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Malas
A story full of passion and revenge, following one family living on the Texas Mexico border and a curse that reverberates across generations--"Fuentes has achieved something rare and indelible with this story of complex women.” (Erika L. Sánchez)
In 1951, a mysterious old woman confronts Pilar Aguierre in the small border town of La Cienega, Texas. The old woman is sure Pilar stole her husband and, in a heated outburst, lays a curse on Pilar and her family.
More than forty years later, Lulu Muñoz is dodging chaos at every turn: her troubled father’s moods, his rules, her secret life as singer in a punk band, but most of all her upcoming quinceañera. When her beloved grandmother passes away, Lulu finds herself drawn to the glamorous stranger who crashed the funeral and who lives on the alone and shunned on the edge of town.
Their unexpected kinship picks at the secrets of Lulu’s family’s past. As the quinceañera looms—and we move between these two strong, irascible female voices—one woman must make peace with the past, and one girl pushes to embrace her future.
Rich with cinematic details—from dusty rodeos to the excitement of a Selena concert and the comfort of conjunto ballads played at family gatherings—this memorable debut is a love letter to the Tejano culture and community that sustain both of these women as they discover what family means.
In 1951, a mysterious old woman confronts Pilar Aguierre in the small border town of La Cienega, Texas. The old woman is sure Pilar stole her husband and, in a heated outburst, lays a curse on Pilar and her family.
More than forty years later, Lulu Muñoz is dodging chaos at every turn: her troubled father’s moods, his rules, her secret life as singer in a punk band, but most of all her upcoming quinceañera. When her beloved grandmother passes away, Lulu finds herself drawn to the glamorous stranger who crashed the funeral and who lives on the alone and shunned on the edge of town.
Their unexpected kinship picks at the secrets of Lulu’s family’s past. As the quinceañera looms—and we move between these two strong, irascible female voices—one woman must make peace with the past, and one girl pushes to embrace her future.
Rich with cinematic details—from dusty rodeos to the excitement of a Selena concert and the comfort of conjunto ballads played at family gatherings—this memorable debut is a love letter to the Tejano culture and community that sustain both of these women as they discover what family means.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2024
426 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
April 15, 2024
This book kept me up past my bedtime! The characters are beautifully drawn, the story will keep you reading just one more chapter. And a Selena concert? No mames, it's a great book!
August 3, 2024
I was fully entertained with this book that I found it hard to put down. It mentions a Selena concert in the 90s too, what’s not to love? Totally recommend, five stars!
July 25, 2024
This started off really good but should have been billed as Young Adult fiction since it was geared more towards teenagers. And that's when it lost me. This novel is full of teenage angst and I outgrew that a long time ago.
Not enough Historical fiction and way too much nineties fluff.
Not enough Historical fiction and way too much nineties fluff.
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May 27, 2024A deep dive into breaking generational curses. Loved this dual-timeline multigenerational look at Las Malas. Full RTC
May 13, 2024
Special thanks to Penguin Random House publishing and Goodreads Giveaways for the ARC of Malas. This story was multi-faceted and had just enough intrigue to keep you going. The story was set in the 40's to 90's (three sets of timelines that all pulled together), prior to Selena's death. It was the story of a quince who had grown up without a mother and her dad was going through some struggles. It was the story of a grandmother who was the matriarch of the family and her influence and stability on that family. It was the story of a mom/grandmother who had suffered incredible loss and everyone in the community avoided. And it was the story of how all of these characters came to be a family, in a most unusual way. I loved the interjections of the Spanish language, culture and life expectations and how the girl insisted on living outside those expectations. It was a very emotional read at times, but then one of resilience and hope and accomplishments.
August 6, 2024
Tragic Pasts, Mexican Culture & Teenage Rebellion
A generational tale about one woman's series of tragedies and her unending rage at those she blames for her grief. Jumping to her soon to be 15 year old granddaughter rebelling against her hypocritical, double standard, Mexican traditional dad. Pilar & Lulu meet and discover truths about their family that have been hidden for decades. There's a lot of sad leading to good character growth when Pilar gets some closure and acceptance about the past; Lulu completes her rebellion against her dad by skipping out on an important gathering and closing the door on Pilar. Some cringey moments, weird superstition and stereotypical Mexican culture slice of life. An interesting read overall but just a little too much in the beginning with Pilar's life, it could have been edited down a bit.
