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Mad Dog Rodríguez Trilogy #1
Flaming Iguanas: An Illustrated All-Girl Road Novel Thing
Tomato Rodriguez hops on her motorcycle and embarks on the ultimate sea-to-shining-sea all-girl adventure -- a story that combines all the best parts of Alice in Wonderland and Easy Rider as Tomato crosses the country in search of the meaning of life, love, and the perfect post office.
Flaming Iguanas is a hilarious novel that combines text, line drawings, rubber stamp art, and a serious dose of attitude. The result is a wild and wonderful ride unlike any you've ever taken before.
Flaming Iguanas is a hilarious novel that combines text, line drawings, rubber stamp art, and a serious dose of attitude. The result is a wild and wonderful ride unlike any you've ever taken before.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
November 18, 2022
I felt alive and alone in the best way. No one could intimidate me or give me shit because I had bug guts all over me and could keep a bike upright and pass a truck in the crosswinds with a war cry. I'd just been through traffic hell and now I was actually a biker who'd earned the right to spit on any road, even though I never did because I never practiced, because I knew I'd just drool down my chin inside the helmet.
Jolene "Tomato" Rodriguez needs some excitement, a purpose, or even just the chance to find herself. Perhaps a leisurely cross country motorcycle trip will provide whatever it is she's looking for . . .
But, before she hits the road, Tomato needs to do two things: acquire a motorcycle, then learn to ride it.
Will Tomato discover herself, or at least discover whether or not she's a lesbian?
And, what happens if her traveling companion discovers that Tomato is the one who accidentally killed her cat?
This book was a blast; it reads like a memoir, but apparently it's fiction. I enjoyed the narrator's stream-of-consciousness banter on every subject under the sun. Highly recommended for both free spirits, and armchair travelers.
Jolene "Tomato" Rodriguez needs some excitement, a purpose, or even just the chance to find herself. Perhaps a leisurely cross country motorcycle trip will provide whatever it is she's looking for . . .
But, before she hits the road, Tomato needs to do two things: acquire a motorcycle, then learn to ride it.
Will Tomato discover herself, or at least discover whether or not she's a lesbian?
And, what happens if her traveling companion discovers that Tomato is the one who accidentally killed her cat?
This book was a blast; it reads like a memoir, but apparently it's fiction. I enjoyed the narrator's stream-of-consciousness banter on every subject under the sun. Highly recommended for both free spirits, and armchair travelers.
June 2, 2008
this book made me fall in love with everything including stamps, motorcycles, inky pens that blot when you use them, illustrated novels and erika lopez. i was so enamored that i emailed her a fan letter when i first read this in 1998 or so and we corresponded for about 6 months and i fantasized about going to san fran and meeting her and becoming her friend for real. real in a way where maybe we could go out dancing with a bunch of people and we'd get real drunk and make out in the bathroom.
reading this book (and her others, which are pretty much just as good) makes me want to write long letters to friends afterwards. just remembering the prose and pictures makes me get a little carried away even in this review. look out.
reading this book (and her others, which are pretty much just as good) makes me want to write long letters to friends afterwards. just remembering the prose and pictures makes me get a little carried away even in this review. look out.
May 6, 2015
I absolutely loved everything about Flaming Iguanas. Although raunchy and hilarious, Flaming Iguanas reveals important life lessons, points out the idiocies in American culture, and oozes femininity. In Flaming Iguanas we join Tomato on her motorcycle journey from New Jersey to San Francisco. Along the way Tomato searches for the meaning of life, love, and the perfect post-office. This is the first novel in Erika Lopez's Mad Dog Rodriguez Trilogy.
This book "had me at hello": the cover and pages are beautifully illustrated by Erika herself and the wild font helps set the carefree tone of the novel. I included a few pictures of the illustrations that pepper the pages of Flaming Iguanas so you understand my random love affair with this book. This book is gorgeous; I love love love pretty and unique books.
