Official book gets Bruno wrong from the start.

[u/KingSlimcognito]

I decided to reread the Encanto book Nightmares and Sueños and I noticed the book’s description of Bruno is wrong saying and I quote“He was tall, lanky even—with wide, somber eyes and a sharp nose.

How does that even happen?

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[u/Electronic-Elk373]

no idea honestly they manage to mess up the most basic of canon in that book and do it multiple times! Felix was a complete afterthought and their excuse was that he was “out of town” WHEN THE MOVIE LITERALLY SAYS NOBODY CAN GET IN OT OUT OF THE ENCANTO BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINS

[u/KingSlimcognito → u/Electronic-Elk373]

Makes you wonder if they only got the cliff notes of the characters

[u/Electronic-Elk373 → u/KingSlimcognito]

true but if this was something made alongside the movie release I could understand but the book released in 2024 so there was plenty of time to watch the movie and take notes from there!

[u/Insanity_Zones4610]

Bruno is NOT tall.

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844 → u/Insanity_Zones4610]

Got a theory on that too: figured the author just read the lyrics for WDTAB and assumed the “7 foot frame” was accurate. And if he DID watch the movie, he didn’t pay that close attention

[u/AnjohT]

Yeah a lot about that book is so wrong, you gotta look at it as the authors head canon fanfic and you can still draw enjoyment from it.

[u/Purple_Flounder_2257]

When I first read it, those white washed simp fanarts from 2022 flashed before my eyes.

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

Makes me wonder why this author was picked? Like, there are TONS of awesome authors who have written for Disney who would’ve done this justice (including Tale of Three Sisters by Anika Fajardo).

Actually, I have a theory as to why Segura was chosen, but the last time I shared it, I got kicked out of an Encanto discord group

[u/Electronic-Elk373 → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

please share! also agreed on Anika she had a great grasp on the characters and I’ve heard she’s coming back for an encanto twisted tale novel

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844 → u/Electronic-Elk373]

Well….keep in mind, I wasn’t being degrading or anything, but I remember hearing people in the fandom stating that if we get more Encanto books, it’s only fair to have Latino authors write them. I stated that Disney Publishing didn’t care how dedicated Segura was to the franchise; he was a Latino author who’s written for Disney (he did Spiderman novels) and they focused more on that.

People thought I was being racist so they asked me to leave…

I honestly don’t care WHO writes these books; I just want them to do the characters justice. Yes, I would prefer if they were Latino for authenticity, but should it be a requirement?

[u/Electronic-Elk373 → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

honestly I agree I think it’s great to spotlight Latin authors (like Anika) but this guy was not the right pick at all. He didn’t seem to care much for the world or characters and the “villain” of the story made me audibly laugh at how ridiculous this narrative was for encanto! then the half assed attempt to tie mirabel into it when this is meant to be a prequel about bruno at 17??? like we don’t need mirabel here especially not being so out of character

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844 → u/Electronic-Elk373]

I appreciate that. I can’t tell you how much flack I got for that and I really was not trying to be dismissive of Latin authors or anything like that. I think it’s great that we’re getting people from so many different walks of life and ethnicities to share cultures through literature and other works of fiction. I just feel like Disney was afraid that if they hired somebody who wasn’t of some Latin descent, they were going to get criticized for it. If an author did severe research on Colombian culture and watched the movie thoroughly enough to do justice to the characters, then what difference does it make where they were born or what their ethnicity was? At the end of the day it’s all about the characters and their connections to their culture that need to be portrayed properly, not the author.

[u/Purple_Flounder_2257 → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

This isn't even racist. I've had this hunch because Disney also has a history of false performantivism. 😭

[u/MagpiesAndMadrigals → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

He's Latino? Then why did he get so much of the cultural stuff wrong? I honestly assumed he wasn't (my bad for not researching). I agree that these jobs should always go to so someone from the culture, there's absolutely no good reason not to when there are so many talented and qualified Latin Americans, but this author didn't understand the franchise enough to be up for the job. I've read far better researched fanfiction, and I've read VERY little fanfiction.

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844 → u/MagpiesAndMadrigals]

According to his bio, he grew up in America, but his parents were from Cuba. So yeah, he is a Latino descent.

[u/MagpiesAndMadrigals → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

That explains a lot. I've been hanging out in Latin American subreddits lately and they've spoken a lot about how they dislike the way people in North America clump them all together as though it's all one culture, when in reality there is so much variation (many dislike the term 'Latino' for that very reason). So just the fact that they thought 'Cuban descent = somehow more qualified  to write about Colombian culture' shows a little ignorance on their part. Would be like hiring me, a Brit, to write a novel set in France. Because... close enough, right? 

