Thursday, January 21st, 2010
La Perdida La Perdida by Jessica Abel is also a graphic novel. It is much better than "Life Sucks." It is a novel I probably would have liked much better as a teenager. The novel traces a young girl who is trying to learn/embrace/simulate her Mexican roots by visiting and then moving to Mexico City. There are some great drawings of fantastic looking sights in Mexico City that make me want to visit the city.

The protagonist Carla makes several questionable and downright dangerous decisions. She seems to be unable to resist a friendship with a older communist selfish blowhard Guillermo (William in Spanish (Memo "Bill" for short). Memo does everything he can to make her feel bad about being a member of the privileged class. Their entire interaction reminded me of people I met in college who were impossibly politically motivated in everything they did and every unfair judgment they made.

She also gets into a relationship with a petty drug dealer who rents an apartment with her but never pays his share of the rent. Her relationship with Memo and her boyfriend culminates in a deadly criminal chapter where she has to flee Mexico.

The book is pleasantly sprinkled with Spanish dialog that was easy for me to follow but might irritate folks who don't have a passage understanding of the language. Everything is translated (either within the text or in the appendix) and many cultural and social issues are explained as well. For it's information and introduction to Mexico City I loved the book.

I did not like Carla nor did I like her decisions and actions in the story. Her adventure is a cautionary tale best illustrated by the disdain the reader has for her. The book was good but did not have the added "icing on the cake" of being inspiring- a feature I am always looking for in novels. For readers looking to explore the Mexican culture, practice reading comprehension of the language it is an excellent read. Don't pick it up expecting to admire or respect the protagonist.