Mari is Cuban, but doesn't understand why her grandparents make such a big deal about it, especially when she's just trying to make it through middle school without being bullied.

A crocodile spirit curses her and her best friend Keisha ans everything, literally everything, goes wrong. Luckily, they stick together, along with their other BFF Juan Carlos in this powerful story of knowing who you are, where you come from, and the power of friendship... and ghosts!

Mari loves her family, but sometimes she finds their displays of “peak Cubanity” to be too much to take. When she decides she won’t partake in one of her family’s New Year traditions, she finds herself cursed by the evil spirit El Cocodrilo. As Mari’s bad luck grows, she will need the help of her best friends and her family members, both from the past and the present, to defeat El Cocodrilo and make her world right again. Middle grade fantasy fans will love the mix of entertaining humor, Cuban folklore, and creepy critters that are part of Mari’s battle with El Cocodrilo and her journey to embrace her family’s culture and traditions.

Mari and the Curse of El Cocodrilo introduces us to Mari who is both proud of her cultural heritage and completely embarrassed by some of the rituals that are part of her "Cubanity." Mari is being bullied by the next door neighbor - a girl in her class at school.. So when Mari decides to skip one of those New Yearś Eve rituals by refusing to burn the effigy her grandmother made for her, she becomes cursed by El Cocodrilo. Throughout the book Mari comes to terms with being proud of her Cubanity and her family and realizes that her cultural heritage is an important part of her life. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an advance copy to review.
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I'm sure this will be a fine book, but I definitely will not have time to get to the story before the archive date happens, in which case I will not be able to give my feedback. That would negatively impact my response ratio, which is not good, as I already missed out on giving feedback on so many books because this year has been so absolutely busy and stressful that I have not had the time nor mental capacity to get to many of these books before they are gone forever! It is as upsetting for both sides. I apologize, but I will do better for the future! I am appreciative that I have been giving access to so many great new releases.

3.5/5 ⭐
Mari often is annoyed by her family's "Peak Cubanity" as she calls it, so she doesn't think burning her effigy at New Years is important. However, soon she is plagued by bad luck. Things get worse when her friend Keisha is also affected by the curse. Soon, Mari learns she can call on her ancestors' spirits, and they tell her about El Cocodrilo. Mari, her friends, and family must work together to end the curse.

What I loved about this book was the Cuban heritage and culture. I learned so much and it was so interesting. That being said, I think it took too long to get to the action in this book. Especially for a middle grades book, it felt very slow for a while. Then a lot of the bad luck felt repetitive.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute and much-needed story. Mari, whose full name is Maricela, is being harassed by a classmate and next-door neighbor who keeps shaming her for being Cuban-American. The microaggressions have affected Mari so much that when her family is performing their New Year ritual of burning effigies to eliminate bad luck, Mari holds back and never burns her.

What follows is El Cocodrilo hanging her with bad luck to the point where it affects her school and her friendships. In order to combat El Cocodrilo, Mari needs to come to terms with her cultural identity and her family history. While at the same time fix the tension within her friend group.

At first, I was a bit put off by Mari feeling embarrassed of her cultural traditions, but I also realized that when we are kids, it is so easy for people to make us feel ashamed. Part of maturing means learning how to deal with those who will try to shame us, and that is part of the journey that Mari is on. Ultimately it is a wonderful story about love, family, and friendship.

Mari doesn’t always love the “peak Cubanity” of her family. Sure, the food is good, and she likes the music, but sometimes there are traditions that are weird, and even embarrassing. One of them is burning effigies in the New Year, to make sure that all the bad luck is burned away. But when Mari doesn’t burn hers out of embarrassment, she finds that some traditions exist for a reason.

Now, she is cursed with bad luck, and it’s only getting worse. Mari needs to find a way to get rid of this luck before it spreads, while also discovering how exactly this curse is connected to her family.

I received an advanced reading copy of Mari and the Curse of El Cocodrilo in exchange for an honest review.

Mari and the Curse of El Cocodrilo is a middle grade novel by Adrianna Cuevas. It features a Cuban family, and has a lot of mentions of traditions, food, and even music! I pulled up YouTube a couple of times while reading this book, and I absolutely loved getting the chance to learn more about Cuban culture, since I didn’t know much about it.

