The Gringo Champion

Starred review from January 1, 2017
From the very first page of this fantastic, even spectacular debut, Xilonen flings the reader into the maelstrom of her protagonist's relentless stream of consciousness. Although Liborio's story, a crazy mash-up of a latter-day Oliver Twist and the movie Nacho Libre, is outstanding, the real star here is the language. What a ride! Hats off to translator Rosenberg, who brought this challenging narrative to an English-reading public. Liborio has been beaten down by a life of relentless abuse, violence, and suffering. His salvation comes in the form of books, love, and boxing. Xilonen's novel races along parallel story lines: Liborio's fate after he is left bereft in the U.S. when the bookstore where he works is destroyed, and the prequel tale of his life in and flight from Mexico. From a tragic and angry teen, Liborio blossoms, or erupts, into a focused, sympathetic hero. Intrepid readers will find this novel to be a gnarly and satisfying read as it pushes the boundaries of fiction, code-switching to the max, and Liborio is irresistible, with his tenacious spirit, uncensored thought process, unrequited love story, endurance, and triumph against all odds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)