm and allure she commands comes in handy for running her speakeasy. In a world where women only succeed as a curiosity, her magic protects her from men who would seek too much from her, a common occurrence.

Rose's success is starting to attract attention around town, which is both valuable and dangerous. She receives a business offer from a mobster she can't refuse (no matter how badly she wants to), and ambition tempts her to make the deal, anyway. As she jumps from the frying pan into the fire, Rose plays a tricky game once backed into a corner. She fights for each victory and spins from each setback. Rose makes as many friends as enemies while trying to not only survive but thrive in a world that resists her success. Then the KKK gets involved, taking issue with the many races of people that Rose employs (her own identity hidden) and the so-called loose, amoral behavior fostered at her speakeasy. Content warnings include violent racism and homophobia, so go in anticipating the heavy nature of the challenges Rose and her family and friends face.

For all the pain inflicted on our main cast, it also comes with a healthy helping of joy in the margins. For example, Rose struggles with all the men in her life that want to help, but she knows you can't ever rely on one to be there for you when you need it. You can only count on yourself. But we see her branch out throughout the book, learning to lean on her brother, a new friend, and a love interest in different ways without losing herself. In fact, it only makes her stronger when the foundation of respect stands strong. The women in the story represent a multitude of experiences as heads of household and leaders in their community while also despairing of options, making compromises they wish weren't the best choice available. We get to see the way women thrive even when they're beaten down for ways they don't conform. We have multiple queer characters in the main cast. They struggle with internalized homophobia and attempts of others to mold them into a more socially acceptable role, but the characters fight back and find acceptance and contentment in found family. We also see the nuances of identity as sources of conflict, even with loved ones. Rose butts heads with her older brother Javi over the privileges she has as a light-skinned person who doesn't go through life denigrated as an "immigrant," but he misses the dangers she faces as a woman. While the whole family fought for Luna to have those privileges, Luna both appreciates her freedoms and chafes at the ways she must compartmentalize and even ignore different layers of her life, not able to live fully and authentically.

The story is edgy without being overdone. Gangsters and life-or-death stakes necessitate high tension and drama. It's fast-paced without losing out on the quiet moments between characters that make you fall in love with them. There are strong themes of family loyalty-- both the bio and found varieties. We see Rose realize all the people in her life who serve as family and do her utmost to protect them. In a world where so many people are ostracized just for existing while looking or being a certain way, Rose uses her magic and wiles to carve a space for those who need one. With danger and tough identity work around every corner, the characters understandably are in their feelings. I'll be honest-- I cried at one point. It's a poignant story even with all the action and scheming.

I enjoyed this story immensely. The historical, social, magical, and personal notes all landed for me. I was deeply invested in Rose's journey as a bruja and as a person, excited to see her grow in power and dig deep into her vulnerabilities. Thanks to Harper Voyager for my copy to read and review!

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

Brindle Punk Bruja is a NA fantasy about a flapper era mobster controlled nightclub scene and the fallout when a flapper girl with magic wants to open her own club.

I loved this book and immediately recommended it within professional networks. It was a delightful mashup of 1920's gangster, with magic, romance, and strong feminist power thrown in.

This is a historical fantasy story features a white passing, half Mexican woman named Luna (Rose), who desires to open up her own night club in Kansas City during the roaring 20's. This books deals with sexism, racism, and magic. The writing had a beautiful prose. I did find this difficult to finish but revisited the story and enjoyed it better the second time around.





I received a complimentary eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.

From the publisher:
Boardwalk Empire meets The Vanishing Half with a touch of earth magic in this sexy and action-packed historical fantasy set in the luminous Golden Twenties from debut author Desideria Mesa, where a part-time reporter and club owner takes on crooked city councilmen, mysterious and deadly mobsters, and society’s deeply rooted sexism and racism, all while keeping her true identity and magical abilities hidden—inspired by an ancient Mexican folktale.



Yo soy quien soy. I am who I am.

Luna—or depending on who’s asking, Rose—is the white-passing daughter of an immigrant mother who has seen what happens to people from her culture. This world is prejudicial, and she must hide her identity in pursuit of owning an illegal jazz club. Using her cunning powers, Rose negotiates with dangerous criminals as she climbs up Kansas City’s bootlegging ladder. Luna, however, runs the risk of losing everything if the crooked city councilmen and ruthless mobsters discover her ties to an immigrant boxcar community that secretly houses witches. Last thing she wants is to put her entire family in danger.

But this bruja with ever-growing magical abilities can never resist a good fight. With her new identity, Rose, an unabashed flapper, defies societal expectations all the while struggling to keep her true self and witchcraft in check. However, the harder she tries to avoid scrutiny, the more her efforts eventually capture unwanted attention. Soon, she finds herself surrounded by greed and every brand of bigotry—from local gangsters who want a piece of the action and businessmen who hate her diverse staff to the Ku Klux Klan and Al Capone. Will her earth magic be enough to save her friends and family? As much as she hates to admit it, she may need to learn to have faith in others—and learning to trust may prove to be her biggest ambition yet.

My thoughts:

Luna is a strong female protagonist. This is very much her story. And while I didn't like all the choices she made, I did like her overall.

I found Luna's magic as well as her grandmother's magic interesting. Her grandmother is capable of bigger acts of magic than Luna at the moment, but she encourages Luna to practice and learn to better use her magic. I liked that family ties were a strong part of the book. And that magic was accepted as a natural part of the world.