A generational tale about one woman's series of tragedies and her unending rage at those she blames for her grief. Jumping to her soon to be 15 year old granddaughter rebelling against her hypocritical, double standard, Mexican traditional dad. Pilar & Lulu meet and discover truths about their family that have been hidden for decades. There's a lot of sad leading to good character growth when Pilar gets some closure and acceptance about the past; Lulu completes her rebellion against her dad by skipping out on an important gathering and closing the door on Pilar. Some cringey moments, weird superstition and stereotypical Mexican culture slice of life. An interesting read overall but just a little too much in the beginning with Pilar's life, it could have been edited down a bit.
June 22, 2024
This book took a long time to get nowhere, and please remember, anger is a two edged sword.
June 30, 2024
3.75 stars. With dual timelines of 1950s and 1990s Mexico/Texas, we follow Pilar and Lulu’s lives respectively. Pilar is a young wife and mother trying to make a home with her family when an old woman shows up claiming to be her husband’s wife. 40 years later, Lulu is a teenage girl dealing with a lot of upheaval and uncertainty in her life, rocking out with her punk band and dreading her quinceañera.
Two woman bonded by a supposed family curse. It’s a dual timeline historical fiction, of course the timelines are going to weave together to tell this tale! This book is a time and place I haven’t read about much if at all… The Texas/Mexico border and the history and culture of those towns and their people.
Y’all know I don’t like reading about teenagers but I thought the author did such a phenomenal job with the character of Lulu making her feel real, dealing with some major life struggles but not overly angsty and dramatic. I also loved all the music culture talk from Selena to mariachi to Tejano bands. So many themes are touched upon in this story from generational trauma, motherhood, classism and family secrets.
I did struggle getting into this one initially and the ending wasn’t completely satisfactory for me, but if this novel sounds interesting to you I would still absolutely recommend!
Two woman bonded by a supposed family curse. It’s a dual timeline historical fiction, of course the timelines are going to weave together to tell this tale! This book is a time and place I haven’t read about much if at all… The Texas/Mexico border and the history and culture of those towns and their people.
Y’all know I don’t like reading about teenagers but I thought the author did such a phenomenal job with the character of Lulu making her feel real, dealing with some major life struggles but not overly angsty and dramatic. I also loved all the music culture talk from Selena to mariachi to Tejano bands. So many themes are touched upon in this story from generational trauma, motherhood, classism and family secrets.
I did struggle getting into this one initially and the ending wasn’t completely satisfactory for me, but if this novel sounds interesting to you I would still absolutely recommend!
August 30, 2024
A great story with lots of good music! A Cornelio Reyna and Ramon Ayala reference!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2024
3.5 STARS
There are a lot of twists and heartbreak in this story spanning over three generations.
I didn’t really care for either of the two main characters, Pilar and Lulu. Pilar’s anger in her time of grief, especially toward her husband, seemed excessive, and unwarranted. Lulu’s attitude toward her dad and life in general isn’t something I can relate to as she didn’t really act like any teen I’ve ever known, though teens are often portrayed in this fashion as independent rebels. Having said that, this is a story teens would enjoy. It’s well written and delves into the Mexican American heritage. There’s a lot of Spanish phrases and words used often, so if you’re not familiar with the language, get your translator ready!
I won a copy of this book in GoodReads Giveaway.
There are a lot of twists and heartbreak in this story spanning over three generations.
I didn’t really care for either of the two main characters, Pilar and Lulu. Pilar’s anger in her time of grief, especially toward her husband, seemed excessive, and unwarranted. Lulu’s attitude toward her dad and life in general isn’t something I can relate to as she didn’t really act like any teen I’ve ever known, though teens are often portrayed in this fashion as independent rebels. Having said that, this is a story teens would enjoy. It’s well written and delves into the Mexican American heritage. There’s a lot of Spanish phrases and words used often, so if you’re not familiar with the language, get your translator ready!
I won a copy of this book in GoodReads Giveaway.
July 20, 2025
There are two storylines about two women: Pilar and Lulu. Both are living in a small border town in Texas and find themselves hemmed in by expectations.
