The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

This novel of family bonds (in this case, Cuban-American) and community ties (in Miami), proved poignant and inspirational to me. 13-year-old Arturo narrates the conflicts that arise one summer, as his immigrant grandma's restaurant is threatened with encroachment by an entrepreneur-outsider. The tale is not just funny; to my surprise, two moments moved me nearly to tears. It's easy to read and fit for its target tween audience.Within the narrative, many folks surrounding Arturo naturally expressed themselves in Spanish. This brought up not only how Arturo lacked proficiency in that language, but also how the English text fluidly took opportunities to translate, so readers unfamiliar with Spanish need not feel intimidated. Any words or dialogue left un-translated were, I think, appropriately left so. The narrative gave heavy nods to Cuban writer Jose Marti.Despite what the title may imply, the tale came across unexaggerated -- except perhaps for the main antagonist's somewhat over-the-top lack of subtlety. To me, the story's "fail" seemed more accumulative, rather than isolated to the one disaster which most prodded Arturo's angst. I was grateful that what looked to be a clichéd plot twist was given a sobering dose of realism. The end of the book offers a pair of recipes for those inclined to try.

The Epic fail of Arturo Zamora is a very thought provoking and culturally stimulating book that is great for young readers. Even as an adult I enjoyed the story and made personal connections with the topics in many diverse ways. This book introduces us to the story of the fulfillment of a dream by an immigrant family from Cuba, through the eyes of their grandchildren. The plot takes us through past, present, and future, and deals with contemporary issues that we can all relate to. Arturo is the main protagonist in the book, and through him we travel through time and space into the mind of his grandfather. The underlying theme dealt with in this book is “love and faith”, that links us to the words of Jose Marti, a very famous and beloved poet from Cuba. The plot is set in a modern American city in Florida, and through the eyes of the children in the book we learn of their struggles with culture and assimilation into American society. It also leads us through the teenage mind and how it deals with those critical years of the sparks of young love. It carries into the modern issue of gentrification and provides us with a very good example of how to combat its effects. Family and family relationships are present in the story as well as friendships and societal relationships. Business and business practices are considered, and the narrative provides a very healthy way to examine the need for independent entrepreneurial thinking that many immigrant families have. The theme of young love is addressed as well as the respect for elders, living and passed. We are introduced to the simple poems of Jose Marti whose words guide the “love and faith” theme that undergird the story. I would recommend this book to anyone and I will surely be using it with my students in my Spanish classes. This book can help to introduce my students to bilingualism and code-switching, and also to the cultural aspects of the diverse histories of the Cuban people in particular but to the Latin American people in general. This is a must read.

I really liked The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya. This is the kind of book that makes you laugh and "awww" and cry. I loved the relationships between Arturo and his family and friends. They were so realistic. As someone who comes from a large Colombian family, I really connected with this part of the novel. Abuela was everything for Arturo and his family, and it was a beautifully touching tribute to family. I loved the references to Marti, too, and how these poems help him find his way and do what's right, despite the epic fail. My son is reading it now and thoroughly enjoying it!

A tight-knit, Cuban-American family threatens to buckle under the epic weight of a maniacal business owner, a crush on a quasi-family member, Abuelita’s failing health, and famous poet Jose’ Marti’ crash into each other in this ode to resilience, to not being afraid to stumble and rise again, to change.Starting out slowly, this debut author’s story quickly picks up. This is not an epic fail, folks, when the cover sports a Pura Belpre’ Honor Award.

Really enjoyed this book. All the awkwardness around starting to “like” someone for the first time is detailed perfectly. Love that it is about a Latino family without falling into the usual clichés- even secondary characters are allowed to be multi-faceted. Spanish is woven throughout but done so in a way that even non-Spanish speakers will understand what is going on. Arturo’s relationship to speaking/understanding Spanish is pitch perfect. Very relatable to 2nd generation kids.

Being a teacher in DC, this was SO fitting for my 5th graders. I used it as an end of year read aloud and they loved it

Loved it! The voice is authentically Middle Grade. Full of heart, layered, and deep, and at the same time, fully engrossing and fun for the intended audience.

Fabulous read. Great for middle schoolers about a connected family and gentrification in their neighborhood. Coming if age for Auturo Zamora. Read it to find out if he has an Epic Fail or not. You won’t be disappointed.