I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. It was just okay. I didn't feel a connection to the characters. The writing was done well though. The story was interesting. I'd say if it sounds good to you then definitely give it a try.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read an ARC copy of Lucha of the Night Forest. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for this opportunity.

I have to put a caveat here that this is a strong mood read book for me. When I was in a mood for mostly happy fantasy or silly books, this book dragged on like no one’s business. But as soon as I got in a mood where I just needed to stew for a little while in my anger and hatred of the world and how unfair it not only was for me but everyone who had it even worse, this was the perfect book to rage and be utterly depressed with.

This book primarily followers three female protagonists. There’s Lucha who does all she can to make the money they need to keep the home they have in the worst part of the city, while also looking for her mother who’s hooked on a drug that lets you forget for a time, and in big enough doses, and after enough time, makes you forget everything completely. There’s also her sister, who sees Lucha as an embarrassment around her friends, and uses whatever money she does have to get the drug that has taken their mother from them. And then there’s an acolyte who’s going around treating drug addicts and not doing enough to protect herself and hide that she’s a worshipper of a goddess whose worship of can get you executed.

Lucha wants nothing to do with the acolyte at first and works for an old friend who has fallen in with a gang and becomes scummier, and scummier over time. After tearing him apart after refusing to join them officially, he shows up in their apartment, saying they’ll be thrown out at the end of the month, even if they make enough money to keep the apartment, as only people working for the gang can live in the apartments. Lucha’s sister says she’ll join, offering her body as something useful for the gang, but Lucha tries to stop her, promising to find their mother before the end of the month.

Of course, nothing goes right, and Lucha ends up with a scorned God invading her mind and making her more powerful but in a way she doesn’t understand so can’t control. And her sister get’s sworn in, and she gets thrown in a cell as the gang she once worked for now wants to use this new power of hers to their advantage. They keep her sister from her during this time, and that ends up being a bad idea, as she breaks free, joins with the acolyte, disappears into the dangerous, monster-filled forest, and now she has a budding romance, an uncontrollable power with an evil god in her head, and a sister rapidly and dangerously detoxing.

And there are only a few moments of levity and peace from there. This story is bleak, and sad, and any hope that you have that she might get a break in this place, or these people she comes in contact with, is quickly smashed into tiny little pieces.

I’m buying this book. It’s well written. The background of the story is fascinating. The worldbuilding is beautifully harrowing, and it’s perfect for those moments when I just need to wallow in sadness and anger. If you need that type of book to wallow in before you can go back to try and bring yourself back up then this might just be the book for you too.

Lucha lives with her sister and her mother, though since their mother has become addicted to a dangerous drug, she’s rarely home. Lucha does her best to provide for her family by entering the dangerous nearby forest to hunt monsters but feels overwhelmed and confined by all of it. When her sister tries to take matters into her own hands, it leaves Lucha with an even bigger mess, and she’s forced to strike a bargain with a shadowy and dangerous entity. As she brims with new power, she’s faced with difficult and dangerous decisions that may cost the lives of everyone she cares about.

This was a solid fantasy read full of magic, deities, and the struggle between religion and its interpretation. The best part of this book is the worldbuilding. From the beginning, we’re immersed in a rich world full of monsters and unique plant life that the author excels at describing and incorporating into the plot. I also loved the information that was gradually revealed about the deities and how their worship influenced the decisions of their followers. That being said, there were some instances where I felt the worldbuilding was lacking. One example was that there wasn’t much context of the greater world, so that some things that were casually mentioned weren’t grounded in a way that made sense.

There were a few things that detracted from my enjoyment of the work. There was an instance where time jumped substantially but it wasn’t made clear until it was briefly mentioned much later in the book. I also really wanted to like the romance but disliked how unsubstantial it felt. It didn’t feel forced, but more of like it had no real good reason for existing and that it wasn’t developed enough to add anything to the plot or characters. The characters all felt somewhat detached from the story, which left me wanting more from them though they were still well written overall.

This was a well written work of fantasy that I enjoyed and do recommend overall. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me to read this work, which will be published in March 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I could not finish this book. The writing was difficult to follow, the characters made connections that I didn't fully understand and jumped into solving a problem that I also didn't fully understand. The world and characters didn't feel fleshed out enough that I believed their motivations when the story got going.

This book started off pretty slow and a bit....disjointed? But, as the book went on it definitely smoothed out a bit. I wasn't super interested in what was going on, though, so even though it starts to make more sense toward the middle I just didn't care. I didn't like/feel any emotions toward any of the characters, I didn't like the romance, and the overall story just made me feel confused and then bored. I liked the Sapphic nature of the romance, but that was where my enjoyment stopped with this one. Definitely still give it a try if the premise interests you! I just, personally, didn't like it--but I know that many people will love this!

