Luchador

Starred review from October 24, 2016
Finnegan’s glorious coming-of-age story is as much a sweet and touchingly rendered love letter to lucha libre as a romance. Gabriel Romero’s love of the Mexican wrestling circuit began when he was a child in Tucson, Ariz., and it becomes a personal passion when he attends a match in Mexico City and sees an exótico wrestler for the first time, the famous and flamboyant La Rosa. Gabriel, sensing a queer kindred spirit, persuades La Rosa to train him to become a luchador. Gabriel’s struggles to balance wrestling training with college classes and familial obligations provide a poignant tension as he studies the deep roots of lucha libre storytelling, particularly the social movements tied to it. But as Gabriel pursues his career passions, his romantic passions center on El Cadejo, a closeted wrestler who shares Gabriel’s dreams of becoming a superstar. Torn between lucha libre’s traditions and the practicalities of modern spectacle, as well as his desire to be open about his sexuality without trapping himself in the role of a cross-dressing exótico, Gabriel deftly carves a path for himself straight to readers’ hearts. The central relationship is the love between Gabriel and his vocation, and readers will cheer them all the way to their happy ending.

September 15, 2016
An unconventional romance wrestles, at times literally, with issues of identity and belonging.Gabriel is a good student and grateful nephew to the aunt and uncle raising him in Mexico City since his parents died. He's out and accepted as gay but has another secret to contend with: the dream of becoming a luchador. In the world of lucha libre, to be gay means wrestling as an exotico, a flamboyant character even by the theatrical standards of the sport. He's willing to put in the work but wants a character who doesn't play to stereotype. Author Finnegan (Sotto Voce, 2014) juggles several themes here but they resolve into a story, familiar to the gay community, of choosing your own tribe or family. Gabriel's problematic first love and subsequent relationship mirror his transformation as a wrestler taking control of his career and happiness; his first mentor is an exotico whose story is a valuable lesson in appearances versus reality. Descriptions of the grimy gyms and the touring company of luchadors and burlesque performers working in Los Angeles as a kind of nightclub act bring the action to life. The planning and execution of wrestling matches is surprisingly exciting; despite the action being scripted, the injuries and potential for accidents are still very real. Spanish terminology is almost all easy to understand in context, but there's a helpful glossary at the end to help readers distinguish between rudos and tecnicos. The sweat and blood in the ring don't detract from the sweetness on display here; the setting may be outside the mainstream, but it's an old-fashioned love story at heart.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.