miserablemoons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
The tone of this book takes some getting used to --there's a dry wit to it that isn't necessarily easy to hear if you're expecting something different. Once I got used to it, however, I loved it. The characters are odd and mostly lovable, but each of them has a prickle that can made them difficult to like. The writing can be both magically poetic and also stunning in its directness. The miracles are not what one might hope for in a miracle, but are miraculous in their capacity to change someone's life...if they will let them. The book is its own marvel, and the audiobook is great.
anthosmia's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
imashamedofmyoldreviews's review against another edition
5.0
I think I understood some of this book. Lines floating here and there, references to things that just happen when you live and the things you learn in the process. I also think I didn't understand a lot of it. This book makes me look forward to knowing.
librosydragones's review against another edition
5.0
“By relegating the things we fear and don't understand to religion, and the things we understand and control to science, we rob science of its artistry and religion of its mutability.”
At the heart of Bicho Raro, Colorado you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo.
🌵
The miracles the Soria family performs are real, not just smoke and mirrors. They help the pilgrims fight their inner darkness by making it visible. But there’s no worst darkness than a Saint’s. All of the Soria family are forbidden to help the pilgrims past that first miracle, or to perform the miracle for themselves.
This is a story about all kinds of love, and about courage. We have roughly four main characters, and a lot of amazing side characters, their stories intertwined with one another, shaping the plot.
The Soria cousins are of course in the middle of everything, especially Daniel and Beatriz, the holiest of the Soria family. And also central to the story is Pete, who will come to Bicho Raro looking not for a miracle, but for a chance to prove himself useful.
🌵
“Pete fell deeply in love with it.
This strange cold desert does not care if you live or die in it, but he fell for it anyway. He had not known before then that a place could feel so raw and so close to the surface. His weak heart felt the danger but could not resist.
He fell in love so fiercely that the desert itself noticed.
・・・
The desert, which was not given to sympathy or sentiment, was nonetheless moved, and for the first time in a long time, it loved someone back.”
I sort of fell for Pete too. Not in a romantic way, but it is impossible not to care for him, he is such a nice guy you want to befriend him right away, and he has that hole in his heart and wants nothing more than to fill it with hard work and dedication. Luckily he’ll find something even better in the desert 😉
🌵
As every other book by Maggie, it was beautifully written. She has a unique ability to convey feelings with words, something very few authors accomplish so accurately. Her novels also have this atmospheric quality to them, making you feel like you’re living the story instead of just reading it, I absolutely loved the setting. And the characters are so deep and human 💞
I declare myself an absolute fan of her work. And about all that crap people talk about, saying that this book is disrespectful or racist or any other nonsense, let me tell you that I didn’t think the latinx representation was inaccurate or offensive. I think it was a beautiful tale, and I enjoyed it immensely.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars
Book 9 complete for O.W.L.'s 2019 Herbology- Plant on the cover
Pros:
- The writing style of this was superb. I loved the narrator and how he was telling everyone's stories. I listened to the audiobook and I definitely got Jane the Virgin vibes and I enjoyed the way the story was told.
Cons:
- There was not really a plot to this. It definitely focused on telling the stories of the three main characters and those around them. However, I did not feel like we were working toward anything or solving something. It was an odd feeling since I expect some kind of adventure or story with a book.
- I did not connect with the characters at all. Yes they had interesting lives and their stories were entertaining, but there was nothing that made me connect with them and really care about their story and what would happen to them.
Overall, this was a very middle of the road book. There was nothing overtly wrong about it, but there was nothing great either. There was nothing that made me want to know what was going to happen. I think if I had not read this for my O.W.L.'s it would have taken me much longer to read this. Every time I put it down, it was not like I had to pick up again right away.
Book 9 complete for O.W.L.'s 2019 Herbology- Plant on the cover
Pros:
- The writing style of this was superb. I loved the narrator and how he was telling everyone's stories. I listened to the audiobook and I definitely got Jane the Virgin vibes and I enjoyed the way the story was told.
Cons:
- There was not really a plot to this. It definitely focused on telling the stories of the three main characters and those around them. However, I did not feel like we were working toward anything or solving something. It was an odd feeling since I expect some kind of adventure or story with a book.
- I did not connect with the characters at all. Yes they had interesting lives and their stories were entertaining, but there was nothing that made me connect with them and really care about their story and what would happen to them.
Overall, this was a very middle of the road book. There was nothing overtly wrong about it, but there was nothing great either. There was nothing that made me want to know what was going to happen. I think if I had not read this for my O.W.L.'s it would have taken me much longer to read this. Every time I put it down, it was not like I had to pick up again right away.
alisarae's review against another edition
I like Maggie Stiefvater's books a whole lot. But you should know, unlike me going into this one, that this story is magic realism through and through. I am not a big fan of magic realism—I have to be in a rare mood for it. This story is slow and thoughtful and about learning to communicate and listen better.
sparkwaren's review against another edition
3.0
Stiefvater's writing is always what entraps me into her books, even when I'm not all that fond of the story itself. This was another "here for the writing" moment.
lucyplulu's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
afro8921's review against another edition
4.0
All the Crooked Saints is full of lush imagery, contentious and loving relationships. The quirkiness of the characters in this book reminded me of the characters in a Fredrik Bachman novel. It's those unexpected moments of tenderness that make this novel such a pleasure to read. This is an ideal book for teens and adults who like lush language and imaginative story telling.