The New York Times declared it "a New Immigrant Classic"[1] and "a stark evocation of life in the projects of El Barrio ... the story he tells has energy and nerve.
[4] The Washington Post declared that Chango's Fire "succeeds in its rich characterizations of the people of the barrio, led by Julio, whose complexity and sensitivity carry the story.
"[citation needed] The El Paso Times praised Quiñonez's "extraordinary ability to detail, and nurture, and then unveil complex emotions in his characters.
"[5] Kirkus Reviews criticized the characters and situations in Chango's Fire for lack of believably but hailed "Quiñonez's ingeniously detailed revelations of how people cheat and improvise, to survive in an impoverished and dangerous racist environment.
"[4] Booklist heralded it as a "searing portrait of a community at the tipping point ... Quiñonez ably illuminates the sordid politics of gentrification and the unexpected places new immigrants turn to for social and spiritual support.