Scan barcode
mysteriesofmar's review against another edition
5.0
well ok. one of my favorite books ever. don't touch me i'm emotional that i'll never get to experience the first read of this book again.
what a beautiful story that had many stories within it. i loved the main character's voice, one so reliant on the known but also craving an escape from the life she's been given. the idea of taking other people's stories, filled with their mistakes and lies and atrocities, to give to a god for forgiveness and protection was beautifully executed and absolutely moving. the stories xochitl receives throughout the books are sure to stay with me for some time.
i can see where the writing style doesn't work for some, especially with the use of spanish for certain terms and the very classic fairy tale-esque prose. but i loved it. i was enchanted by this book from the first page, its magical story nearly impossible to put down. i am so sad it's over, but so happy to have gotten to know it.
what a beautiful story that had many stories within it. i loved the main character's voice, one so reliant on the known but also craving an escape from the life she's been given. the idea of taking other people's stories, filled with their mistakes and lies and atrocities, to give to a god for forgiveness and protection was beautifully executed and absolutely moving. the stories xochitl receives throughout the books are sure to stay with me for some time.
i can see where the writing style doesn't work for some, especially with the use of spanish for certain terms and the very classic fairy tale-esque prose. but i loved it. i was enchanted by this book from the first page, its magical story nearly impossible to put down. i am so sad it's over, but so happy to have gotten to know it.
sincerely_maia's review against another edition
5.0
Everything about this book was devasting, including the acknowledgments
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
Although the narrative loses a little focus and momentum in its back half, for the most part this is a strikingly original post-apocalyptic fantasy, rich in #ownvoices Latinx cultural details and queer representation and distinctive in structure as one long chapterless text addressed in second-person to the heroine's sun-god. She's a sort of sin-eater for her desert community, literally banishing people's demons by hearing their confessions -- which she then recounts Scheherazade-like as nested tales within her ongoing prayer -- and the story ends up being about her interior journey to define herself beyond that role more than the nominal plot that sends her away from home in the first place. It's a slow-paced but arresting piece of magical realism, and while it doesn't all entirely work for me, I really admire the ambition and the craft that author Mark Oshiro has brought to such a clearly personal project.
[Content warning for gore.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
[Content warning for gore.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
kt_timms's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. I found the setting of the story to be very captivating, and I recommended it to a friend who was looking for a queer-centered and fantasy-like plot.
perfect_leaves's review against another edition
5.0
There is so much here.
This story can be so many different things so different people, which is also exactly what part of the plot is.
You can take it for surface value and watch a girl struggle with her divinely given powers.
You can interpret it as one's overall struggle with the role religion plays in their life.
You can interpret is as one working through what it means to be there for others while taking care of oneself.
You can interpret it as one's struggle to find their own identity. I'd even go so far as to suggest it could be read as an allegory for LGBTQ+ people coming out, but that's a tenuous reading because there is so much casual queer rep in the book that it doesn't make sense for there to be a hidden through line as well. Nothing is impossible though.
The text is beautifully written. As others have mentioned, there's a LOT of Spanish words mixed in, but you don't actually need to know the exact meanings of the words to understand the story. The context and descriptions are enough. I don't speak Spanish and had no issues with it. I found the mixing of random Spanish words to be natural. That's how multilingual people speak. We don't often switch languages from one sentence to another. Instead, we switch back and forth in the middle of sentences. We think in concepts and our mouths speak whichever word our brains reaches first, regardless of language.
There's not a lot of action in this book, it's more philosophical. That said, i did not find it too slow. The plot turns on the characters conversations and interactions with each other more than on big events like boss battles and tragedies. In fact, the deaths are merely earmarks in the story. They're described but they are not the big tragedies deaths usually become in a novel.
I found myself relating a lot to different aspects of the characters. While i found the story interesting, i wouldn't say this is an entertainment novel. Rather, it's a thinking novel.
I've also listened to the audiobook and Frankie Corzo's performance is phenomenal. I never found myself actively thinking about the narration because the way she read the book just made sense.
This story can be so many different things so different people, which is also exactly what part of the plot is.
You can take it for surface value and watch a girl struggle with her divinely given powers.
You can interpret it as one's overall struggle with the role religion plays in their life.
You can interpret is as one working through what it means to be there for others while taking care of oneself.
You can interpret it as one's struggle to find their own identity. I'd even go so far as to suggest it could be read as an allegory for LGBTQ+ people coming out, but that's a tenuous reading because there is so much casual queer rep in the book that it doesn't make sense for there to be a hidden through line as well. Nothing is impossible though.
The text is beautifully written. As others have mentioned, there's a LOT of Spanish words mixed in, but you don't actually need to know the exact meanings of the words to understand the story. The context and descriptions are enough. I don't speak Spanish and had no issues with it. I found the mixing of random Spanish words to be natural. That's how multilingual people speak. We don't often switch languages from one sentence to another. Instead, we switch back and forth in the middle of sentences. We think in concepts and our mouths speak whichever word our brains reaches first, regardless of language.
There's not a lot of action in this book, it's more philosophical. That said, i did not find it too slow. The plot turns on the characters conversations and interactions with each other more than on big events like boss battles and tragedies. In fact, the deaths are merely earmarks in the story. They're described but they are not the big tragedies deaths usually become in a novel.
I found myself relating a lot to different aspects of the characters. While i found the story interesting, i wouldn't say this is an entertainment novel. Rather, it's a thinking novel.
I've also listened to the audiobook and Frankie Corzo's performance is phenomenal. I never found myself actively thinking about the narration because the way she read the book just made sense.
kaywhiteley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked the book and appreciate the metaphor of it all but it just felt too…. Obvious sometimes. And it got incredibly repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse