¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market by Raúl Gonzalez III (or Raúl the Third) is one of those odd books that you love or hate. And, I am sorry to say, I am part of the later here.
The art made me feel unsettled and more than a little bit woozy. I was never able to get settled into the story itself. Literally. I was unable to sit and comfortably read. Therefore, I do not recommend it for anyone with sensory issues.
This was partly because of the pages. They are crowded with an odd art style that is too busy to pick out details. When we are in a business of the market, things are less crowded, but still there is a lot of stimulation. On top of that, the characters look flat and due to a small selection of colors, everything seems to blend together. There are several point issues, such as I never really understood why the main character was delivering items (which in the long run is a small issue, as he just is but it was another off-putting piece) and I never understood why there was a Rooster in the story. Was it the narrator? Yet, every so often you would see it having “moments” in the background just doing things and again, without explanations.
The only part the saved it, was the fact it has a Spanish word on some items. The bilingual aspect is unique and thankfully there is a helpful glossary at the end. Gonzalez is probably a lovely person and has several fans (perhaps you are one). But, I cannot add him to my favorites list.