Lopez imbues so much wisdom within this book:
"The more you're aware of anything, the worse off you are in the long run because you have to live with yourself." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
Her writing is wrought with beautiful prose enveloping todays culture:
"It was the kind of thing that brought a blurry Vaseline mist to my eyes and made the world seem so sweet." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
I especially enjoyed Lopez's ability to tear the fantasy out of situations:
"Nothing could be less sexy than being responsible for someone else's life on a motorcycle that cars don't see." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
I lapped up Lopez's raunchy comedy. She shows the world that feminism doesn't have to be "sugar and spice and all things nice."
"Let me tell you: D-cups are not designed to jump up and down on beds. They're also not designed to run after buses or to hurry up for anything. And you know a D-cup woman is having an absolutely fantastic time when she's on her back and doesn't lock her arms to her side to keep the cleavage alive." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
It was obvious that Lopez incorporated many truths about herself and her life within this book. I felt as if I was glimpsing into Lopez's soul. I loved that about Flaming Iguanas; it isn't often an author bares her persona as candidly as Lopez. Actually, it's rare to come across candour at all, neither in a novel, nor face-to-face. I found Lopez's genuineness refreshing.
Flaming Iguanas is a treasure I'm incredibly happy to have found. I loved and appreciated everything about this book. However, if you are easily offended, I recommend skipping past this one as Lopez bares all. Erika Lopez is witty, crass, and wise, and if you need to belly laugh Flaming Iguanas will oblige. I'm pumped to discover what Lopez has in store for me in books 2 & 3 of the Mad Dog Rodriguez Trilogy.
Checkout the review on my website to learn what drink pairs best with this book.
Come read with me on instagram
This book "had me at hello": the cover and pages are beautifully illustrated by Erika herself and the wild font helps set the carefree tone of the novel. I included a few pictures of the illustrations that pepper the pages of Flaming Iguanas so you understand my random love affair with this book. This book is gorgeous; I love love love pretty and unique books.
Lopez imbues so much wisdom within this book:
"The more you're aware of anything, the worse off you are in the long run because you have to live with yourself." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
Her writing is wrought with beautiful prose enveloping todays culture:
"It was the kind of thing that brought a blurry Vaseline mist to my eyes and made the world seem so sweet." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
I especially enjoyed Lopez's ability to tear the fantasy out of situations:
"Nothing could be less sexy than being responsible for someone else's life on a motorcycle that cars don't see." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
I lapped up Lopez's raunchy comedy. She shows the world that feminism doesn't have to be "sugar and spice and all things nice."
"Let me tell you: D-cups are not designed to jump up and down on beds. They're also not designed to run after buses or to hurry up for anything. And you know a D-cup woman is having an absolutely fantastic time when she's on her back and doesn't lock her arms to her side to keep the cleavage alive." - Erika Lopez, Flaming Iguanas
It was obvious that Lopez incorporated many truths about herself and her life within this book. I felt as if I was glimpsing into Lopez's soul. I loved that about Flaming Iguanas; it isn't often an author bares her persona as candidly as Lopez. Actually, it's rare to come across candour at all, neither in a novel, nor face-to-face. I found Lopez's genuineness refreshing.
Flaming Iguanas is a treasure I'm incredibly happy to have found. I loved and appreciated everything about this book. However, if you are easily offended, I recommend skipping past this one as Lopez bares all. Erika Lopez is witty, crass, and wise, and if you need to belly laugh Flaming Iguanas will oblige. I'm pumped to discover what Lopez has in store for me in books 2 & 3 of the Mad Dog Rodriguez Trilogy.
Checkout the review on my website to learn what drink pairs best with this book.
Come read with me on instagram
Read
May 21, 2015This book makes me want to run around in circles, flailing my arms excitedly. Classic motorcycle road trip meets the ’90s meets illustration meets a rad lady traveling America looking for something, or maybe not. It’s hilarious and irreverent and scandalous (though maybe not so much these days) free-flowing stream-of-consciousness with a cross-country journey as its raison d’etre. Read it. Please. -- Susie Rodarme
from 4 Great Road Books By Women: http://bookriot.com/2015/05/21/4-grea...
from 4 Great Road Books By Women: http://bookriot.com/2015/05/21/4-grea...