Pilar is happily married to Jose. One day an old woman appears unannounced at her home and sets into motion a series of events that become part of Lulu’s story. As we weave through the past, the tentacles to the present become clear.
I loved Pilar's story, but I loved Lulu's story even more. As a girl on the cusp of womanhood about to celebrate her quinceañera, it is moment that is full of conflicts: the push and pull of parent vs child and respect vs automony.
I don't think the cover captures the content of the book. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Pilar is happily married to Jose. One day an old woman appears unannounced at her home and sets into motion a series of events that become part of Lulu’s story. As we weave through the past, the tentacles to the present become clear.
I loved Pilar's story, but I loved Lulu's story even more. As a girl on the cusp of womanhood about to celebrate her quinceañera, it is moment that is full of conflicts: the push and pull of parent vs child and respect vs automony.
I don't think the cover captures the content of the book. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
December 1, 2024
It kind of dragged on and I had zero feelings towards the characters. I'd recommend other books over this one.
June 14, 2024
This book name drops a bunch of songs, musicians and albums to where if you don't know every single reference it gets tedious real fast. I also do not understand Pilars anger with Jose Alfredo during those rough patches. He was also torn up if not more so for the losses. Lulu's hatred for her father gets old after the first section that is from 1994.
Besides that the writing was well done, I felt immersed in the atmosphere. Does not round up to 4 though. Solid 3.5
Besides that the writing was well done, I felt immersed in the atmosphere. Does not round up to 4 though. Solid 3.5
November 27, 2024
I came across Malas on a recent trip to San Diego. I was doing a bookstore crawl and in one of the shops I stopped in, Malas was prominently displayed. I was immediately attracted by the cover and title, but knew I was sold once I read the summary.
I love the supernatural feeling that weaves through the storyline in the past initially. There are mysterious things happening and not a lot of explanation, but it beautifully creates a creeping sense of dread.
The present day POV, which centers on a young woman named Lulu as her quinceañera approaches. She’s despondent over the loss of her grandmother and rage filled at her father’s irrational behaviors. She’s also figuring out her bodily autonomy and relationships. I found this POV a bit more tiresome than others as we are essentially trapped in the head of a teenager. What I will say is that I found it fairly realistic.
In terms of character development, both of our main characters grow quite a bit. There are definitely some messy family dynamics at play and seeing what changes that thrusts upon each of them was very interesting. In particular, Lulu experiences a sort of coming of age, being forced to deal with some things that most teenagers don’t have to reckon with.
That said, about halfway through the book, the conclusion becomes fairly obvious, so it sucks a bit of tension out of the narrative. I did still enjoy reading till the end. It just didn’t feel as urgent as it moved toward the conclusion.
All in all, I thought this was a solid debut novel with an interesting plot and believable characters. I will definitely read Fuentes’ future books and in particular, think this book would suit someone who enjoys complex family dynamics, coming of age, and the lightest touch of mystery.
I love the supernatural feeling that weaves through the storyline in the past initially. There are mysterious things happening and not a lot of explanation, but it beautifully creates a creeping sense of dread.
The present day POV, which centers on a young woman named Lulu as her quinceañera approaches. She’s despondent over the loss of her grandmother and rage filled at her father’s irrational behaviors. She’s also figuring out her bodily autonomy and relationships. I found this POV a bit more tiresome than others as we are essentially trapped in the head of a teenager. What I will say is that I found it fairly realistic.
In terms of character development, both of our main characters grow quite a bit. There are definitely some messy family dynamics at play and seeing what changes that thrusts upon each of them was very interesting. In particular, Lulu experiences a sort of coming of age, being forced to deal with some things that most teenagers don’t have to reckon with.
That said, about halfway through the book, the conclusion becomes fairly obvious, so it sucks a bit of tension out of the narrative. I did still enjoy reading till the end. It just didn’t feel as urgent as it moved toward the conclusion.
All in all, I thought this was a solid debut novel with an interesting plot and believable characters. I will definitely read Fuentes’ future books and in particular, think this book would suit someone who enjoys complex family dynamics, coming of age, and the lightest touch of mystery.
