This was such a uniquely written book and I'm going to need more books written like this AND written about Luciana and her family immediately. I couldn't put this book down and read it in a span of 24 hours because it was so compelling.

The first two to three chapters, I needed to get used to the format and adjust to this one-sided phone conversation and what that actually meant, but once it had me, I was HOOKED.

There is a tender story of family and family drama--and love--in this book and I loved the how vividly the characters came alive even though the narration was told through one voice.

Will be recommending this book constantly.

My favorite characters are the same as my favorite people—funny, dramatic, fierce, love to gossip, cares about their family, and have a sailor’s mouth. If you’re like me, you will love Luciana, the main character of Melissa Mogollon’s debut novel OYE.

I remember how stressful it felt to be a teenager and how much I loved getting time off school — even if it meant a natural disaster. This is how we meet Luciana, the youngest in her Colombian American family.

While evacuating South Florida with her health-obsessed mom, Abue, her unconcerned grandmother, who refuses to leave, is buying lottery tickets. As torturous this road trip is for her, she is relieved to procrastinate thinking about her looming dread. However, their return is met with an unexpected health issue with Abue. As Luciana’s role as caretaker brings them closer and unlocks Abue’s telenovela family history, she, in turn, receives the encouragement to live.

The epigraph “Entre broma y broma, la verdad se asoma” perfectly encapsulates this story. Sometimes, the best way to understand how someone is feeling is through the jokes they tell. As funny as Luciana is, you can tell she has a lot weighing on her, from her unclear future, feeling abandoned by her sister, hiding her sexuality from her family, and her new role as family mediator.

This story centering Luciana is also about Abue (equally funny and fierce). They both show how we all have secrets & stories we haven’t shared, even with our loved ones and we have to make peace with your family making decisions you might not agree with.

The format, being a one-sided phone conversation, only took me one chapter to get into, so this shouldn’t hold anyone back. It was a unique and refreshing way to understand a character because what’s more intimate than listening to someone’s phone call?

This coming-of-age/family saga is filled with drama, humor, and heart. It shattered my preconceived notion of how a story can be told. Funnily enough, I screen almost every phone call, but if Luciana ever called me, I would pick up in a heartbeat.

Thank you @hogarthbooks for the arc! Melissa, congrats on an unforgettable debut!! 🥹💖📞🔥

A book you’ll either love or hate. The writing style is unique, melodic yet frenetic. It reads as if you are party to conversations of a teenager with her sister, and conversations with others [those in italics], which you are compelled to overhear. You only hear one side and either deduce the missing parts or just wish the speaker would hang up and go silent. Oye means hey, colloquially demanding your attention. And it does. It is a unique point of view. Well done.

Oye is an inventive take on a coming-of-age story. Told primarily through our narrator, Luciana’s, side of a phone call with her older sister., Mari, the reader is brought into their complicated family dynamics. Through these calls, we come to know their mother, their great-aunt, and most importantly, their grandmother. Their grandmother comes to live with Luciana due to hurricane irma and, while Luciana loves her grandmother, the two share a complicated bond. When abue is diagnosed with cancer, Luciana begins a journey of self-discovery and differentiating herself from her family, as she tries to find her way and prepare for the next chapter of her life.

The novel is funny, but also sad, thought-provoking, and human above all else. Everyone at one time or has another has gone through at least something that Luciana has felt and it will bring back the feelings of growing up and finding yourself.

While the narrative style is inventive, it could be hard at times to follow who is talking and which voices belong to which family member. You have to really pay attention as a reader to who is talking when. It will be easy to rush through the pages, there is a lot to take in and absorb so the reader will be better slowing down and taking it in.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 5/7/24. Review will be posted to amazon on release date.

What a debut novel!! When Luciana finds herself evacuating before Hurricane Irma before her senior year of high school, she never imagined that the next year of her life would go this way. Told through one side of phone call conversations and remembered moments we’re invited into the inner dynamics of a family dealing with changes including an eldest daughter going off to college, a health condition, family dynamics, and a coming of age story.

I laughed so much during this novel. Luciana is an expert narrator making us laugh when the worst is happening. I felt like I was on the phone with my younger relatives catching up. But you know what no one told me—that I would be sobbing during this book. The relationship between Luciana and Emilia (her grandmother) was so sweet and weird in its own way. Watching the two of them navigate life and death and how our relationships change during them was so precious. I loved the format in which this novel was told and had a hard time putting it down because I had to know what would happen next. I cannot wait to read more from Melissa Mogollon!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Hogarth for providing me with an E-ARC of this title.