February 21, 2017
An out-there road-trip memoir, at times funny, touching, outrageous, cringe-worthy, baffling, sweet, empowering, & more. Her stream-of-consciousness style mixed with retro ink stamp artworks & funky (sometimes faded) fonts make it an art piece as well as a diary of sorts. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I would consider it a unique entry into the 'female adventurer' category.
February 22, 2018
I don't even know where to start! This is probably my favorite book ever. It's sexy, sassy, bitchy and fucking ridiculous. Every page is filled with the kind of writing that looks really easy to do but in fact it's difficult to pull off. It's hard to be funny and true and poignant in fiction without it looking obvious and embarrassing. Lopez knows how to do it. It's her use of language that is so intoxicating. I think my favorite phrase is "Trapped and fearful vaginas." I use it all the time even when I'm not talking about wearing pantyhose sans panties. This is one of the books I tend to buy for people I really like. It's a book you might not want to read in public if you don't want people staring at you because you're laughing so hard.
December 31, 2018
I got this book when I was 17, I think, at Powell's in Oregon on a trip with my dad. I had (and have) a weakness for journal-type books, which this is, but it's also pretty raunchy at parts and blatantly sexual and feminist at others, and if I remember correctly teenage me was somewhat scandalized by that. (Teenage me was in retrospect very cute and I wish to hug her and tell her lots of things.) Adult me liked this, though. It's weird and different and funny and honest and smart, filled with line drawings and rubber-stamp art and not like anything else I own or have read.
Some favorite excerpts:
"My mom and my sister just naturally knew how to always be appropriate, while I never had a clue. They were always well pressed and knew not to lunge for the turkey leg at someone else's house. It's tough being born without an 'appropriate' barometer. To this day I still feel like I have spinach in my teeth, the back of my skirt tucked in my underwear and toilet paper stuck to my shoe."
"One of the advantages of being alone is that you're more open to the magic that's really still out there."
"The louder you laugh and the farther apart you plant your feet, the more respect you'll get. Take up space because it's not a school dance."
Some favorite excerpts:
"My mom and my sister just naturally knew how to always be appropriate, while I never had a clue. They were always well pressed and knew not to lunge for the turkey leg at someone else's house. It's tough being born without an 'appropriate' barometer. To this day I still feel like I have spinach in my teeth, the back of my skirt tucked in my underwear and toilet paper stuck to my shoe."
"One of the advantages of being alone is that you're more open to the magic that's really still out there."
"The louder you laugh and the farther apart you plant your feet, the more respect you'll get. Take up space because it's not a school dance."
November 30, 2013
Writing as her alter ego, Jolene "Tomato" Rodriguez, the always-entertaining Erika Lopez spins a tale that you will either adore or despise. It is difficult to feel ambivalent or indifferent towards her quirky, bizarre, wonderfully muddled story and her over-the-top first-person narrator's wild, scrambled outlook. Adjectives such as "spunky" spring inevitably to mind.
If you love motorcycles and/or good old-fashioned road trip stories, you will probably get a kick out of this book just for those factors, which form a dominant theme here. And if you dig artistic, literary and (shall we say) "offbeat" bisexual women indulging in irresponsible, unaccountable fun you will probably enjoy it just for those (equally strong) elements.
I followed Tomato's journey with a mix of pity and delight; she is a Latina Bridget Jones on wheels, equal parts enthusiasm and mayhem.
A word of caution: you might be distracted or even put off by the strange fonts and even stranger clip art Lopez uses, which I found amusing and curious but ultimately unnecessary. Frankly, Lopez has strong, confident prose and I would have loved this book just as much if it had been published in a conventional format -- I don't think the weird lettering and frequent graphic inclusions added anything to the plot. Many readers, I'm sure, will find it intrusive. As for me, I quit noticing it after a while, like the subtitles in a foreign film. It remains an interesting choice, however, and I suppose Lopez is trying to show us how Tomato's mind works.
