This magical realist adventure based on the Loteria card game follows Clara, a child whose fate is in the hands of both Life and Death, as she finds the courage and strength to shatter the game and choose her own path. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations. - (Baker & Taylor)

The turn of a card could change your destiny in this captivating middle grade adventure based on the Lotería card game and perfect for fans of Coco. While searching for her missing cousin, a young girl is transported to a mythical kingdom, becoming entangled in a perilous game of chance.

“A magical, philosophical tale rooted in Mexican lore.” —School Library Journal, starred review

In the hottest hour of the hottest day of the year, a fateful wind blows into Oaxaca City. It whistles down cobbled streets and rustles the jacaranda trees before slipping into the window of an eleven-year-old girl named Clara. Unbeknownst to her, Clara has been marked for la Lotería.
 
Life and Death deal the Lotería cards but once a year, and the stakes could not be higher. Every card reveals a new twist in Clara’s fate—a scorpion, an arrow, a blood-red rose. If Life wins, Clara will live to a ripe old age. If Death prevails, she’ll flicker out like a candle. 
 
But Clara knows none of this. All she knows is that her young cousin Esteban has vanished, and she’ll do whatever it takes to save him, traveling to the mythical Kingdom of Las Pozas, where every action has a price, and every choice has consequences. And though it seems her fate is sealed, Clara just might have what it takes to shatter the game and choose a new path.
 
Karla Arenas Valenti weaves an adventure steeped in magic and mythology—gorgeously illustrated by Dana Sanmar—exploring the notion of free will in a world where fate holds all the cards. - (Random House, Inc.)

Karla Arenas Valenti is the author of many books for children of all ages. She grew up in Mexico City in a house that was built around a tree and surrounded by magic (which has stayed with her long into her adult years). Her storytelling is seeded in Mexican culture and lore, and often deals in explorations of philosophical and identity-based themes (inspiring the mind) while also taking readers on riveting magical realist adventures (inspiring the heart). She currently resides in the Chicagoland area.

Dana Sanmar is a Colombian illustrator and graphic designer currently established in Atlanta, USA. Her love for illustration started from a early age due to her parents' love for books. And her early exposure to arts and crafts by her mother nourished her love for creating things by hand, while her dad showed her how to work with different materials and the importance of being resourceful. Following these influences, she got a B.F.A in Graphic Design in her home country. She recently graduated from her M.F.A in Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design and currently works a a freelance Illustrator. - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

Once a year, Life and Death meet to play an influential game of Lotería that will decide the fate of one individual. This year, in Oaxaca, Mexico, an 11-year-old named Clara has been chosen. The outcome of the game will either grant her a long life or cut it short, but that is up to the cards to determine. As Life and Death deal the fate-deciding cards, Clara goes in pursuit of her missing cousin, Esteban. Her search leads her to the mythical land of Asrean, where she must encounter strange talking animals, make difficult choices, and travel to the Kingdom of Las Posas to save Esteban from a dreadful fate. In this marvelous blend of magic realism, suspense, and adventure, readers will be rooting for Clara to beat the odds and shape her own destiny. Valenti seamlessly infuses Mexican culture and myth into a spellbinding story that explores free will through a traditional Mexican game. Readers will find themselves asking how they have influenced their own choices and fate after reading this. Grades 3-7. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Unbeknownst to Clara, she is the object of la Loteria, a game of chance being played out by two friends, Life and Lady Death. The events of her life begin to be determined by the game, and when her orphaned cousin Esteban disappears into a giant cactus, Clara follows. The two end up in the legendary Aztec land Aztlan, where the devil has captured Esteban to add to the king's ill-fated collection of children. Clara cajoles, fights, tricks, and trades to overcome all obstacles, intent on freeing Esteban and ensuring him a full life at home in Oaxaca City. Will she live or die this day? Card by card, the players observe Clara's choices, arguing for free will (Life says we have it) or determinism (Death's take on choice). Clara's unexpected decisions lead to the story's heart: Even when you have no choice about what has happened to you, you can still decide what you're going to do about it. The tale is a scaffolding for this debate, and what a lush, verdant scaffolding it is. The story (with grayscale illustrations) is filled with Mexican imagery, abundant with descriptions of food, flowers, vegetable gardens, forests, markets, and fetes, and especially of the jungle and ornate architecture, spiral stairs, curlicues, and darksome caves of Aztlan. Clara's valor and littleness stand out amidst this lavish context. In her author's note, Valenti explains the sources for her themes and imagery. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Unbeknownst to Clara, she is the object of la Loteria, a game of chance being played out by two friends, Life and Lady Death. The events of her life begin to be determined by the game, and when her orphaned cousin Esteban disappears into a giant cactus, Clara follows. The two end up in the legendary Aztec land Aztlan, where the devil has captured Esteban to add to the king's ill-fated collection of children. Clara cajoles, fights, tricks, and trades to overcome all obstacles, intent on freeing Esteban and ensuring him a full life at home in Oaxaca City. Will she live or die this day? Card by card, the players observe Clara's choices, arguing for free will (Life says we have it) or determinism (Death's take on choice). Clara's unexpected decisions lead to the story's heart: "Even when you have no choice about what has happened to you, you can still decide what you're going to do about it." The tale is a scaffolding for this debate, and what a lush, verdant scaffolding it is. The story (with grayscale illustrations) is filled with Mexican imagery, abundant with descriptions of food, flowers, vegetable gardens, forests, markets, and fetes, and especially of the jungle and ornate architecture, spiral stairs, curlicues, and darksome caves of Aztlan. Clara's valor and littleness stand out amidst this lavish context. In her author's note, Valenti explains the sources for her themes and imagery. Deirdre F. Baker November/December 2021 p.119 Copyright 2021 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