What a fresh and unique concept! This lovely coming of age, family drama saga was such a fun read. Our FMC, Luciana, is a hilarious and endearing queer, fat, 18 year-old navigating the complexities of family, loss and grief, high school, identity, acceptance, and so much more.

Melissa Mogollon writes such captivating and genuine dialogue between Luciana and the other members of her family. The primary dialogue that you get is one-sided phone conversations between Luciana and her older sister, Mari, who is away at college. Dispersed throughout the phone calls are excerpts from other conversations that happen "off the call" that Luciana is referencing. These excerpts are italicized, which is very helpful because there aren't a lot of indicators on who is saying what. As you get to know each character you start to parse out their mannerisms to determine who is talking (most often it'll be Abue, their grandmother, Luisa, their grandmother's sister, and their mother who I believe is Elena?). I found that I could only read in shorter spurts, this is not a binge-reading book! This is a book that you savor and take your time going through, so you feel like a member of the family and grow close to Luciana.

I think this would've been even better on audio (with a versatile and narrator) due to the format. The formatting is an acquired tasted, and will not be for everyone. But I encourage you to try!

Did Not Finish -- I tried to get through the first 15 pages and just could not follow or understand this format. I did ultimately search Goodreads to try to understand what the heck was happening, and there I learned it was supposed to be a phone conversation. Maybe I would like this more as an audiobook but just couldn't motivate myself to try to piece together which character was speaking. I do love the cover and the premise of the book, but this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth for the advanced readers copy of Oye written by Melissa Mogolion.
I was very intrigued with the style in which this book was written, however it also made it a bit difficult to follow. At times the story didn’t seem to flow and felt a bit “chunky”. Overall, I did enjoy the storyline, just not the style.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and Melissa Mogollon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

(Abandoned at 6%)

This book is written as one-side of a phone conversation (with occasional recalling of other conversations). I could not adjust to or appreciate the format, so I abandoned the book.

The phone conversation was between a high school senior and her college-aged sister, so I didn't really understand the choice of a phone conversation. Although the book is set in 2017, wouldn't they have been using text or other kinds of digital messaging?

Oye is a tender and funny coming of age debut featuring a young lesbian Colombian teen trying to navigate the complexities of family drama, grief, sisterhood and identity.

The story is told in a very unique and ambitious way. We're introduced to Luciana and her family through a series of one sided phone conversations she is having with her older Sister Mari who is away at school. After her grandma undergoes a surgery, Luciana is forced to share a room with her grandma and her grandma's estranged sister. If this wasn't hectic enough her older sister Mari appears to not care about their grandma's deteriorating health and Luciana's mom is intent on denying Luciana's sexuality.

Overall I think Oye is an excellent debut. I was thoroughly entertained by the sassiness of the characters in particular Luciana and her grandmother. Although this is a story that specifically highlights a Colombian family I think alot of Latinx/e families would be able to find some of the outrageous behavior relatable.

Oye will primarily resonate with younger siblings although I do recommend for anyone to pick this up. I myself am the oldest and I couldn't help but feel like I was on the phone with my non-existent younger sister.

Although the author does tackle some pretty difficult topics like grief, homophobia and family drama, the comic relief brings levity to alot of these topics.

Publication date: May 14th

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group Hogarth for an advanced reader copy of this book.

I want to first start by saying, I loved this SO much! I was so investing in this story and could not put it down. I ate this one up! Having said that, if I'm being fully transparent, it didn't entirely work for me, but I think that was due to the format. The story is written in a one sided phone conversation between Luciana and her sister Mari. So imagine you're walking around Target and a stranger is on their phone have a very detailed, family drama filled conversation (not on speaker), that was this book. I won't say I didn't like the format, but I do think it would have delivered better via audio. (I will definitely be giving the audiobook a listen after pub date.)

Let's get into why I loved this so much. Luciana was hilarious. If you enjoyed Never Have I Ever and the snarky, quick witted teenage storytelling along with the eccentric family, this is for you! All I could think about while reading was how much Luciana reminded me of Devi. I laughed so much and felt like I was actually on the phone with Luciana myself. I am genuinely blow away that this is a debut. It was so incredibly clever and brilliant. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for a chance to be an early reader. All opinions are my own!