Flaming Iguanas is full of rough and dirty adventure, including enough conflict and sex to keep the casual reader interested even if the bigger issues slip by. I felt like this book could have been 25% longer. It seemed to run out of steam and stop rather abruptly. Then again, the fact that she left me wanting more seems to suggest that she wrote a fine and memorable novella. Lopez is at her best when she describes the sights, sounds, and smells of her life on the road with a tone that is reminiscent of Charles Kuralt while still bubbling with colorful analogies and images in the style of Tom Robbins. Her brutally honest evaluation of motel-room sex with a virtual stranger is uncomfortably hilarious.
Give it a try with an open mind. Think of it as an anthropological expedition into the land of Crazy-Weird. And pack light.
If you love motorcycles and/or good old-fashioned road trip stories, you will probably get a kick out of this book just for those factors, which form a dominant theme here. And if you dig artistic, literary and (shall we say) "offbeat" bisexual women indulging in irresponsible, unaccountable fun you will probably enjoy it just for those (equally strong) elements.
I followed Tomato's journey with a mix of pity and delight; she is a Latina Bridget Jones on wheels, equal parts enthusiasm and mayhem.
A word of caution: you might be distracted or even put off by the strange fonts and even stranger clip art Lopez uses, which I found amusing and curious but ultimately unnecessary. Frankly, Lopez has strong, confident prose and I would have loved this book just as much if it had been published in a conventional format -- I don't think the weird lettering and frequent graphic inclusions added anything to the plot. Many readers, I'm sure, will find it intrusive. As for me, I quit noticing it after a while, like the subtitles in a foreign film. It remains an interesting choice, however, and I suppose Lopez is trying to show us how Tomato's mind works.
Flaming Iguanas is full of rough and dirty adventure, including enough conflict and sex to keep the casual reader interested even if the bigger issues slip by. I felt like this book could have been 25% longer. It seemed to run out of steam and stop rather abruptly. Then again, the fact that she left me wanting more seems to suggest that she wrote a fine and memorable novella. Lopez is at her best when she describes the sights, sounds, and smells of her life on the road with a tone that is reminiscent of Charles Kuralt while still bubbling with colorful analogies and images in the style of Tom Robbins. Her brutally honest evaluation of motel-room sex with a virtual stranger is uncomfortably hilarious.
Give it a try with an open mind. Think of it as an anthropological expedition into the land of Crazy-Weird. And pack light.
February 20, 2012
"No one has any pull, and I realize no one's opinion of anything really matters more than your until they figure out how to stay alive forever. A snotty, condescending attitude- like the kind in expensive hair salons or clothing stores- might simply be an attempt by people who probably don't even have health insurance to fake you out so you think they know all the songs in The Key of Life by heart."
This book is a super fast read and also super fun with all the artwork Lopez includes. The story follows the one and only Tomato Rodriguez as she sets out to cross the United States in a one girl motorcycle gang. The only thing I would have liked to have is a little more exposition of her exploits across the country. She seemed to get to San Francisco in a flash and I felt like I was missing out on more of her experiences. Tomato is bisexual and has her fair share of sexual exploits during the book. She is also quite raunchy and straight-forward with her opinions. She seems like one hell of a chick and I would love to meet a character like her in real life.
This book is a super fast read and also super fun with all the artwork Lopez includes. The story follows the one and only Tomato Rodriguez as she sets out to cross the United States in a one girl motorcycle gang. The only thing I would have liked to have is a little more exposition of her exploits across the country. She seemed to get to San Francisco in a flash and I felt like I was missing out on more of her experiences. Tomato is bisexual and has her fair share of sexual exploits during the book. She is also quite raunchy and straight-forward with her opinions. She seems like one hell of a chick and I would love to meet a character like her in real life.