Lucha is a survivor. She's been through so much in her life, so hunting monsters in a haunted forest isn't terrifying, it's how she puts food on the table. The story flies by as you get wrapped up in the magic of the world Mejia creates. Lucha will do everything she can to protect her younger sister and rid the world of the drug that has done so much damage to her city. Fast, fascinating, heart breaking, and filled with the magic of love throughout.

Lucha of the Night Forest is a breath of fresh air in the YA Fantasy genre!

Lucha of the Night forest is such a fun read that captivated me the whole time!! It makes me so happy to see books with sapphic and Latinx representation be published. As someone who falls into both of these communities it feels so amazing to be able to feel represented in a book, and especially with this being a young adult novel, I cannot fathom the number of young girls who will be able to relate to finally relate to a protagonist who looks like them. It‘s something I wish I had more of, and still actively seek out. Queer representation in media is so important for young people; being able to read about narratives where queer people exist, where they are the main character, makes this journey of self-discovery, that can be isolating, so much easier.

I hope to see more novels like Lucha of the Night Forest be picked up for publishing, and I cannot wait to read more from Mejia!

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Thank you to Netgalley and to Peguin Random House for the eARC!

So I wanna give this book 3.5 stars. It started off pretty slow and I kind of had to piece together what was going on in the book but I really enjoyed the adventures of Lucha and following her fight for what she believed in. To protect her sister Lis, to make the world beautiful again and not corrupt with El Ediento.

Lucha is gifted but she doesn't realize. When it comes to light that there may be something special about her she goes on a journey to find a way to destroy the Olvidado. By the end of the book the story finally came full circle piecing everything together. Ultimately it came down to survival and saving the world. I enjoyed it.

Well, what a journey! Lucha of the Night Forest was a such fun read. It definitely is a can't-put-down book. The worldbuilding is fantastic such as the characters development. I think Meija has done an incredible job writing this book!

A girl who will have to make the ultimate bargain in order to save her sister, throw in dark forces, forgotten magic, and a bit of romance. Lucha lives in Robado, a place that is not so great... her mother is addicted to a forgetting drug, her sister isn’t helpful, and Lucha is forced to hunt dangerous creatures in order to make ends meet for her sister and herself. Robado is surrounded by a dangerous forest filled with monsters, a goddess who is connected to nature, and for some strange reason Lucha is connected to it. When Lucha’s mother doesn’t return home or report for work, Lucha and her sister are threatened by someone Lucha use to know who is now determined to covet both girls for himself. Lucha refuses to let this happen to them and soon discovers that she has powers aided by El Sediento, a legend of the forest that results in her being captured... until El Sediento offers her a bargain... and she’ll have no choice but to accept. Along the way she finds herself accompanied by a healer who might have her own secrets. Lucha will have to come into her own power while deciding what this power means to her and what she will do with it. This story unfortunately did not work for me, I initially was really interested but soon found myself losing interest. Lucha gave off Katniss Everdeen vibes, she had to hunt to protect her sister while dealing with an absentee mother and a world that is working against her and then having a love interest who is on the softer side. Lis, the younger sister, was just so irritating, there I said it, The romance was okay but I just didn’t really feel it. The overall story felt kind of makes you feel a bit lost. So while this one didn’t work for me, definitely give it a try if you are looking for a fantasy adventure with sisterhood and sapphic romance.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Make Me a World for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Lucha of the Night Forest is such a good read! This book had just about everything, I don’t know where to begin: sapphic characters, found family, Latinx representation…

There’s so much going on in this book, but I think the best part was the world building. This book literally begins with a passage discussing the world building in the story, and I still wasn’t ready for everything!

I hope we see more of Lucha’s story, this book was too good for this to be it!!

A fantasy with original world building, a strong sister bond, and a sweet sapphic romance.

I loved these two quotes:
“but as a girl who was the sum of her choices. A girl who was no longer afraid to wield the power she had earned.”

“That she would choose, for the girl whose will had been compromised. That she would become whole, for the girl who had been broken. That she would become free, for the girl who had been chained. That would be her offering to the future she wanted. The woman she hoped to become.”

My thoughts can’t hold any weight because I only got 14% in. I decided to DNF due to the story not holding my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Lucha of the Night Forest felt like it was not long enough. I'm not sure if more books are planned, or if the door has closed on Lucha Moya's story.

The book introduces us to Lucha, a hunter, and her sister Lis who live in the absolute worst part of the absolute worst city on the edge of a foreboding forest that is slowly trying to reclaim parts of the city. The city is run by a brutal mafia who are on the supply side of a drug that causes people to forget.

Lucha and Lis's mom has been addicted to the drug since the death of the girls' father, so Lucha runs jobs hunting monsters in the forest. She is particularly good at her job as she has a mysterious affinity with the forest. Very quickly, Lucha's world is upended when the family is evicted from their home while their mother is away on a bender. Lis volunteers herself to work in one of the mafia's whorehouses, which Lucha wants to prevent at any cost.

