Caramba!: A Tale Told in Turns of the Card
by Nina Marie Martinez

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Book Reviews of Caramba!: A Tale Told in Turns of the Card

Book Review: AS ZESTY AS SALSA, AS MELLOW AS A MARGARITA
Summary: 5 Stars

Before turning to page 1, there are a few things this author would have you know:
"I believe that English and Spanish are live languages, hence they're always changin'."
"People say that my book is very funny, but I am dead serious."
"The characters come to me first as quirks, then as dilemmas: A Born Again Christian Mariachi, an ugly beauty queen, a girl who's afraid of public transportation and long car rides....."
"Many books begin with a disclaimer that says that the events therein described are fiction. If my book gets one of those, then it will speak the truth. I made everything up, except for the Javier Solis death-by-taco story."

There, now that you're prepared, turn to page 1 of "Caramba!"and meet Natalie and Consuelo, known as Nat and Sway. As Sandra Cisneros is wont to say, these two are "Thelma and Louise on the border."

Home to this twenty-something pair is Lava Landing, California. Now, while Nat and Sway are aching to break free and see the world, there's also something waiting to burst forth in Lava Landing - a dormant volcano.

Lava Landing is close to the Mexican border and home to the Miss Magma beauty contest. Swaying hips and mariachi music are hallmarks of this community, as are some of the most outrageous characters ever imagined - Javier, a born-again mariachi who falls for a drug dealer; Lulabell, an honest-to-goodness witch; and True-Dee, a drag queen hair dresser.

Until Nat and Sway can determine how they can hit the road to adventure in Nat's 1963 Cadillac convertible the girls work days at the Big Cheese Factory, and spend their nights at The Big Five-Four. Here, seated in their favorite booth they sip tequila floats, dance, and check the action.

And there's activity aplenty in this brightly presented book spiced with illustrations captioned in both English and Spanish. As we follow the lives of Shay, Nat, and their friends we're reminded of how very much alike we all are - it's just that these two have a heck of a lot more fun than most of us.

As defined by the author "Caramba" is what you say when you don't know what to say. I know what to say about this book: it's an antic read, terrific, surprising fun. It's as intoxicating as a Tequila Sunrise. Don't miss it.

- Gail Cooke

Summary of Caramba!: A Tale Told in Turns of the Card

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