February 23, 2024
Put simply, one of those books that makes you want to go and do something about stuff.
I don’t speak a lot of the language of life Lopez breathes into this story, but I respect and admire all of it. The nomadic journey she undertakes in Flaming Iguanas makes you want to stop caring so much about finding the right duvet cover and instead focus on putting a foot in each ocean and feeding into whatever whatever your definition of adventurous is.
Also very humorous and emotionally deep in a charismatic, pure force of character way that few authors can really emit.
5/5 I stayed up all night to finish it in one sitting.
I don’t speak a lot of the language of life Lopez breathes into this story, but I respect and admire all of it. The nomadic journey she undertakes in Flaming Iguanas makes you want to stop caring so much about finding the right duvet cover and instead focus on putting a foot in each ocean and feeding into whatever whatever your definition of adventurous is.
Also very humorous and emotionally deep in a charismatic, pure force of character way that few authors can really emit.
5/5 I stayed up all night to finish it in one sitting.
August 15, 2020
Not my cup of tea.
September 9, 2023
So FUN!
April 1, 2020
So fun and queer and silly, until those rare moments where it isn't! Not really sure if it needed the illustrations and that but they were really fun too, little exclamation marks to the paragraphs. I especially liked when she drew the women with their boobies out!
February 23, 2016
Flaming Iguanas by Erika Lopez is an interesting novel, in the best sense of the word. It is about Tomato Rodriquez who decides to go on a cross-country motorcycle trip to see his ailing father. The novel then chronicles her crazy and unexpected adventures on the way. The text is interspersed with cartoonish or stamped images, thus creating a unique multimedia experience. I am not sure I will continue on with the series, but I did thoroughly enjoy reading the novel. It was highly quotable, and a great cultural commentary (touching upon gender and racial issues) in a lovely and subtle way. The turns of phrase were brilliant and most of the time I had no idea how the story would even end. Kind of like a Melissa McCarthy sketch on SNL. In the best possible way.
Not sure I always understood the odd punctuation; and there was that last little bit missing between an amazing book and a really good one, but I do recommend you give this a read.
“But we’ll whisper “no thanks”, because we don’t need it / we’ll live off the fumes from our estrogen.”
Not sure I always understood the odd punctuation; and there was that last little bit missing between an amazing book and a really good one, but I do recommend you give this a read.
“But we’ll whisper “no thanks”, because we don’t need it / we’ll live off the fumes from our estrogen.”
December 6, 2017
Well that was entertaining. It was like I was reading someone’s diary. Stream of consciousness, but I can’t say that there was really a “point” to all of it. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely not what I was expecting. A friend has been recommending this book to me for years and finally just let me borrow it. I can see what she likes about it. It’s very girl-power and carefree. A woman discovering things about herself at a very specific time of her life and doing it while riding a motorcycle is pretty cool. I didn’t connect to it as much as I would’ve liked to. I prefer a more linear story. At times, it felt like I was listening to a woman younger than I kind of babble on about what ever was on her mind at the moment. Not totally my thing, but it was good for a quick read.
June 17, 2007
"I felt alive and alone in the best way. No one could intimidate me or give me shit because I had bug guts all over me and could keep a bike upright and pass a truck in crosswinds with a war cry. I'd just been through traffic hell and now i was actually a biker who'd earned the right to spit on any road, even though I never did becuase I never practiced, becuase I knew it'd just droll down my chin inside the helmet."
December 15, 2014
A truly great read. Jolene (Tomato) is very inspiring; It is uplifting to read about a young woman who can be sexual, and yet not too sure about her sexuality and her sexual choices - but whatever, it not a big deal.
June 29, 2013
Quite metaphorical haha. Glad Megan found it and let me borrow the book; it was quite entertaining.
January 15, 2016
Well, that was weird. I thought I would be recommending this book to everyone but it got way too smutty in the end. I still like it though.
March 11, 2020
Ab einer gewissen Seitenzahl leider unerträglich für mich.