She allies herself with a figure of folklore, El Sediento, who promises her untold power if she will help him destroy the drug that has caused her so much pain. That shaky alliance teaches Lucha how to wield powers of death and decay with the instruction that she must bend to El Sediento's will. On the way to complete her mission, she is joined by Paz, a goddess-worshipper who has obscured her reasons for joining Lucha.

The main reason that I think this book is not long enough is because there are a jumble of potential themes racing around that aren't fully explored in a meaningful way. Lucha's mistrust and subsequent exploitation by multiple characters, the idea that choices are not real when you live in abject poverty, and the concept of power balanced with responsibility are all pretty heavy ideas that would each merit an entire book of their own and yet, we have one book trying to tell a story in a built world and examine each of them. It's a bit....stuffed.

On the one hand, I feel that the end could justifiably close on Lucha and perhaps continue into other characters in that world. On the other hand, I feel that Lucha's particular character development could continue in interesting ways. Either way, Mejia has created a compelling story arc that I look forward to reading.

This book is a treasure. The author hooked me with the use of mushrooms. Add in a not super likeable main character and I was done for.

Sapphic Latinx story centered around sisters trying to finding ways to save each other, a mysterious forest, and a god of death lurking in the shadows.

Lucha Moya is a hunter with a special skill to go unnoticed by the beasts she’s tasked to kill. The more she tempts fate with this uncanny ability, the less she wants to use it. So she only resorts to taking bounties when her mother has gone on another bender with the Forgetting Drug, Olvida. After one such time, their mother hasn’t returned for several days and the sisters, Lucha and Lis, are facing immediate eviction. They decide to take matters into their own hands and go on their own terms, leaving their mother behind and heading into the unforgivable world.

Plot: 4/5
I. Love. Mushroom. Magic. The whole magic system developed in this story is incredible and I love it.
The plot starts kind of slow, it takes a while to feel completely invested in the story. But once they’re deep in the forest and the action picks up, I was deeply invested.

Characters: 4.5/5
Lucha Moya is such a strong character even when she believes herself to be weak. Her life has been full of pain and disappointment but she’s determined to save everyone else before herself. She doesn’t have that chosen one ego because she never really believes she was chosen. I love seeing her overcome her trust issues and fight for the ones she loves.

Paz was such a surprising character. At first I didn’t think she had much depth or purpose but she proved me wrong! She was the warrior at Lucha’s side. I liked the note the book ended in regarding their romance and I’m really hoping for a second book so I can get some more of it.

Writing: 5/5
Truly ethereal writing. I may be biased because I love mushrooms but I have never seen a cooler type of earth Magic than flesh eating fungus. Mejia created such a vibrant world with so much depth and intention. Lucha’s inner monologue builds on profound self reflection that gave me chills.

Overall: 4.5/5

Thank you, NetGalley for the e-ARC!
I think the world-building and the ideas of the story are some of the best I've had lately! The world that Lucha is in is dangerous and heart-wrenching. I think the author did a fantastic job of creating a such a hard topic in a YA book. There is a lot of discussion about drug use and its effects on families. I think this is a great way to talk about this topic in a fantasy setting. The story also didn't feel too repetitive because there were a lot of aspects in this book that are often written about which I really enjoyed. Personally, I'm a little bit over that I must protect my sister's trope but I think this book was still fantastic the none the less

I was so excited to receive this ARC! (Thank you so much)! The cover is absolutely gorgeous and it really drew me into this story. The story was very interesting and I read through it in one weekend! :)

Tehlor Kay Mejia has a brilliant and creative mind whose work is always a delight to read. Lucha of the Night Forest is no exception and is a great addition to YA fantasy canon.

Lucha of the Night Forest follows teenaged Lucha, a poor girl born in the Scar, as she tries to keep both her feckless sister and mother safe. Lucha's mother is addicted to Olvida, a drug that causes her to be violent and unable to provide for her daughters. So it falls to Lucha to strap on her knife, make deals with Alan, a corrupt, power hungry boy she knew from childhood, and fight the supernatural monsters in the nearby forest to earn enough money to be able to feed her family. After rescuing her naive, drugged sister, Lucha teams up with Paz, a mysterious and powerful girl she met one night on a quest to rid the land of Olvida once and for all. Lucha is more powerful than she knows, and her quest will lead her into a battle among gods and goddesses.

The strength of this book lies in its characterizations, its use of Spanish words, and in the way it handles the relationships between characters. The romantic relationship that slowly develops between Lucha and Paz is handled very sensitively, and examines ups, downs, and moments of doubt with care. High school or early college would be a good target audience for this book.