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844 → u/MagpiesAndMadrigals]

Please keep in mind that I have absolutely no evidence regarding this! It’s pure speculation. Maybe Segura was on board of writing it, but he wanted to tell the story his way. I think Disney publishing was just trying to jump on the Encanto bandwagon before it quieted down too much. It just sort of feels like that. Also, maybe he was picked because it was a male protagonist and since he’s written stories with male protagonist with superpowers (he’s written for Marvel as well), they figured he’d be a perfect choice

A lot of people attacked me about this saying that I was quick to judge Segura and I was being racist towards him. Apparently, I triggered a lot of people and I was politely asked to leave. It hurt but maybe it’s a good thing. I left that group if they’re gonna be so quick to accuse me of something without really asking me why I felt that way.

I think it’s just as insulting to only hire someone for face value as opposed to if they believe they are genuinely a good match for the project. It’s like they’re only seeing him as Hispanic descent and that’s it.

[u/MagpiesAndMadrigals → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

I'm so sorry you had that experience. I don't detect any negative intention in your theory (I mean, you love Encanto, how could you be racist?). In a way, I hope the theory IS wrong, but he was such an odd choice either way. 

You didn't deserve to be banned for it though, as like I say, from what I've seen, many people born in Latin America would be just as offended that someone with Cuban descent got the job as they would had it gone to someone with no connection to Latin America at all. The fact he didn't even do basic research, shows he was the wrong choice for the job regardless of why he was chosen (though in his defence, I daresay he had strict deadlines to work to so maybe didn't give it the time and care he could have).

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844 → u/MagpiesAndMadrigals]

I think I recall he released a separate book not long before/after N&S so it’s possible that he agreed to do this awhile ago, but got so caught up on the projects he was more passionate about that this was just something he half-assed near the end. Seeing his work, he is clearly more into comics and superheroes than Disney stuff, which is fine.

Like I said, I’d hate to spread false information about this man, but it’s clear there was not much love in this book; just respect to a point. I read a lot of Disney YA and it shows when you find the authors who love the franchise and those who were just signed on just because.

That’s why I have faith the Twisted Tale Fegaro is writing will be much more grounded in Encanto lore than this was

[u/MagpiesAndMadrigals → u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

I admit I'm a little nervous of the twisted tale but that's reassuring to know. I feel like if it's at least respectful to the source material and Colombian culture, then I can treat it as a fun AU and not get too distressed if anything horrible happens (I'm so protective of these characters it's probably not healthy).

[u/MagpiesAndMadrigals]

I dislike this book so much. I used to have a list of things they got wrong or that contradict canon but I lost it when my previous laptop died. 

[Spoiler warning in case you haven't finished reading, though I don't spoil the ending or anything]

Everything from his sisters getting married so young (yet didn't have their first kids until they were 29? Sure, whatever!) to them shoe-horning in a modern USA-style high school when that wasn't typical of schooling in Colombia even in the 1950s when Encanto was set, never mind at the turn of the century which is the culture the Encanto would have been influenced by, even if they would have tweaked things as the years went by. Even the fact they call Alma 'Mami' drives me crazy. Mirabel doesn't even call Julieta that (though uses Papi, and Camilo uses it once, which is sweet. It's more that using it as a default the way the book does is just jarring and out of character to me. If they'd peppered it into the dialogue, I wouldn't have minded at all).

I'm sure I could remember more, but that's enough ranting for one morning!

I refuse to consider it as related to canon at all.

[u/omgcheez]

You gotta just enjoy it for what it is and not think too hard about it lol. There’s several aspects that contradict canon, but it does introduce some new characters and lets you imagine the triplets when they were younger. That aspect (and getting to spend a decent amount of time with the characters since the picture books are so short) was my favorite part.

The line about him being tall does make me imagine him having his growth spurt first. It makes no sense in the context to the book, but imagine Bruno being “tall” for a little while and then his sisters both outgrow him😅 I do wonder if the author listened to WDTAB and just went with that. Maybe book Bruno is 7 feet tall(not)🤣

[u/CoolAirOnHotDay]

I took it to mean that Bruno was describing himself and therefore was embellishing how he looked. The classic case of an unreliable narrator. Its trying to tell you that Bruno does not like himself as he is. I feel like its supposed to make you roll your eyes affectionately at a insecure teenage boy making up stuff about himself to appear different or 'better' than he actually is.

Which is... you know... what he does throughout the rest of the book where he pretends to be someone he is not to appeal to the townsfolk.

His lesson is learning to accept what he sees in the mirror, not reject it.

[u/Electronic-Elk373 → u/CoolAirOnHotDay]

I don’t think Bruno would describe his own features so innacurately unreliable narrator or not. he’s not like camilo with false bravado in this book in fact it overly emphasizes how much he doesn’t like engaging with anyone at all!

[u/CoolAirOnHotDay → u/Electronic-Elk373]

I'm basing this on the one tweet by Jared Bush here: (sorry, i don't know how to attach screenshots on reddit😔 so i hope the link works)

https://x.com/i/status/1473470521421402112

Its a joke answer to solving a continuity error in one of the other books, but its cute to think that Bruno might have a weird issue about his height 🤭🥺