Worldbuilding: 🌍 🌍
Charaktere: ⭐️ ⭐️
Sprache: 🧠🧠
Plot: 📖 📖
Herz: ❤️❤️
Worldbuilding: 🌍 🌍
Charaktere: ⭐️ ⭐️
Sprache: 🧠🧠
Plot: 📖 📖
Herz: ❤️❤️
November 22, 2022
Heck, this novel/cartoon/punk manifesto is so much fun! Especially if you’re somewhat familiar with conventions of US-American road narratives—if you’ve watched “Easy Rider”, spent some time in class discussing Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”—you’ll be endlessly delighted by all the conventions “Flaming Iguanas” is aware of, plays with, and gleefully feeds to the flames from a burning dumpster.
This is the story of a one-girl-roadtrip; the protagonist Tomato (her biker alias, duh) technically sets out as a team of two, but it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that, obviously, once you’ve spent a couple of days waiting up for each other and a couple of nights sleeping in the same tent, there might be a lot of friction rather quickly—and not the sexy kind. Consequently, as all Americans on motorbikes ought to, she roams the forests and mountains and desert plains (accumulating sunburns, road rash, dead bugs all over her leather jacket), has encounters with strangers (some of them kindly offer her jobs, others she has horrible sex with), heads towards a mythic West-coast destination (which ends up being just another city, not quite as grandiose as it was made out to be), learns a thing or two about herself, and frequently wonders what the hell one would go through all these ordeals for.
The writing, throughout, is utterly magnificent: This novel’s is a firecracker language; it is packed with zingers, social commentary that any stand-up comedian would sell his soul for, and genuinely touching emotional moments. Even more of a highlight than the language and the madcap story, however, are the illustrations: Tomato used to go to art school to become a cartoonist, and she has adorned her narrative with all sorts of sketches, from random margin-doodles to genuinely stunning pen-and-ink portraits. Sometimes, they relate directly to the story, sometimes, they have fuck-all to do with it, and its that gleeful miscellaneous that makes every page of “Flaming Iguanas” a blast. Here’s a lesbian road trip novel you can read in one afternoon; here’s an evisceration of every American fantasy and yet a steaming-hot love letter to it. Unless you’re the kind that’s offended by a couple of very graphic descriptions of human anatomy: 100% recommended!
This is the story of a one-girl-roadtrip; the protagonist Tomato (her biker alias, duh) technically sets out as a team of two, but it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that, obviously, once you’ve spent a couple of days waiting up for each other and a couple of nights sleeping in the same tent, there might be a lot of friction rather quickly—and not the sexy kind. Consequently, as all Americans on motorbikes ought to, she roams the forests and mountains and desert plains (accumulating sunburns, road rash, dead bugs all over her leather jacket), has encounters with strangers (some of them kindly offer her jobs, others she has horrible sex with), heads towards a mythic West-coast destination (which ends up being just another city, not quite as grandiose as it was made out to be), learns a thing or two about herself, and frequently wonders what the hell one would go through all these ordeals for.
The writing, throughout, is utterly magnificent: This novel’s is a firecracker language; it is packed with zingers, social commentary that any stand-up comedian would sell his soul for, and genuinely touching emotional moments. Even more of a highlight than the language and the madcap story, however, are the illustrations: Tomato used to go to art school to become a cartoonist, and she has adorned her narrative with all sorts of sketches, from random margin-doodles to genuinely stunning pen-and-ink portraits. Sometimes, they relate directly to the story, sometimes, they have fuck-all to do with it, and its that gleeful miscellaneous that makes every page of “Flaming Iguanas” a blast. Here’s a lesbian road trip novel you can read in one afternoon; here’s an evisceration of every American fantasy and yet a steaming-hot love letter to it. Unless you’re the kind that’s offended by a couple of very graphic descriptions of human anatomy: 100% recommended!