July 31, 2024
It is such a beautiful coincidence that I read this right after I finished Magical/Realism by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal! I have no personal knowledge of, or connection, to Tejano culture and music, border towns, Selena Quintanilla - these are all things I might have heard of, but I just don't get it. Because of my personal positionality I can only learn about second hand about what these references mean to the people to whom it matters, and so I am incredibly fortunate that I just read a gorgeous, moving book that gave me a lot of context for the references and images that build the world in the fictional story of Malas.
The humanity in Villarreal's nonfiction essay collection, and that Fuentes has carefully crafted in Malas, are both objectively relatable at a visceral, emotional level: feeling apart from, seeking identity and connection, grief, rebellion, fear, and love are all universal experiences that feel true on the pages of these two books. But both writers also captured specificity in such an engaging and magical way.
I really loved Malas. I love a story about comadres (before I learned that specific word for it in this book!). I love stories about fucked up girls trying their damndest. I love the shunned and scandalising rejects, which is to say: I love a witch.
The humanity in Villarreal's nonfiction essay collection, and that Fuentes has carefully crafted in Malas, are both objectively relatable at a visceral, emotional level: feeling apart from, seeking identity and connection, grief, rebellion, fear, and love are all universal experiences that feel true on the pages of these two books. But both writers also captured specificity in such an engaging and magical way.
I really loved Malas. I love a story about comadres (before I learned that specific word for it in this book!). I love stories about fucked up girls trying their damndest. I love the shunned and scandalising rejects, which is to say: I love a witch.
May 2, 2024
Ohhh so much to say about this one! The novel starts in 1950.with Pilar, a young mother living far from home who is pregnant, unsure, and thrown into a series of unfortunate events.
Fast forward to 1994, what a time! We had pagers, MTV actually played music, and we still had loads of cassette tapes even though CDs were on the cusp of taking over. This was a trip down memory lane as Lulu, a punk rock, Selena lovin' latina who is about to turn 15 experiences the pressures of life. She has the pressures of the quinceanera she doesn't want while dealing with the secret band she is hiding from her dad, the boy she is keeping at arms length, momless, missing her dog, and a boat load of family issues she will for sure need therapy to get over.
Pilar and Lulu are connected and there is a mysterious aura about Pilar that Lulu just can't figure out. As Pilar and Lulu get closer, Lulu's curiosity about Pilar grows. This story is as much about Pilar and Lulu as it is about these interesting cast of characters that make up this small border town.
I didn't want to put this one down.
Fast forward to 1994, what a time! We had pagers, MTV actually played music, and we still had loads of cassette tapes even though CDs were on the cusp of taking over. This was a trip down memory lane as Lulu, a punk rock, Selena lovin' latina who is about to turn 15 experiences the pressures of life. She has the pressures of the quinceanera she doesn't want while dealing with the secret band she is hiding from her dad, the boy she is keeping at arms length, momless, missing her dog, and a boat load of family issues she will for sure need therapy to get over.
Pilar and Lulu are connected and there is a mysterious aura about Pilar that Lulu just can't figure out. As Pilar and Lulu get closer, Lulu's curiosity about Pilar grows. This story is as much about Pilar and Lulu as it is about these interesting cast of characters that make up this small border town.
I didn't want to put this one down.
June 25, 2024
A solid debut featuring two memorable Latina women separated by time but linked by a family curse. I enjoyed both timelines in this story about family, motherhood, secrets, finding your voice and learning to embrace who you are.
Great on audio narrated by Christine Avila and perfect for fans of authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Xochitl Gonzalez. I look forward to reading more by this talented new author. I am excited that the Good Morning American book club choose this one for their June pick too!!
Great on audio narrated by Christine Avila and perfect for fans of authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Xochitl Gonzalez. I look forward to reading more by this talented new author. I am excited that the Good Morning American book club choose this one for their June pick too!!
January 14, 2025
4.75 rounded to 5 stars
You know, sometimes you just have to crash out! I found myself nodding along with every unhinged thing my two queens did. That unbound and deep seeded rage is something I feel a lot of people can relate to.
I want to yap about everything in this book so BAD but I will not deny anyone the absolute journey this book will take you on! Please just read it, especially if you were ever a teenaged girl who felt all the responsibility of keeping everything together with none of the power to change anything!
