Reviews
"Un relato comico de dos culturas...[con] una variedad de milagros y experiencias picarescas que habrian de causarle envidia al mismo Cervantes." -"The Chicago Sun Times" "Un triunfo de caprichos imaginados: Monty Python y "Cien anos de soledad" se dan la mano." -"San Francisco Chronicle" "Mas surrealista que una telenovela, mas chistosa que una pelicula de vaqueros al estilo mexicano." -"Sandra Cisneros" "Parte Garcia Marquez, parte John Irving y parte Tom Robbins...posiblemente la experiencia de lectura mas entretenida, jocosa y placentera que mucha gente tendra este ano." -"St. Petersburg Times", "As mesmerizing as acrobats in Cirque du Soleil and as rich as a double-fudge chocolate cake . . . Riotously funny . . . Magical. In Lava Landing . . . also resides a spiritual reality so much a part of Mexican tradition . . . Quite a trip." -Marta Barber, "Miami Herald ""Caramba! may be the most entertaining, hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable reading experience many folks will have this year . . . Take one part Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one part John Irving and one part Tom Robbins, cram into a blender, set it all on puree . . . Martinez writes like a veteran novelist . . . [with] a joy of her craft found only in the best sort of writers." -Dorman T. Shindler, "St. Petersburg Times; Denver Post; " St. Louis Dispatch "Other than being a beautiful book to look at . . . "Caramba! is a beautiful book to interact with, getting us to connect with the symbols that often feed our cultural and artistic experiences . . . Don't miss out on this book!" -Patricia Trujillo, "San Antonio Express News "[A] lighthearted homegirl epic . . . Crammed with bright Loteria cards, maps, and letters, the volume bursts with color and high spirits." -"Entertainment Weekly "A wild ride of a novel that will remind many readers--with its rash of characters caught in high drama-of the oh-so-popular telenovela dramas on Spanish-language television . . . Pure adrenaline and lots of fun." -Chris Watson, "Santa Cruz Sentinel "A triumph of whimsy and imagination-Monty Python meets "One Hundred Years of Solitude . . . Wow! This is something absolutely and authentically new! This author is going to be a star." -Barbara Quick, "San Francisco Chronicle "Riotous . . . [Tells of] afictional California town, where the women's lives are as unpredictable as the nearby volcano." -"Latina "Extremely colorful and dynamic characters . . . [Don Pancho's] story reminds me of Garcia Marquez's short stories and the continuous development of the magical realism movement . . . A composite of funny and very creative stories . . . entertaining." -Lucybeth Nieves, "Candela "A smart, antic, sexy and funny frolic. Martinez both celebrates and pokes fun at Mexican traditions (including the Bingo-like game Loteria, the source of the novel's lively illustrations) as she asks what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman and considers how we cope with loneliness, make the transition from romance to love, and age with grace." -"Booklist (starred) "[An] effervescent, luminous debut. Although the novel has a slew of protagonists, readers first meet Natalie and Consuelo (Nat and Sway), two firecrackers with an 'ever growing fascination with the wideness of the world' . . . Martinez, in a bubbly mix of English and Spanglish, draws on magical realism, kitschy humor and tongue-in-cheek cliches . . . but there's truth behind the zany humor....serious truth telling about love and happiness in life and death." -"Publishers Weekly "[These] Mexican-Americans in a southern California town enjoy the hell out of pretty much everything in a slangy, self-assured debut. Best girlfriends Natalie Stevens and Consuelo 'Sway' Gonzales Contreras, a couple of cuties in their 20s are at the heart of things in this confection, but they share the stage with a fairly large cast of ghosts, whores, evangelical mariachi musicians, day laborers, transvestites, and avolcano as an eventful summer elapses . . . Everybody dances when there's a little bit of time, and there's always something interesting to eat . . . A great deal of fun. Chica-lit to be savored." -"Kirkus Reviews "Essential . . . a manic first novel . . . imbued with magical realism, about the wacky goings-on in small Lava Landing, CA . . . a great read." -"Library Journal (starred) ""Caramba! is about six characters in search of a volcano. It's 'Thelma and Louise' on the border. And Nina Marie Martinez really knows her stuff: zanier than a telenovela, funnier th, "Un relato cómico de dos culturas...