February 4, 2024
I know, not my usual type of book. But it attracted my attention on the shelf at work a while back (it kind of stands out because it doesn't stand out -- the cover is a warm brown color, and the pages are the same color, but it's an unusual size and shape). After a good friend was talking about it, my memory was jarred and I figured while I was waiting for another couple of books to become available, I'd fit in this short one.
It's odd, to say the least. I realize I'm not necessarily the intended audience, but I found it entertaining enough. The story of Jolene (who prefers to be called Tomato) going on a cross-country trek on her new motorcycle (but without a motorcycle license or the slightest idea how to ride) with her new friend Magdalena (with whom her relationship is based on a lie) is both epic and episodic. When it's on track, it's a fast-moving little story; much of the time, though, the plot line meanders as much as Tomato's route across the United States. I mean, Jack Kerouac wrote "On the Road" in one madcap, marathon session on a single roll of paper, fueled by amphetamines and a lust for life, but sometimes Erika Lopez's narrative makes Kerouac sound like a commercial for Adderall.
Which is not to say that you should skip this book. Even when it's as loopy as a roller coaster, the story is enlightening and, at least to this married straight male, a little frightening. Getting even a slight glimpse inside the mind of Tomato and her creator is equal parts edifying and disturbing. Minor spoiler alert: She makes it all the way, but I don't think the woman who arrives on the west coast is the same one who left the east coast. The adventure in between the starting and stopping points renders that spoiler alert almost meaningless.
It's odd, to say the least. I realize I'm not necessarily the intended audience, but I found it entertaining enough. The story of Jolene (who prefers to be called Tomato) going on a cross-country trek on her new motorcycle (but without a motorcycle license or the slightest idea how to ride) with her new friend Magdalena (with whom her relationship is based on a lie) is both epic and episodic. When it's on track, it's a fast-moving little story; much of the time, though, the plot line meanders as much as Tomato's route across the United States. I mean, Jack Kerouac wrote "On the Road" in one madcap, marathon session on a single roll of paper, fueled by amphetamines and a lust for life, but sometimes Erika Lopez's narrative makes Kerouac sound like a commercial for Adderall.
Which is not to say that you should skip this book. Even when it's as loopy as a roller coaster, the story is enlightening and, at least to this married straight male, a little frightening. Getting even a slight glimpse inside the mind of Tomato and her creator is equal parts edifying and disturbing. Minor spoiler alert: She makes it all the way, but I don't think the woman who arrives on the west coast is the same one who left the east coast. The adventure in between the starting and stopping points renders that spoiler alert almost meaningless.
December 19, 2017
Flaming Iguanas is a difficult novel to review, but certainly not because I didn`t like it. It's just that it's difficult for me to capture, in a review, Erika Lopez's marvelous talent. She writes in what seems a natural, easy, throwaway style. Yet, what might come easily to her would be unachievable for many of us. Though the book is a quick read, I found myself slowing down to appreciate the clever phrasing and the humor. Here are some examples:
"A lot of people are proud of their tans as if they actually went to school or studied for one..."
"NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA (it's not weather, it's chemotherapy...)"
"To be a budding girl artist with a clue is to be cynical and bitter before you hit thirty."
I laughed many times while reading this story about Tomato Rodriguez's cross-country solo trip on a motorcycle she's just learning to ride. It's hilarious. Throughout, Tomato muses about racial identity (she is half Puerto Rican, dark-skinned, and spent her early childhood in West Virginia), finding her place in life, sibling rivalry, and so much more, including her gradual acceptance of her bisexuality. My attention drifted a couple of times when she went off on a tangent,but for the most part, I was captivated. Oh...and the artwork! Lopez adorns almost every page with art to accompany the text. This book is not for everyone, but I recommend it to anyone who wants to look at life through the eyes of a young woman with a unique and intelligent perspective. I would rate this R for sexual language, situations, and artwork.
"A lot of people are proud of their tans as if they actually went to school or studied for one..."
"NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA (it's not weather, it's chemotherapy...)"
"To be a budding girl artist with a clue is to be cynical and bitter before you hit thirty."
