Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa is about Pilar Ramirez, a spunky 12-year-old Dominicana from Chicago. She is an aspiring documentary filmmaker working on a project about the disappearances under a Dominican dictator. Specifically, to uncover the mysterious disappearance of her mother’s cousin, Natasha. When she hears of a professor who studies these disappearances, Pilar wastes no time. Upon entering the office and rummaging through files, she falls into a blank page and enters the magical island of Zafa. Pilar teams up with ciguapas and galipotes in their fight against the Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, to free those who are trapped in prison – including Natasha.
Found Family is a very common fantasy trope and Randall perfectly executes it. With Pilar and the citizens of Zafa all teaming up for this life-changing event that is causing them such grief, it ultimately brings them together like a family. Pilar and one of the ciguapas begin to form a sisterly bond while she views the galipotes as matriarchs. Even an elusive and legendary Bruja grows a bond with Pilar, especially with their sarcastic quips. The people of Zafa all welcome the 12-year-old to visit them and view her as one of their own merely hours and days of knowing her. Their shared experience bonded them together and, ultimately, gave them the power to defeat El Cuco. Well, that and if you take in Pilar’s badass fighting and secret witch powers into account.
Loss and grief are prominent themes throughout the novel. Something I took from the novel was that even if you’re human or a magical or mythical creature, these emotions can take quite a toll on you. However, everyone’s hope that they will emerge victorious in this war is just as strong. Pilar has experienced loss in many forms and every adult and child in Zafa has had to pay a heavy price in the form of losing someone they love or their own livelihood. They have more in common than they think and this similarity is what bands them together to become stronger and come out victorious in this vicious war.
“Randall intended for the novel to be written . . . with the intention to feel represented by a voice and to further uncover what it means to be Dominican. ”
While reading about Pilar swinging through vines and learning how to harness her witch powers, it was heartwarming to hear how Randall intended for the novel to be written. It was with the intention to feel represented by a voice and to further uncover what it means to be Dominican. Also, Pilar’s story doesn’t end here as Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon will be released in February 2023.
Julian Randall is a Living Queer Black poet from Chicago. Since receiving his MFA in poetry from Ole Miss, Julian’s essays have been featured in The Atlantic, Vibe Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, and many more. His writings have led him to receive multiple recognitions and fellowships from Cave Canem, CantoMundo, Callaloo, BOAAT, and the Watering Hole. Refuse: Poems was his 2018 debut poetry book back; and as of March 2022, he released a debut children’s novel. Randall has shown time and time again that his recent works are only scratching the surface of his dynamic novels that are to come.
Melissa Gonzalez (she/her) is a UCLA graduate with a major in American Literature & Culture and a minor in Chicana/o & Central American Studies. She loves boba, horror movies, and reading. You can spot her in the fiction, horror/mystery/thriller, and young adult sections of bookstores. Though she is short, she feels as tall as her TBR pile. You can find Melissa on her book Instagram: @floralchapters
