"Crocodilopolis is a darkly intoxicating novel, at once mythic and wickedly contemporary. Through the feud of two brothers born into a corrupt political dynasty, Arias exposes how power mutates love into rivalry and destiny into violence. With lush yet exacting prose replete with humor and lyrical potency, here is a writer in full command of his world, delivering a ferocious meditation on masculinity, legacy, and national myth through an audacious, unforgettable book." --Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS and ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GOREOUS

"The tales John Manuel Arias spins are as gripping as they are stunningly written. A natural born storyteller of the highest order." --Justin Torres, National Book Award-winning author of BLACKOUTS

"In this beautiful novel Arias creates a journey both mythic and necessary in the here and now. There is destiny, there is beauty, there is loss. In Arias' work there is life in all its epic and intimate." --Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, National Book Award finalist and author of CHAIN GANG ALL-STARS

"The wonderful John Manuel Arias is bequeathing us-and Latine literature as a whole-his wildly imaginative second novel, Crocodilopolis. It's a high-octane cocktail of obsession, fraternal revenge, Costa Rican politics, and yes, crocodiles. Lots of crocodiles. What could go wrong? Read this romp of a tale to find out!" --Cristina Garcia, author of VANISHING MAPS

"A lush, ambitious take on Cain and Abel intertwined with the rich history of Costa Rica." --Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of THE BEWITCHED

"A Costa Rican dynasty's lust for power drives this lush and suspenseful saga ... Arias remains in control to the very end of this un-put-downable novel." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Arias offers a blood-soaked family drama that invites reflection on both Costa Rican and contemporary U.S. politics. "Costa Rica is its own myth," he suggests, in a brief poetic aside. "Costa Rica is Costa Rica," suggests another." --Booklist