The Tequila Worm

The Tequila Worm is a young adult novel by Viola Canales that was published in 2007. Like many of the students in our class, Viola Canales is a Mexican-American native of McAllen, Texas born on April 21, 1957. She experienced a lot of the same things many of us have gone through, albeit during a different time, so the novel was able to be relatable. The novel was praised for its ability to portray the Mexican-American culture accurately and positively, which I completely agree with because I have experienced a lot of the events that happened in the book. The novel also won awards, such as being designated a Notable Book by the American Library Association and winning the Pura Belpre Medal for narrative, to name a few. The Tequila Worm follows Sofia as she tries to figure out the different intricacies of life while trying to stay close to her family and home. Although the novel doesn’t explicitly state it, you can get the sense that it is sort of an autobiography for Viola Canales’ life. The novel is set in McAllen, Texas, a small town about 15 minutes from Mexico, around the late 60s. The story follows her different struggles in her early life where she tries to stay close to her culture, but is also searching for a sense of identity within herself. Sofia is a part of a family with her parents and younger sister, Lucy. Another character that is prominent throughout the book is her cousin, Berta, who she considers to be her best friend. She soon realizes that she can have her own identity and tie it with her culture. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this novel is how relatable and familiar it all felt. I live in the Valley as well and Canales was able to craft the story and describe the different experiences so well and vividly that it felt like I was reminiscing on my own memories. I remember feeling like the novel was heartwarming throughout a lot of the different events that took place with Sofia’s family. I might be nitpicking, but one of the problems that I had with the book was how much she pushed the notion of comadres. It just seemed like it was forced throughout the whole novel.SPOILER ALERT I really enjoyed the novel and all that it had. There were many moments that instilled this sense of nostalgia within me, and I just felt like I was home. One of the moments in the novel that really stuck out to me was when her father passed away. I could feel the sense of worry Sofia had as she was standing next to the hospital bed, because I feel it every day too. I know that my parents will be around for a long time, but I dread the day when I lose either one of them. I would give this novel 4 to 4.5 stars. It is a really good novel that portrays the Mexican-American culture really well, and can give you an idea of the struggles these children have to face. That is why I feel like it is such an important novel. It shows the struggles of a young Mexican-American girl, and her adversity when she overcomes those obstacles to become a better person for herself and society.

Viola Canales is the Author of this incredible book, The Tequila Worm (2005). She is an American author originally from McAllen, Texas. Which happens to also be my hometown. She has published a total of three works which include The Tequila Worm (2005) as I mentioned earlier, Orange Candies Slices (2001), and her most recent work The Little Devil and the Rose: Lotería Poems / El diablito y la rosa: Poemas de la lotería (2014). Viola Canales attended St. Luke’s Episcopal School as well as Harvard Law School making Sophia’s story similar to that of her own life. Canales puts a part of her self into this book. Showing us a part of her heritage.The Tequila Worm is about a young Mexican American girl named, Sofia. She comes from a long line of storytellers and in this book you will read tales of her as she grows up in her Barrio (her neighborhood). She is starting off her life as a little child whose coming into the age of adulthood. Sofia is trying to find her way into becoming a comadre just like her mother and her grandmother’s did. Through out the story she has several challenges that she tries to overcome; some of them are getting bullied in school, getting a job, and moving away from home.In the text Viola Canales does a beautiful job of bringing in her Mexican culture and sharing it with the world. When reading this book it feels as though you’re emerged into her life. She brings you into the world of Hispanic culture, cuisine, language and tradition all rolled into one in this wonderful book.The reading The Tequila Worm connected me to an experience of my own, just Like Sophia who connects the bottle of tequila to when her father had her swallow the worm. I have a connection of my own, whenever I see pointy black heels. It takes me to a story that my mother once told me about my grandmother. When she went on a ride the zipper with my sister before I was born. Her heels poked out of the cage as you heard her scream to the stars. My mother was pregnant with me and laughed so hard that she peed herself. So every time those pointy black heels are seen those stories rush back into my head. I also connected with the language she used. In this text Canales uses her tex-mex language that pulled me in.After reading The Tequila Worm I give this book Two Thumbs- up! I really enjoyed the way the author wrote the book. The author Viola Canales makes you feel as though you were in her home. Going through all the same problems that Sophia is going through. This book is also great for teachers to include in their lesson plans. It will introduce students to a different culture. This will also show them how there is racism in this world, and how the poor overcome problems. By giving the students a different perspective on the way of life. I believe that they will learn a life lesson by reading this book.