You know, sometimes you just have to crash out! I found myself nodding along with every unhinged thing my two queens did. That unbound and deep seeded rage is something I feel a lot of people can relate to.
I want to yap about everything in this book so BAD but I will not deny anyone the absolute journey this book will take you on! Please just read it, especially if you were ever a teenaged girl who felt all the responsibility of keeping everything together with none of the power to change anything!
August 27, 2024
(Review in Spanish at bottom/Reseña en español abajo)
Big fan of this book!! It was absolutely enthralling and I loved every minute of my reading experience.
The book opened up with somewhat of a mystery in terms of a possible curse placed on one of the protagonists and we get to learn more about this family in the 1950s before jumping 40 years into the future to the next generation's experience in the 1990s.
There's a bit of a secret when it comes to how these people are all connected since it starts to center on a side character's family, but it's not super difficult to guess and I'm glad that didn't take away from the reading experience as a whole. While the discovery bit of the secret wasn't super shocking, there were still other parts in the book that were so that was pleasant.
I'm a big fan of books that look at multiple generations of a family to examine how life is a cycle, especially when secrets are kept, I believe that just perpetuates unfortunate occurrences to keep on happening, and so seeing all the similarities in everything that was happening again and again to these characters was very fulfilling.
I also appreciated the insight into Tejano and Chicano culture. It's easy to find books on Mexican culture, but to find one that does Mexican-American culture so tastefully, as if a love-letter, is always so nice. I learned lots about rodeos and ranch music in the process and loved every bit of it.
I had two qualms with this book, the animal abuse which is pertinent to the plot, despite what other angrier people have commented in their reviews, and that the POV went from third to first depending on the era the narrative would visit. There's third person when we're in the past which was great, but in the present we get first person when it comes to the character of Lulu. I give this switch the benefit of the doubt because Lulu is a teenager so the first person gives the reader more of an insight into her thought process and feelings, but I do just appreciate third person POVs instead- just a preference really, so not a flaw to the book as a whole.
Overall, the book had me hooked. I read the first three chapters one night then read the remaining 14 chapters in one sitting the following day and enjoyed it very much. Great book, can't recommend it enough to anyone looking for a new Latin author or book on Latin/Latin American culture in general.
¡Viva México!
---
¡Soy una gran fanática de este libro! Fue fascinante y disfruté cada minuto de mi experiencia de lectura.
El libro comienza con algo de misterio con una posible maldición sobre uno de los protagonistas y aprendemos más sobre esta familia en la década de 1950 antes de saltar 40 años al futuro para ver la experiencia de la próxima generación en la década de 1990.
Hay un secreto en lo que respecta a cómo están conectadas todas estas personas, ya que comienza centrándose en la familia de un personaje secundario, pero no es muy difícil de adivinar y me alegro de que eso no haya afectado la experiencia de lectura. Si bien la parte del descubrimiento del secreto no fue muy impactante, hubo otras partes en el libro que sí lo fueron, lo que fue agradable.
Me fascinan los libros que analizan varias generaciones de una familia para ver cómo la vida es un ciclo, especialmente cuando se guardan secretos. Creo que eso solo perpetúa los sucesos desafortunados para que sigan sucediendo, y por eso ver todas las similitudes en todo lo que les estaba sucediendo una y otra vez a estos personajes fue muy satisfactorio.
También aprecié la perspectiva sobre la cultura tejana y chicana. Es fácil encontrar libros sobre la cultura mexicana, pero encontrar uno que trate la cultura mexicano-estadounidense con tanto respeto, como si fuera una carta de amor, siempre es muy agradable. Aprendí mucho sobre rodeos y música ranchera en el proceso y me encantó todo.
Tuve dos dudas con este libro, el maltrato animal que es pertinente para la trama, a pesar de lo que otras personas más enojadas han comentado en sus reseñas, y que el punto de vista pasaba de tercera a primera dependiendo de la era que visitaría la narrativa. Hay tercera persona cuando estamos en el pasado, lo cual fue genial, pero en el presente tenemos primera persona cuando se trata del personaje de Lulu. Le doy a este cambio el beneficio de la duda porque Lulu es una adolescente, así que la primera persona le da al lector una mejor idea de su proceso de pensamiento y sentimientos, pero en cambio aprecio los puntos de vista en tercera persona; en realidad es solo una preferencia, no un defecto del libro por lo general.