Cuevas presents this information in a way that’s both easy to digest for younger readers, as well as interesting. There’s never too much to learn, and the details that are sprinkled in are important enough to the plot to help the reader remember them. The book might take place in the United States, but Cuba comes alive in the love that these characters have for their country, and for those they left behind when they fled.

There is such a strong focus on family here, and not only are Mari’s parents and sister present, but so are her grandparents. And shortly after she gets a diary as her New Year’s gift, she starts getting stories about other members of her family, those who are long gone. I won’t say exactly how, but even they come to play a part in fighting against the curse that Mari has awoken.

Mari and the Curse of El Cocodrilo also deals with several topics that many children of immigrants and immigrants deal with. I clenched my fist every time Mari suffered a microaggression at school; there were moments when Mari felt disconnected from the place her family knew so well; and then there’s occasional embarrassment at being so different from anyone else. But while these will specifically hit harder for those who actually live through these moments, these are situations that every kid can relate to, and in fact, I would encourage all kids and lovers of middle grade novels to pick this up. This book will speak to all readers, and might even inspire them to ask about their own histories and roots, which could end up being an excellent project for the whole family!

This was fun spooky book for kids this spooky season. It was a fun middle grade novel that felt a little more realistic since it mentioned specific things that kids these days interact with like discord and online gaming

This was a beautiful story about a girl learning to not be ashamed of who her family is and where they come from.

Something people will probably either love or hate is that Mari's grandparents speak almost exclusively in Spanish. Mari often summarizes what they said in English, but not always. I think it's a unique way of communicating that I have not encountered often.

CW: brief video game violence and gore, racist microaggressions, war, blood, death in war and by drowning, mentions of imprisonment, a whole lotta insects

A nice twist on the mythology trope that is a current trend in middle grade fiction. Don't get me wrong, I love the mythology but especially enjoy when an author does her own thing and changes it up a little. Good job.

Embracing Cultural Identity: A Heartwarming Journey in "Mari and The Curse of El Cocodrilo" by Adrianna Cuevas

Rating: 5/5 Stars

In "Mari and The Curse of El Cocodrilo" by Adrianna Cuevas, I discovered another vital read that resonated deeply with me, much like "Starfish" by Lisa Fipps. This book carries an important message of acceptance at its core, but while "Starfish" focuses on body acceptance, Cuevas' novel shines a light on accepting one's culture and background. And let me tell you, I am here for it!
As an immigrant child who struggled with unsuccessful attempts to assimilate into the United States, I am incredibly grateful that this book exists. It allows children and adults alike to examine any lingering shame they may carry about their cultural differences and embrace their uniqueness. It beautifully emphasizes the idea that our diverse backgrounds are what make us special.
I can't help but wish that "Mari and The Curse of El Cocodrilo" had been written when I was younger. However, dwelling on the past serves no purpose. I am thrilled that it is now available for the younger generation. This story is a gift to readers of all ages, regardless of whether they identify as Latinx. Its universal themes and heartfelt narrative have the power to touch every heart and remind us of the importance of celebrating our roots.
I implore you to read this book. It will enchant you with its captivating storyline and inspire personal growth and empathy. Cuevas' masterful storytelling will expand your heart by at least two centimeters, leaving you with a renewed appreciation for the power of acceptance and the beauty of embracing one's identity. And, as an added bonus, it might just help protect you from any lurking Cocodrilo curses!
Take advantage of this heartwarming journey of self-discovery and cultural acceptance. "Mari and The Curse of El Cocodrilo" is a must-read for everyone seeking a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.

PS: I have so much more to say about this book. I saw great examples of resiliency for young people and lessons on microaggression and how to deal with them that I will post more on Threads and TikTok.

Hay que echar fuera la mala suerte. You have to throw out your bad luck. Wouldn't that be awesome?
I love novels with dialogue in their native language. This Cuban family is surrounded by folklore, and eerie mythology, Fun! Mari is cursed.