I laughed many times while reading this story about Tomato Rodriguez's cross-country solo trip on a motorcycle she's just learning to ride. It's hilarious. Throughout, Tomato muses about racial identity (she is half Puerto Rican, dark-skinned, and spent her early childhood in West Virginia), finding her place in life, sibling rivalry, and so much more, including her gradual acceptance of her bisexuality. My attention drifted a couple of times when she went off on a tangent,but for the most part, I was captivated. Oh...and the artwork! Lopez adorns almost every page with art to accompany the text. This book is not for everyone, but I recommend it to anyone who wants to look at life through the eyes of a young woman with a unique and intelligent perspective. I would rate this R for sexual language, situations, and artwork.
December 3, 2023
OK - let's go back to 1997 when I was about thirty years old. And say I was reading this book. As I was not gay or bi, I would not have identified with the main character, Tomato, but I would have been open to reading whatever literature was put before my eyes. Being sarcastic and irreverent myself at that age, I probably would have really enjoyed the humor. Flash forward to 2023 here, I was thinking what am I reading? A twelve year old's motorcycle fantasy? But then no, that thought gradually went away. I could tell that the copy of this book that I found at a freebee box box had been much thumbed. I have to say I did enjoy this book even though hey, I am autistic (middle age diagnosis) and really don't like anything along the lines of camping, inclement weather, the noise of motorcycles, touching people and body parts. But I like books.
May 9, 2017
Definitely the weirdest book I've ever had to read for a class, and one that any high school teacher would be fired for assigning (it's not exactly G-rated). I'm also not totally sure why it was assigned for my class.
That being said, definitely a very entertaining book to read, and I enjoyed it all the way through. Lopez is hilarious, down-to-earth, and totally irreverent. It's not the type of book I would normally choose to read on my own, but it was definitely a lot of fun, and seems like the type of book that even people who normally dislike reading would enjoy. Great choice if you want a quick read with a lot of raunchy humor.
That being said, definitely a very entertaining book to read, and I enjoyed it all the way through. Lopez is hilarious, down-to-earth, and totally irreverent. It's not the type of book I would normally choose to read on my own, but it was definitely a lot of fun, and seems like the type of book that even people who normally dislike reading would enjoy. Great choice if you want a quick read with a lot of raunchy humor.
November 4, 2019
This was awesome. The texture of the pages, the typeface, the old time clip art with modern ideas packaged together with a woman who is determined to take charge. Tomato Rodriguez wants to ride across America in a biker gang on motorcycles. Nevermind she doesn't know how to ride a motorcycle and isn't in a gang. While learning to ride a scooter she kills a neighbor's cat. Next thing you know she and Magdelena are going cross country. The trip and narrative are a hoot! Quirky was just what I needed.
August 10, 2017
This might be the funniest book I've ever read. It's also meaningful and well-written, but I'll always remember the humor first. not that it was all slapstick. Erika Lopez found that perfect balance of humor and tragedy that make books funnier, and sadder, and better. Erika Lopez is a treasure. I LOVED this book.
The plot is about road trip on a motorcycle undertaken by a young woman and her friend. Read it!
The plot is about road trip on a motorcycle undertaken by a young woman and her friend. Read it!
December 23, 2022
This book will grab you by the neck and won't let go until you've finished. I have never laughed so hard only to slapped in the face by raw examinations of freedom, gender, and sexuality. I wish I could read it all over again. It was pure joy.
Pro tip: read it alongside a friend. The laughter is better shared.
Pro tip: read it alongside a friend. The laughter is better shared.
October 26, 2019
It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then, like learning to ride a motorcycle, I picked up speed and cruised on through. Some laugh out loud moments and even a profound thought or too. A fun read.
September 17, 2020
Fun and freeing This zine like approach made me miss the late 90s/early 2000s and zine culture. I love the real, straightforward voice of the narrator. She is nothing special or fantastical, we could be her, we could have her adventures.
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