Welcome to Lava Landing, population 27,454, a town just this side of Mexico, where Miss Magma reigns and rockabilly and mariachi music are king. Enter our protagonists, Natalie and Consuelo, self-described “like-minded individuals.” They spend their days at The Big Cheese Plant and their nights at The Big Five-Four, the hottest spot in town. But they have long-term projects, foremost among them to cure Consuelo of her unreasonable fear of public transportation and long car rides so they can finally take Natalie’s 1963 Cadillac convertible on the road trip it deserves . . . Martinez strikes a fresh, feisty pop-culture pose here, resembling a cross between Gabriel García Márquez, John Irving, Tom Robbins, and Monty Python. Critics admire her exuberance, but comment that it often veers into slap-dash slapstick. Splashy references to Cal-Mex music, dance, and cuisine, combined with vivid illustrations, richen the skimpy characterization and somewhat plodding plot (akin to Thelma and Louise without the push-up bra). Some readers found the Spanglish clear in context, but others demanded a dictionary. Nevertheless, critics expect big things from this debut author, an alumna of UC Santa Cruz’s Creative Writing program. As they point out: the best of her work is yet to come. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. The make-believe California border town of Lava Landing, equally steeped in Mexican culture and American dreams, is at the mercy of a slumbering volcano, a sly metaphor for the precariousness of life. Here best friends Natalie and Consuelo, luscious and adventurous women in their twenties, work at the Big Cheese Factory and entertain themselves by dressing to the nines, cruising around in Natalie's 1963 convertible Cadillac El Dorado, dancing, and having their hair done by transvestite True-Dee. They are also simpatico with Lulabell, a "practiced and capable witch" who is every bit as alluring as they are even though she's twice their age and the mother of their lifelong friend, Javier, a born-again mariachi who puts his faith to the test by falling in love with a drug dealer. Everyone is on the brink of earth-shaking change as otherworldly forces, including Consuelo's dead father, conspire in this 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. Donna Seaman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “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 García Márquez, one part John Irving and one part Tom Robbins, cram into a blender, set it all on puree . . . Martínez 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 Lotería 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] 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 García 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. Martínez both celebrates and pokes fun at Mexican traditions (including the Bingo-like game Lotería, the source of the novel’s lively illustrations) as she asks what it means to be a man and