Loteria by Karla Arenas Valenti
The Hook:
Two incredibly old friends—Life and Lady Death—are playing the game, Loteria. Loteria is a game of chance that will decide the fate of one individual. The individual chosen is 11-year-old Clara from Oaxaca City, Mexico. She has no idea that her life hangs in the balance of this game. The outcome will decide if she lives a long full life or if it will be cut short and she will die at the age of 12.
Meanwhile Clara’s cousin, Esteban, who just lost his mother, goes missing. No one knows what has happened to him and Clara is determined to find him. She knows he was last seen around a giant cactus and so Clara investigates there where she is pulled into the magical, fantasy world of Aztlan. She finds that the devil has captured Esteban and is going to add to the King of Aztlan's collection of children. Clara is determined to save Esteban, but she meets many obstacles. Her actions are always observed by Life and Lady Death who pull card by card deciding her fate. With each choice Clara makes Life and Lady Death debate whether Clara’s fate is determined by her own free will or if it is all up to chance in the end no matter how she chooses.
This book is in our library. It is also in Sora and Axis 360 as an eBook. It is 8 AR points.
My Thoughts and Recommendations (Careful! There May Be Spoilers):
I had never heard of the game Loteria before reading this book. So, I found it interesting to learn of another culture and the stories behind each card. Our adult book club at our school read this book and when we finished it, we played a game of Loteria. Several of the teachers in our book club told stories of playing this game when they were little and even still today at big family gatherings.
I enjoyed this book, but from someone not of Spanish descent, I did find it rather confusing at times. I was glad to have our book club to ask questions when it did not seem to make sense. The book starts off in the very real world of Oaxaca but then quickly turns into a fantasy novel when Esteban and Clara enter the world of Aztlan. The story alternates between what is happening with Clara and Esteban and then the point of view of Life and Lady Death who likes to be called Catrina. Sometimes for me it was a little disconnected to go back and forth but I wonder if it is because I am not familiar with the culture and the stories of Life and Death and the Loteria cards. All and all an interesting book but I do think it will be most appreciated by students familiar with the game of Loteria.