Para resumir, el libro me enganchó. Leí los primeros tres capítulos una noche y luego leí los 14 capítulos restantes de una al día siguiente y lo disfruté muchisimo. Un gran libro, no puedo recomendarlo lo suficiente a cualquiera que esté buscando un nuevo autor latino o un libro sobre la cultura latina/latinoamericana en general.
¡Viva México!
Big fan of this book!! It was absolutely enthralling and I loved every minute of my reading experience.
The book opened up with somewhat of a mystery in terms of a possible curse placed on one of the protagonists and we get to learn more about this family in the 1950s before jumping 40 years into the future to the next generation's experience in the 1990s.
There's a bit of a secret when it comes to how these people are all connected since it starts to center on a side character's family, but it's not super difficult to guess and I'm glad that didn't take away from the reading experience as a whole. While the discovery bit of the secret wasn't super shocking, there were still other parts in the book that were so that was pleasant.
I'm a big fan of books that look at multiple generations of a family to examine how life is a cycle, especially when secrets are kept, I believe that just perpetuates unfortunate occurrences to keep on happening, and so seeing all the similarities in everything that was happening again and again to these characters was very fulfilling.
I also appreciated the insight into Tejano and Chicano culture. It's easy to find books on Mexican culture, but to find one that does Mexican-American culture so tastefully, as if a love-letter, is always so nice. I learned lots about rodeos and ranch music in the process and loved every bit of it.
I had two qualms with this book, the animal abuse which is pertinent to the plot, despite what other angrier people have commented in their reviews, and that the POV went from third to first depending on the era the narrative would visit. There's third person when we're in the past which was great, but in the present we get first person when it comes to the character of Lulu. I give this switch the benefit of the doubt because Lulu is a teenager so the first person gives the reader more of an insight into her thought process and feelings, but I do just appreciate third person POVs instead- just a preference really, so not a flaw to the book as a whole.
Overall, the book had me hooked. I read the first three chapters one night then read the remaining 14 chapters in one sitting the following day and enjoyed it very much. Great book, can't recommend it enough to anyone looking for a new Latin author or book on Latin/Latin American culture in general.
¡Viva México!
---
¡Soy una gran fanática de este libro! Fue fascinante y disfruté cada minuto de mi experiencia de lectura.
El libro comienza con algo de misterio con una posible maldición sobre uno de los protagonistas y aprendemos más sobre esta familia en la década de 1950 antes de saltar 40 años al futuro para ver la experiencia de la próxima generación en la década de 1990.
Hay un secreto en lo que respecta a cómo están conectadas todas estas personas, ya que comienza centrándose en la familia de un personaje secundario, pero no es muy difícil de adivinar y me alegro de que eso no haya afectado la experiencia de lectura. Si bien la parte del descubrimiento del secreto no fue muy impactante, hubo otras partes en el libro que sí lo fueron, lo que fue agradable.
Me fascinan los libros que analizan varias generaciones de una familia para ver cómo la vida es un ciclo, especialmente cuando se guardan secretos. Creo que eso solo perpetúa los sucesos desafortunados para que sigan sucediendo, y por eso ver todas las similitudes en todo lo que les estaba sucediendo una y otra vez a estos personajes fue muy satisfactorio.
También aprecié la perspectiva sobre la cultura tejana y chicana. Es fácil encontrar libros sobre la cultura mexicana, pero encontrar uno que trate la cultura mexicano-estadounidense con tanto respeto, como si fuera una carta de amor, siempre es muy agradable. Aprendí mucho sobre rodeos y música ranchera en el proceso y me encantó todo.
Tuve dos dudas con este libro, el maltrato animal que es pertinente para la trama, a pesar de lo que otras personas más enojadas han comentado en sus reseñas, y que el punto de vista pasaba de tercera a primera dependiendo de la era que visitaría la narrativa. Hay tercera persona cuando estamos en el pasado, lo cual fue genial, pero en el presente tenemos primera persona cuando se trata del personaje de Lulu. Le doy a este cambio el beneficio de la duda porque Lulu es una adolescente, así que la primera persona le da al lector una mejor idea de su proceso de pensamiento y sentimientos, pero en cambio aprecio los puntos de vista en tercera persona; en realidad es solo una preferencia, no un defecto del libro por lo general.