I was surprised at Luna owning a club as Rosa. It would be difficult because she was a woman. And then she also employed minorities like her own brother. There were men who wanted to take control of her club and barring success, they wanted to put her out of business. And there were good men as well who helped her to set new goals and meet them. But, it is a dangerous world she lives and works in. I was a little surprised at the appearance of the KKK, but in retrospect, they would have probably thought Luna would be an easy target.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I gave it 4 stars out of 5. I liked the characters associated with Luna in general. I enjoyed seeing how her choices turned out. And I liked the way she weathered the struggles she faced.

If you like stories with a strong, magical female protagonist and stories that are set in the 1920s, then this would be a good book for you.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

3.5 stars rounded up. Bindle Punk Bruja was an interesting reading experience as I had many critiques, but in the end had a great time with the book. I had a lot of issues with the writing style. The author overuses adjectives, and, at least early on in the story, will over-emphasize the thematic elements she is trying to portray (experiences of colorism, sexism, etc). The author also uses any opportunity to use 1920's slang words which, while interesting, adds to the cluttered feeling of the writing. But I either got used to the writing style, or the author toned it down as the book went on, as I mostly only noticed it towards the beginning. I found the magic of the world kind of vague for my preferences, but it might result in this being a good fantasy book for readers who primarily read historical or straight fiction. I think there are a few too many plotlines going on- they all fit with this world but maybe some could have made it into a second book. I did really enjoy the romance arc with our protagonist and thought it played very well with her learning to navigate her developing magical skills.

This is an author I plan to keep my eye on.

I love the recent explosion of books with Spanish in them. They've likely always been around, but I've just found them and I love the feel of dual languages in this book. Bindle Punk Bruja is a great story about magic in the 1920s. I didn't think I was going to like the setting but with the addition of the magical and showing more than just the flappers, I really ended up enjoying it. The main character Rose/Luna is a fierce woman who is trying to figure out where she fits in with society and magic. Mesa wasn't afraid to tackle the racism that Rose comes up against and that was why I was okay with the decadent 20s setting (if you can't tell I'm not a super fan of the 1920s, lol).

Bindle Punk Bruja is about Luna or Rose, a white passing woman living in 1920s Kansas City who is a bruja and flapper. The story follows her work as a bootlegger and her dealings with city criminals. This book seemed absolutely up my alley as I love historically based books with elements of magic and I was very excited to read it!

For some reason, I couldn't get into this book at all. I'm not sure if it was the writing, the characters, the plot, or (more likely) me and my mood at the time. I just really didn't care about the story at all. This was a bummer because I feel like this book had such great potential with an incredible setting and premise. I think this might just be a me problem but I ended up skimming a lot of the middle and end of the book. It reminded me of These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong because of the time period and the dealings with the criminal underworld of a city.

If you are into the 1920s I'd definitely give this book a read! 2.35 stars rounded down to two from me. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

BINDLE PUNK BRUJA by Desideria Mesa is set to be my favorite read of October. This witchy historical fiction set in 1920s flapper culture features spectacular writing that is robust and enveloping without being flowery or smothering. I loved the group of characters that surround the main character; they are fleshed out and developed. The protagonist is a witty, firm in her opinions, and loyal to those around her, and her character arc is engaging. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, and I found that BINDLE PUNK BRUJA had the perfect ending.

There is a lot of potential here - 1920s, speakeasies, magic, gangsters (even an appearance of Al Capone), and on paper this should have been the perfect book but I just couldn't connect with the characters and I felt lost in the plot at times.

The author does a great job with the atmosphere and tone of this book as well as the depth of character in everyone in this book. The author obviously did a lot of research in this time period and it shows in the language, details of speakeasies, rumrunning, the gangsters, pop culture of the era, and down to the racial and social views of the people of that time and place.

While this book didn't blow me away and at times I struggled to get through, I think there are many people who will love it and I think that as this author grows their books will get even better.

Luna (aka Rose) is a white-passing daughter (also a witch/bruja) of an immigrant mother in 1920's Missouri, a time when society was anything but kind to people of her culture. Using her bruja power of charm, she has climbed the ladder of the bootlegging industry and owns her own jazz club, eventually catching the attention (both good and bad) of several higher-ups in the corrupted mobster community. Luna/Rose ends up surrounded by greed and bigotry, violent gangsters, all sorts of prejudice, the KKK, and even Al Capone. All the while, her earth magic is growing...
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book - and I can confidently say I've never read anything like it before, which these days, can be tough. I would dub this as more of a historical fiction than a fantasy (fantasy is definitely secondary to the all the historical and social elements of this novel). I loved the combination of the historical backdrop, the social injustices, and the hint of fantasy and magic that this book had to offer. I love feeling like I'm learning something while enjoying an imaginative fantasy story. Luna was a boss witch (literally) and I loved that women were at the forefront of this narrative. Some of my favorite characters were Mama Sunday and Gio (gotta love the big tough circus-tattooed pianist). Most of all I loved the underlying themes of identity and acceptance of who we are, and trusting our friends and loved ones. This book is out already, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for a unique, witchy, historical girl-boss story.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I was really excited to get into the story, I loved the concept. However, I ultimately ended up struggling a lot with actually reading this book. It struggled to hold my attention for long periods of time. That said, I think it may just be my current attention span/mood. Either way, I'm hoping to give this one another shot in the future and see if perhaps my feelings will have changed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This started off slow and I wasn’t sure I would like it. But as the story progressed more and really started getting into the social politics of this time period, it made this a more enjoyable read.

Absolutely loved this setting and time period. It reminded me why I love reading about the 1920s. Thanks to netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review