A review by torilovesheas
Lizards Hold the Sun by Dani Trujillo

emotional lighthearted 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

Phenomenal. Phenomenal. Phenomenal. 

Gorgeous prose + the sweetest/gentlest romance + an emotional 3rd act = my favorite book of the year. Hands down. 

Dani Trujillo truly wrote something special here. This book is just…gentle. Gentle in the way Xiomara approaches archeology from the viewpoint of an Indigenous woman. Gentle in the way Calehan shows he cares for Xiomara with acts of service. Gentle in the way Xiomara is allowed to grieve and love and reconcile the two without sacrificing one emotion for the other. And I think that gentleness in the first 2/3 is what made the third act conflict so impactful. 

I loved Xo and Calehan. They were so sweet together. The amount of caretaking they show for each other is so sweet and beautiful. They’re two people that have known loss and are brave enough to reach for more with each other. It’s just a beautiful love story. 

And the way Trujillo really wove a love letter to ancestors that came before was gorgeous and so special. The scenes with tribal elders holding ceremony for ancestors from thousands of years ago was just…so so beautifully done. 

I just…if I had to describe this book, it would be “handled with care”. From the romance to the community to the characterization, nothing feels tropey or shoe horned in. 

Truly excellent. Truly gorgeous. I cannot wait for book two. 
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