A review by hobbithopeful
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Lakelore is an emotional magical story of accepting yourself, and being brave enough to trust others with your truths. POVs alternate between main characters Bastián and Lore, two nonbinary trans Mexican teenagers that struggle with being themselves and navigating the world around them. Lore struggles with Dyslexia, while Bastián works through their ADHD by creating and painting alebrije sculptures.  Bastián  has discovered that when they release the colorful alebrije into a nearby lake, they transform into the fantastical creature and swim away. Lore is the only other person that is able to see the magic of the lake, and peer into the other world like Bastián is able to. As the lake and its magic begins to encroach on the daily lives of Lore and Bastián, they must learn to confront their pasts, and their futures.
I loved the way gender and its fluidity was discussed in this book, how some days they felt more boy and more girl, and how they interpreted it in terms of "70% boy today".  
I have always enjoyed all of Anna-Marie McLemore books, and even though this one followed heavier topics and had a more serious tone, I still had a great time reading it, and it left me with a lot to think about. 
The Cover
I adore this cover! The colors on the bottom look so dreamy and trippy and creates an out of body feeling for the illustration. The symbolism of them both being in the water with barnacles growing on them, with maybe an allusion to the fact they are both partially emotionally drowning was extremely well done. It is also a pleasant surprise to see brown characters *actually* be brown and not be white washed. 
Cover by 
Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor

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