Title: Super Super Charro

Author: Carlos Lozano

Genre: YA Action/Adventure

 

In Carlos Lozano’s Super Super Charro, a young LA cop named Pepe travels with the police force to Mexico City to train to become charros, Mexican police who ride horses and use ropes to stop criminals. While there, Pepe meets a mysterious, famous elder cop named Don Miguel, who is Super Charro, a superhuman charro who uses Lupe (an enchanted rope) and Sombre (a magical sombrero) to fight bad guys. Don Miguel seemingly passes these powers on to Pepe, who becomes Super Super Charro, because of his talented vocal abilities and the connection that creates to a realm where magic and music coexist to create this superhero.

As the genre of Super Super Charro is YA, it is written for a young audience. It is filled with humor, action, and sometimes over-the-top scenes that will radiate with youth. It’s almost like watching an action movie at times. The writing is charming and genuine. Even middle-grade readers could read this fun story because it’s clean and filled with cartoon-like danger.

Pepe is only nineteen, a prodigy when it comes to being the youngest cop on the force, but he’s also the chief’s son. The dynamic between father-son and chief-deputy creates tension, especially for Pepe, who wants to prove himself to not only his father but also to his chief. After an unfortunate incident involving a gun, Pepe is relegated to deskwork, and he is highly reluctant to hold a gun again, even though he wants to fight crime. Training as a charro seems like the perfect opportunity.

That Pepe becomes Super Super Charro causes internal tension for him. He isn’t taken seriously by much of the police force, especially by two rude cops, Loco and Lager. Pepe seems like the brunt of everyone’s jokes and a weakling because of his aversion to guns. Contrast this with his amazing abilities to defeat criminals when he transforms into Super Super Charro, which is almost too easy for him. He questions his identity and place on the force, and this ultimately becomes the important core of how and why he became Super Super Charro in the first place. The lesson he learns and the author teaches the young reader through the page is central: be true to yourself and don’t sell out by pretending to be someone else.

El Charro Negro serves at the antagonist, and he is a hilarious bad guy, much like a Batman villain. His dark side provides a solid contrast to Pepe’s journey.

Pepe has a love interest on the force named Connie. Although there are scenes in which they interact, more dialogue between the two would have solidified their relationship more. Although romance isn’t the main point of the story, Connie felt underutilized. Pepe’s interest in her felt one-sided.

Super Super Charro is a delightful romp for young readers. Parents seeking a safe, clean, and engaging story for their children need look no further than Carlos Lonazo’s YA action and adventure. Super Super Charro sets a solid foundation for what could become a whole series of adventure novels for middle-grade and young-adult readers.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.