A review by erika_winters
The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I was recommended this book via Instagram by a bookseller I follow, and oh boy was she right that I would love it! It’s a fast-paced pirate book with Latinx characters; something I’ve never read before, but have only seen movies and shows revolving around, especially Our Flag Means Death (OFMD), which is why this recommendation came my way. The history of pirates in the Caribbean mixed with fantasy of magical abilities that Mar (main character) has was both educational, tragic, and enlightening. The only reason why this book didn’t get 5 stars was because it took me some time to get through, but that isn’t a fault of the book since I was listening to this on Libro.fm and it’s hard for me to follow fictional books on audio. The reason why I chose this on audio though is because Vico Ortiz narrates it, and that was one of the most enjoyable experiences since I love their portrayal of Jim on OFMD so very much. The different voices they chose to use throughout the book made it easy to follow which character was speaking, and also created layers in the narrative. Overall, I do think most people would find this book interesting if you love queer pirates finding their way in life and coming to terms with who they are (specifically Mar in the context of their magical abilities). 
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