Life and Death's annual game leaves a girl's life in the balance as magical realism meets other-world fantasy in this novel set in Oaxaca. Eleven-year-old Clara's destiny is forever changed when a small silver thread, borne on a breeze, marks her in a game between Life and Lady Death, who prefers to be called Catrina. Unbeknownst to Clara, the mysterious happenings around her are being dictated by the cards in a game of Lotería. The sudden loss of her aunt seems an especially cruel twist of fate, but when her grieving younger cousin disappears into the night, she knows it is up to her to save him. Though the story begins in the Latin American tradition of magical realism, it veers into full fantasy when Clara crosses through the mysterious portal into Aztlán. Aztlán presents as a Mesoamerican fantasy realm based loosely on the mythic home of the Aztecs, with echoes of Oz, Wonderland, and Narnia. It's full of challenges to be faced as Clara tries to locate and rescue her cousin. All along, Life and Catrina play their cards and debate over free will. Does Clara have any choice in what happens next, or is all that transpires simply fate? Though the metaphors are often stretched and the philosophical debates can grow tiresome, there is enough mystery to keep readers going. The end is abrupt and bittersweet, not unlike life. Exquisite illustrations greatly enhance the text. Philosophy and fantasy mingle with mixed results. (author's note, reader's guide) (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

"And so it was that the fate of a child... hung on a pile of beans and a deck of cards." In Oaxaca City each year, Life and Lady Death come together for 36 hours to play Lotería, a game of chance that will decide the future of one human being without their knowledge or consent. After arriving on a hot summer day, Life and Lady Death let loose their magic, which chooses as its next target Clara, a steadfast 11-year-old who draws fantastical creatures. But when the consequences of the game and grief drive Clara's eight-year-old cousin Esteban to enter the perilous Aztlán through a nopal cactus, Clara must go after him—and face dangerous obstacles awakened by the Lotería cards—to keep a promise. From the first line of this philosophical debut, Arenas Valenti demonstrates a gift for interweaving immersive, sensory-rich storytelling ("Life sauntered into town on a wave of heat") with a thoughtful discussion of fate vs. determinism. Fans of Coco will savor this tale and Sanmar's occasional illustrations, which visualize Clara and Esteban's journeys and the Lotería cards as the game progresses. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Sept.)

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 3–6—Life and Death have met up for their yearly game of Lotería and the silver strands of fate have chosen Clara this year, a seemingly ungifted dark-haired girl born into a family of gifted people in Oaxaca, Mexico. She does not know that she is being watched, but her prescient cousin Estaban foresees something bad about the happen. And bad things do happen and keep happening. When Clara's aunt dies suddenly, Estaban is blinded by grief for his mother and walks into the dangerous kingdom of Las Pozas where the Man in Red kidnaps him. Clara must follow to save her young cousin before he is trapped there forever by the king. She must learn the rules of this kingdom and begin to trust her talents. All the while, Life and Death play their game to determine her next obstacle and finally, which one will claim her in the end. The discussion of our lives being controlled by fate or free choice appears throughout and while all gets resolved and final choices are made, part of the beauty and brilliance of this tale is making readers comfortable with the concept that life or death can be equally important, and even fulfilling, destinies. The magical realism employed adds a warmth and imaginative quality to the world-building that is only enhanced by the rich feast of language Valenti offers up. Readers will be able to smell the chocolate in Clara's family's restaurant and feel the plants in her aunt's garden. The illustrations that are interspersed as partial and full-page spreads add another access point to this world full of Mexican mythology and characters; detailed imagery of each round of Lotería cards is a powerful tool to see where we are in the game. The use of Spanish is prevalent throughout and is always translated or explained so it can certainly be understood by readers not at all familiar with Mexican culture or mythology. Additionally, the explanations of characters and stories referenced in the back of the book make this story even more meaningful and accessible. VERDICT A magical, philosophical tale rooted in Mexican lore that will hold readers from beginning to end with its verdant language and setting.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury P.L., MA