Para resumir, el libro me enganchó. Leí los primeros tres capítulos una noche y luego leí los 14 capítulos restantes de una al día siguiente y lo disfruté muchisimo. Un gran libro, no puedo recomendarlo lo suficiente a cualquiera que esté buscando un nuevo autor latino o un libro sobre la cultura latina/latinoamericana en general.
¡Viva México!
March 12, 2025
A very entertaining read, told in two time periods.
The 1950s: a bizarre old woman lays a curse upon a young wife named Pilar Aguirre.
The 1990s: sassy teen, Lulu Munoz, battles her alcoholic father daily as she juggles school, dating, and friendships.
When Pilar and Lulu meet, this Texas tale becomes real. And poignant.
Malas is highly recommendable for teens and older readers. A worthwhile investment.
"Since she died we live without gravity. Things just float around waiting for us to stumble into them."
The 1950s: a bizarre old woman lays a curse upon a young wife named Pilar Aguirre.
The 1990s: sassy teen, Lulu Munoz, battles her alcoholic father daily as she juggles school, dating, and friendships.
When Pilar and Lulu meet, this Texas tale becomes real. And poignant.
Malas is highly recommendable for teens and older readers. A worthwhile investment.
"Since she died we live without gravity. Things just float around waiting for us to stumble into them."
October 9, 2025
Solid, heart-wrenching debut from last year about generational family trauma and secrets. I look forward to reading more from Fuentes in the future.
April 23, 2025
gonna preface this review with the disclaimer that i had to read this for a book club at work. i don't think i ever would've stumbled across this title otherwise.
i hated it *snorts*
hate is a strong word but it's also the only one that fully encapsulates my thoughts on this. not only does the plot have no closure (and sort of no point at all) but we're forced to read about two of the most selfish, vindictive women i've ever come across on-page.
gonna start with pilar since we meet her first.
chapter 1 of this was really promising and i appreciated how accurate pilar's heartbreak was portrayed. though chapter 1 is also when the book makes it v clear that this is half-assed historical fiction at best. the first sort of red flag is the hospital scene. in the 50s and 60s, it was 100% normal for mothers to be put under anesthesia during childbirth, and it doesn't make a lick of sense for fuentes to write this scene as some terrible/menacing episode.
pilar's was an interesting choice, and i was excited to see the cultural clashes that might come up bc of this. however, within a couple of pages, i felt like i was playing the epilogue section of rdr2. pilar and jose alfredo are identical to john and abigail, i.e. like abigail, pilar is a total b*tch! it was unbelievable how awful she treated jose alfredo, and from the way the book's written, we're supposed to root for pilar? and sympathize with her? i don't think so.
lulu's chapters make me question what the point of this story was. i'm ignoring the literal lulu attempts on the dog. she's 14 years old and her entire plot just didn't add anything except a series of 90s music references and perhaps the most confusing celebrity cameo in all of literature. lulu's anger towards her dad was justified slightly ?? more ?? but idk, fuentes was reaching on that one too.
the conclusion of the book is that everything up to this point has been for nothing bc everything from the feud to the family curse was
my main beef is how taxing it was to read this. the book was all tell, no show. it's written like young adult, but the kind where every waking detail is explained ad nauseum. the mexican-american/tejano culture wasn't immersive. and i despised how fuentes would make her characters randomly throw spanish vocab into their english sentences. it worked in the exposition, but in the dialogue, it just felt so cheap and cheesy.
haven't disliked a book this much in awhile, so thanks, i guess? xD
i hated it *snorts*
hate is a strong word but it's also the only one that fully encapsulates my thoughts on this. not only does the plot have no closure (and sort of no point at all) but we're forced to read about two of the most selfish, vindictive women i've ever come across on-page.
gonna start with pilar since we meet her first.
chapter 1 of this was really promising and i appreciated how accurate pilar's heartbreak was portrayed. though chapter 1 is also when the book makes it v clear that this is half-assed historical fiction at best. the first sort of red flag is the hospital scene. in the 50s and 60s, it was 100% normal for mothers to be put under anesthesia during childbirth, and it doesn't make a lick of sense for fuentes to write this scene as some terrible/menacing episode.
