Labyrinth Lost
By Zoraida Cordova

• Series: Brooklyn Brujas, Book 1
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, September 6, 2016
• ISBN-10: 1492620947
• ISBN-13: 978-1492620945
• Genre: Teens, Science Fiction, Fantasy 

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

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A TACO REVIEW

Hello my beautiful chimichangas. This week I bring to you Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordoba. I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Have I told you how much I love reading stuff before it’s out for the masses? No? Well I love it. So much.

Labyrinth Lost follows the wicked awesome adventure of the reluctant bruja Alejandra Mortiz, along with her two companions Nova and Rishi, into Los Lagos to save her family. What is Los Lagos, Taco? So glad you asked fellow book dragon. Los Lagos (literally translates to The Lakes) is a little like what you and I would call limbo or purgatory. Souls are not the only thing inhabiting Los Lagos, there are fairy-like creatures, awesome flying lionesses and some super shady creatures that kind of want to devour your soul. 

The world building in this story is so well done, I loved it. 

I haven’t even mentioned how the characters are all POC (people of color)! It’s so refreshing to see Hispanic people taking center stage to such a great story. And Rishi is from middle eastern descendant, so it’s not just Hispanics. They’re working together without any stereotypes violently thrown at us. I love it.

At first I didn’t like Alex, she came off as a little jerkface. Being an only child I cannot personally identify with the middle child struggle that Alex has been dealing with most of her life. Having said that, I still think she could’ve lighten up on the whining. After a few chapters I understood why she was so reluctant to be a bruja. She’s had to deal with some messed up crap at a really young age. I get it, boo. Doesn’t mean I had to like it. 

Rishi is her best friend and the total light of her eyes. You’d have to be an idiot not to see the huge heart eyes Alex busts every time Rishi comes to view. But wait! Then we have Nova, the stupid hot brujo that makes Alex feel all gooey on the inside.

Taco! Are you saying that there’s a love triangle that includes both genders?! Do mean to tell me that the main POC protagonist is bisexual?! Yes, to both. *insert shocked emoji here* 😲

Let me tell you guys, the newly discovered bisexuality of Alejandra was so well written that it makes me giddy. This is the type of representation bi kids need to see. Alex doesn’t know what to do with these feelings that both Rishi and Nova make her feel but she doesn’t go for the obvious choice out of guilt or mere convenience. She mulls these things over and is like “you know what, I’m not sure what this means but I’m not going to feel guilty about it. What I am going to do is work these feelings out after I help out my family.” She prioritizes her family over romantic feelings. Yes, boo. Yes. 
I give this book 4 Tacos out of 5 in the Taco Scale of Awesome. There are so many great things I want to tell you about this book but I’d just end up spoiling the whole thing. Los Lagos is equal parts beautiful and scary, just like I’d imagine the plane between the living and the dead to be.

I want to wrap these kids in a taco blanket and give them hot chocolate but I won’t because I need to know what happens next. Damn you, cliffhanger! Damn you! 
I recommend this book if you want a healthy representation of bisexuality, kick ass girls doing kick ass things, inner growth and acceptance, and a plot driven by familial love. 

Until next time. This is Mon, over and out.

This is a NetGalle Review