[con] una variedad de milagros y experiencias picarescas que habrían de causarle envidia al mismo Cervantes". The Chicago Sun Times "Un triunfo de caprichos imaginados: Monty Python y Cien años de soledad se dan la mano". San Francisco Chronicle "Más surrealista que una telenovela, más chistosa que una película de vaqueros al estilo mexicano". Sandra Cisneros "Parte García Márquez, parte John Irving y parte Tom Robbins...posiblemente la experiencia de lectura más entretenida, jocosa y placentera que mucha gente tendrá este año". St. Petersburg Times, "Un relato cómico de dos culturas...[con] una variedad de milagros y experiencias picarescas que habrían de causarle envidia al mismo Cervantes". The Chicago Sun Times "Un triunfo de caprichos imaginados: Monty Python yCien años de soledadse dan la mano". San Francisco Chronicle "Más surrealista que una telenovela, más chistosa que una película de vaqueros al estilo mexicano". Sandra Cisneros "Parte García Márquez, parte John Irving y parte Tom Robbins...posiblemente la experiencia de lectura más entretenida, jocosa y placentera que mucha gente tendrá este año". St. Petersburg Times, "As mesmerizing as acrobats in Cirque du Soleil and as rich as a double-fudge chocolate cake . . . Riotously funny . . . Magical. In Lava Landing . . . also resides a spiritual reality so much a part of Mexican tradition . . . Quite a trip." Marta Barber, Miami Herald "¡Caramba! may be the most entertaining, hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable reading experience many folks will have this year . . . Take one part Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez, one part John Irving and one part Tom Robbins, cram into a blender, set it all on puree . . . MartÃnez writes like a veteran novelist . . . [with] a joy of her craft found only in the best sort of writers." Dorman T. Shindler, St. Petersburg × Denver Post; St. Louis Dispatch "Other than being a beautiful book to look at . . . ¡Caramba! is a beautiful book to interact with, getting us to connect with the symbols that often feed our cultural and artistic experiences . . . Don't miss out on this book!" Patricia Trujillo, San Antonio Express News "[A] lighthearted homegirl epic . . . Crammed with bright LoterÃa cards, maps, and letters, the volume bursts with color and high spirits." Entertainment Weekly "A wild ride of a novel that will remind many readers-with its rash of characters caught in high dramaof the oh-so-popular telenovela dramas on Spanish-language television . . . Pure adrenaline and lots of fun." Chris Watson, Santa Cruz Sentinel "A triumph of whimsy and imaginationMonty Python meets One Hundred Years of Solitude . . . Wow! This is something absolutely and authentically new! This author is going to be a star." Barbara Quick, San Francisco Chronicle "Riotous . . . [Tells of] a fictional California town, where the women's lives are as unpredictable as the nearby volcano." Latina "Extremely colorful and dynamic characters . . . [Don Pancho's] story reminds me of GarcÃa Márquez's short stories and the continuous development of the magical realism movement . . . A composite of funny and very creative stories . . . entertaining." Lucybeth Nieves, Candela "A smart, antic, sexy and funny frolic. MartÃnez both celebrates and pokes fun at Mexican traditions (including the Bingo-like game LoterÃa, the source of the novel's lively illustrations) as she asks what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman and considers how we cope with loneliness, make the transition from romance to love, and age with grace." Booklist (starred) "[An] effervescent, luminous debut. Although the novel has a slew of protagonists, readers first meet Natalie and Consuelo (Nat and Sway), two firecrackers with an 'ever growing fascination with the wideness of the world' . . . MartÃnez, in a bubbly mix of English and Spanglish, draws on magical realism, kitschy humor and tongue-in-cheek clichés . . . but there's truth behind the zany humor….serious truth telling about love and happiness in life and death." Publishers Weekly "[These] Mexican-Americans in a southern California town enjoy the hell out of pretty much everything in a slangy, self-assured debut. Best girlfriends Natalie Stevens and Consuelo 'Sway' Gonzales Contreras, a couple of cuties in their 20s are at the heart of things in this confection, but they share the stage w