pilar's was an interesting choice, and i was excited to see the cultural clashes that might come up bc of this. however, within a couple of pages, i felt like i was playing the epilogue section of rdr2. pilar and jose alfredo are identical to john and abigail, i.e. like abigail, pilar is a total b*tch! it was unbelievable how awful she treated jose alfredo, and from the way the book's written, we're supposed to root for pilar? and sympathize with her? i don't think so.
lulu's chapters make me question what the point of this story was. i'm ignoring the literal lulu attempts on the dog. she's 14 years old and her entire plot just didn't add anything except a series of 90s music references and perhaps the most confusing celebrity cameo in all of literature. lulu's anger towards her dad was justified slightly ?? more ?? but idk, fuentes was reaching on that one too.
the conclusion of the book is that everything up to this point has been for nothing bc everything from the feud to the family curse was
my main beef is how taxing it was to read this. the book was all tell, no show. it's written like young adult, but the kind where every waking detail is explained ad nauseum. the mexican-american/tejano culture wasn't immersive. and i despised how fuentes would make her characters randomly throw spanish vocab into their english sentences. it worked in the exposition, but in the dialogue, it just felt so cheap and cheesy.
haven't disliked a book this much in awhile, so thanks, i guess? xD
November 24, 2024
I give it a 3.5. Started off well enough, pulling me in con la vieja loca with her “he’s my husband” claims and hints of brujería. And speaking to the tone of how things were during that time for Mexicans in Texas was powerful and sad. The horror at the hospital made me pretty angry. There was so much potential for this story, but it quickly spiraled into a YA book with an angry girl full of hurt and resentment, not that I blame her, how could she not given the circumstances. However, the opportunity for growth for both Pili and for Lulu was there and could have certainly been developed further. The story ended up leading to a rather fizzled out ending.
December 4, 2024
Me ha encantado. He disfrutado cada segundo de la narración, cada olor, cada expresión, cada ambiente que crea, cada personaje que se va construyendo conforme avanza la historia... Me ha parecido una maravilla la escalada y cómo llega al final de la novela y respiras y te maravillas por seguir de una pieza.
Está claro que tendré que escuchar a Selena y alguna que otra recomendación que me llevo 😅
Está claro que tendré que escuchar a Selena y alguna que otra recomendación que me llevo 😅
December 22, 2024
Malas started out very promising, but as another reviewer mentioned, it took a long time to get to nowhere. I skimmed the last 100 pages just to see what happened. Meh.
October 24, 2024
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It takes place in a small border town in Texas and follows two different women: one in the 1950s and one in the 1990s. I liked how well developed each MC was, but I finished the book still having questions about the somewhat supernatural points in the book.
March 27, 2025
This was a recommendation from a parent of one of my students, and I’m so glad I picked it up! It was so different from so much of what I read. I enjoyed learning a bit about the Tejano culture, and I enjoyed the twists in the plot!
August 10, 2024
Really loved this book. The story was so interesting! Even during the few slow moments of the book, the story still kept me invested in what was going on. I liked the connections between Pilar and Lulu. Highly recommended.
September 13, 2024
This was a very slow read. Took me two weeks to finish it and I wanted to DNF but I really wanted to support the writer and finish it. First 50 pages were interesting and I was into it. After that, the story focused so much on the teenagers, this is really YA. There were too many superfluous characters, too many timelines, too many people with their own issues and drama and it was really hard to keep track. I was very bored and I don’t think the Selena concert that’s mentioned hits the landing. We’ve all seen JLO is Selena, we get it. Could have done without that chapter. Hated the main character and didn’t enjoy her story and I usually like unlikable complex characters. I will not be recommend this one sadly.
March 12, 2024
I loved everything about this book. Lulu is a spunky, independent young girl who must come to terms with her future, and Pilar, a fierce woman, must come to terms with her past. My heart broke and was re-mended over and over throughout this book, and it was so beautiful. I loved the music culture that was explored in this book, from Selena to Eric Clapton! I had not dived too deep into novels of Mexican ancestry, but Malas will definitely be one I will be recommending to everyone to get once it gets released!
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