Mari starts as someone ashamed of her family, their rituals, and Cuban love, but on her journey, she will learn to respect her ancestors and their learning the good and bad about her family's past. She gets a journal as a gift during one of the many traditional rituals during New Year and discovers that she has inherited a power that has been in the family for generations. This will unlock good and bad things. Because she was ashamed of getting caught in these traditions she failed to keep her bad luck away by burning a doll, now her luck is running out and affects the people she cares for. On top of that, her curse passed to her best friend as well. Will their friendship survive this? Will Mari vanquish the Luck Eater?

A fun read, great for the Spooky season with a lot of folklore, friendship, family, personal growth, and acceptance giving life to the past with memories.
Por si las moscas! Just in case... you don't know what to read next. This is a good one.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the Arc. My opinions are my own and honest.

It took me a little while to really get invested in this book. I thought maybe I was too old to really enjoy this story, but then things quickly changed and I became engrossed in the book and eager to find out what happens next.

What starts as some lighthearted scares affecting the main character, slowly get more sinister as the book goes on, while still staying age appropriate for the target audience. I think this would be a great introduction for adolescents to more suspenseful stories.

It was also refreshing to focus on a cast of characters from Cuba, something you don’t see in media very often. I loved the glimpses into Cuban history and traditions and I really enjoyed the message of learning from and accepting your family’s history.

Overall a fun read and worth sticking with it to the end.

So creepy! MARI AND THE CURSE OF EL COCODRILO introduces us to Mari who is simultaneously proud of her heritage and completely embarrassed by some of the rituals that are part of her "Cubanity." When she decides to skip one of those end-of-year rituals, creepy chaos ensues! Will Mari be able to shake off this curse before her nasty neighbor outs her?

This was so heartwarming and fun! I loved the "supernatural" aspect of the multigenerational ghosts, Mari being cursed after not following a family tradition, and then realizing her family is the best and there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's a adventurous and fun story to help kids be proud of their heritage and that's amazing.

Mari and the Curse of El Cocodrilo is a great middle grade read. It's full of family, action and fun. Mari wished her Cuban family would tone down their celebrations. She decides not to burn her effigy that her abuela makes for the new year and as a result she is cursed. She cursed with El Cocodrilo's mark and bad luck follows Mari everywhere. She has to learn about her family and learned to love them for who they are that she can break the curse. I loved this one! It was such a fun read.

How to Ring in the New Year
Sweet and savory Cuban treats✅
Mop the floors✅
Throw the dirty water out the front door✅
Take your suitcase for a spin around the block✅
Eat 12 Grapes (cancelled due to prior choking incident)
Burn a stuffef doll in the BBQ pit ❌
Bad Luck is creeping your way!
Mari is a 12 year old Cuban American who struggles with her family parading their Peak Cubanity for all to see and hear. Mari is especially uncomfortable when it is witnessed by the nosey neighbor girl, Mocoso Mykenzie, who is constantly throwing micro aggressions at poor Mari.
Mari discovers that not only has she has been cursed by the vile El Crocodillo because she did not burn the effigy to ward off mala suerte, but she also has inherited the ability to call forth her dead ancestors. They will help break the curse as she learns about her family roots while embracing her family’s cultural traditions.
I love how this multigenerational team of ghosts comes to life in middle grade tale. While it might be a little creepy in parts for some readers, especially if bugs give you the willies, this is an extremely heartwarming story about the pain of leaving love behind, but remembering the sweet with the sour so the past is not forgotten. It just connects you with where you are from. This book, due out in October, is an essential add to teachers’ classroom libraries as is everything that is written by Adriana Cuevas.

Mari was a great main character and I enjoyed getting to go on this adventure with them. The plot worked well with everything and I enjoyed what was going on. The characters had everything that I was looking for and they felt like real people. I was looking for more after this world and can't wait to read more from Adrianna Cuevas.

"Before I can react, the glass of water next to my plate turns black. A squirming worm, just like the ones that I thought filled my pencil case, emerges from the water and drapes itself over the edge of the cup. I snap my gaze to Abuelito, sitting next to me, but he’s busy tapping his fingers on the table and humming a song. When I look back at the glass, the water is clear and the worm is gone. I clutch the diary tighter in my hand and shake my head."