Hello everyone! Today I bring you an ARC Review for Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro. Thank you for Colored Pages Bookish Tours for having me in this tour. I loved reading and creating the journal spread for the novel. Read on!
From the award-winning author Mark Oshiro comes a powerful fantasy novel about finding home and falling in love amidst the dangers of a desert where stories come to life.
Xochital is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village’s stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enimagic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes.
Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit.
One night, Xo’s wish is granted—in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town’s murderous mayor. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match… if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.
Fresh off of Anger Is a Gift’s smashing success, Oshiro branches out into a fantastical direction with their new YA novel, The Stars Around Us.
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book provided by Colored Pages Tour and Tor Teen. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
CW: graphic violence, death, animal violence, physical and emotional abuse
Each of Us a Desert hooked me from the very first page. The writing is lyrical, poetic. This is my favorite type of writing and whenever I encounter it I love it. I had been writing poems for class this week and I could even her the cadence and rhythm of the sentences. It was a wonderful experience! I also loved the form and how the poems were integrated and broke apart from the traditional prose form.
Speaking of language, Each of Us a Desert is bilingual and wonderfully weaves Spanish with English. It was such a joy to read a novel like this. To read something that is similar to how I speak to friends, family, and my own head.
The language brought a different layer to the word building. The lore was the aspect of the world that stood out to me. I loved the cuentista lore and how that progressed. The sabuesos were very interesting to read about and I absolutely loved the guardians. This was a story immensely connected to the land. I don’t think I’ve read many stories set in the desert, so it was captivating reading about the vast land and how the main character Xochitl navigated it.
Xochitl is a cuentista and this a life that has been thrust upon her. She has to learn about people without even knowing herself. The characters in the book are nuanced and complex. They are not either this or that, but a blend of many things. Oshiro’s character work is excellent.
This novel discusses expectations, healing as a community, immigration, leaving home for the first time, faith, making choices and having them, and finding your place in the world. All these topics are weaved into a beautiful narrative. Each of Us a Desert was pitched to me as a sapphic romance book and while there is a romance it is not the main plot line of the book. This novel is much more about healing and self-discovery.
Each of Us a Desert is a beautiful and mystical exploration of language, the self, and stories. The perfect way to kick off Latinx Heritage Month! Thank you so much to Colored Pages Bookish Tours for having me as part of this tour.
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