Book Review: Gringolandia(Blog Tour)

Title:Gringolandia

Author:Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Pub. Date: May 2009
Publisher: Curbstone Press
Format: Hardcover, 250pp
Sales Rank: 249,929
Age Range: Young Adult

ISBN-13: 9781931896498
ISBN: 1931896496 

[A] story with both horror and redemption . . . of a family struggling to find its way back to one another. A stunning achievement.”—Deborah Ellis

Daniel’s papá, Marcelo, used to play soccer, dance the cueca, and drive his kids to school in a beat-up green taxi—all while publishing an underground newspaper that exposed Chile’s military regime.

After papá’s arrest in 1980, Daniel’s family fled to the United States. Now Daniel has a new life, playing guitar in a rock band and dating Courtney, a minister’s daughter. He hopes to become a US citizen as soon as he turns eighteen.

When Daniel’s father is released and rejoins his family, they see what five years of prison and torture have done to him. Marcelo is partially paralyzed, haunted by nightmares, and bitter about being exiled to “Gringolandia.” Daniel worries that Courtney’s scheme to start a bilingual human rights newspaper will rake up papá’s past and drive him further into alcohol abuse and self-destruction. Daniel dreams of a real father-son relationship, but he may have to give up everything simply to save his papá’s life.

This powerful coming-of-age story portrays an immigrant teen’s struggle to reach his tortured father and find his place in the world.

My thoughts:

After reading the first page of the book I was hooked. It was so eventful and i love going on the journey that Lyn took me on.The plot kept me turning the pages. I wanted to know how this was going to turn out. I've never read anything like Gringolandia, it sad to think that stuff like this really happens. Gringolandia is a real eye opener.

I found the characters to be real and also powerful. Daniel when through alot....it was sad, i mean right from the beginning, I don't know what i would do without my father let alone try to pick up the pieces. You can tell he's just trying to make the best of it and live a 'normal" teenage life. But in the back of his mind that incident just changed everything. It's so haunting to think about.As i kept reading sometimes i would take a little pause because some of the scenes were just painful to read, especially the ones about Marcelo. I wanted to just jump in the book and defend him.

Overall it was a good book.I couldn't put it down. I've grown to love all of the characters and loved Daniels voice as the story was told. I look forward to more of Lyn's books. I think everybody should read Gringolandia because it was soo amazing.

Rating 4.5/5 hearts

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥.5

Special Thanks Jo Ann(she set up this awesome book tour and i'm soo glad to have been a part of it, To the other blog hosts, you guys are awesome too!)
                                                                                    

 The next tour stops:

Nov 10 Melaine Melaine’s Musings http://melanies–musings.blogspot.com/

Nov 11 Hope Hope’s Book Shelf http://www.princess2293.blogspot.com/

Oh and there's going to be a GIVEWAY for this book!
so keep an eye out :D