I suppose I should have read closer before downloading this book. I found it quite difficult to follow and the foul language in poor taste. It reads like stand up.comedy and gets nowhere fast. All I got out of it is Mother daughter yapping on a phone or texts about the stubborn grandmother. I only made it about 25% . I kept hoping there was something there. Sometimes difficult to tell who is doing the yapping. Maybe this book is for teenagers, not adult women. Not my cup of tea. Sorry, because I know the author probably poured a lot of heart & soul into it. If written as a story maybe we would like it.

The style in which this book is written made it hard for me to get into. This book is not for me. Thanks to the author, Random House/Hogarth, and NetGalley for the copy of the book to review.

Oye has this going for it - the author has so clearly keyed in on her main character’s voice and has executed the storytelling in such a unique and compelling way.

If you are interested in a queer Columbian teen’s perspective as she navigates family difficulties through her grandmother’s crisis, this book may be a great fit for you. Even more so if you are intrigued by a different type of narration - all of this is told as a series of phone calls from Luciana to her sister Mari who is away at college.

I applaud the author for her brave choice in narration and for knowing her character’s voice so well, and I think this book could be well received in the right hands.

However, I found Luciana’s voice grating and was able exhausted reading this type of narration. It was literally reading the ramblings of a teenager, and I just didn’t find the grandmother storyline compelling at all enough to drive the novel and the protagonist throughout the story.

Thank you to NetGalleg and Hogarth.

This is an interesting story about family dynamics but I really struggled with the format. The phone call style was hard to follow at times. Might be my age, but this format is not for me. Some people might find it refreshing in its differentness.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Although I requested it several times I was never able to get this title on my Kindle from Netgalley. I will not be request any more novels from them. This was one I really wanted to read, but now retired I don't have much discretionary spending at my disposal. The one star below is not for the book, but for this particular review platform.

Oye by Melissa Mogollon is a captivating coming-of-age comedy that seamlessly weaves in elements of a telenovela-worthy drama and a heartwarming family saga. I was hooked until the very end.

The debut novel, “Oye” by Melissa Mogollon is a captivating coming-of-age novel that blends comedy, drama, and family saga into a single phone call you won't want to hang up on.

Meet Luciana, the voice of reason in her rowdy Colombian American family. As she navigates an unexpected crisis during her senior year of high school, Luciana becomes the reluctant caretaker for her eccentric grandmother. Luciana's older sister is away at college, leaving Luciana to deal with their grandmother's refusal to evacuate during a hurricane in South Florida. But the storm isn't the only danger.

The news of her grandmother’s crushing medical diagnosis sets her on a personal journey. Her grandmother moves into Luciana's bedroom, and their complicated bond intensifies. Luciana, torn between her own desires and her newfound responsibilities, faces adulthood head-on. Grandmother steals the show with her wild demands and antics. Her character adds depth and unpredictability to the story.

“Oye” unfolds entirely through phone conversations. Luciana chronicles her experiences over the phone to Mari, creating an intimate and engaging narrative. It feels like eavesdropping on the most fascinating conversation. Mogollon captures the chaos, love, and secrets within a family. The interactions between Luciana, her grandmother, and other family members are both heartwarming and humorous.

Luciana's journey involves rewriting her own story. The novel celebrates resilience and the beauty that emerges from life's unexpected twists. Luciana's exploration of her identity and relationships adds depth to the narrative. Mogollon handles LGBTQ+ themes with sensitivity and authenticity.

“Oye” is a rollercoaster of emotions, but even better, it’s a telenovela-worthy drama infused with humour and heart. Mogollon's originality shines through, making this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a fresh and unforgettable literary experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think that the premise of this book is really touching however I could not get past the style of writing. It was difficult to understand what was happening.

You know that saying, don’t judge a book by its cover… well, I totally did, and I’m not one bit disappointed! I went into this book not knowing what to expect but definitely didn’t expect to relate to it so much!

While it took me a while to get into the writing style, as I obviously didn’t pay attention to the book description that it’s told in an one way phone conversation from the FMC, Luciana, POV. But once I got into it, it just flowed and worked.

I was reading Oye with the exact Latina, 18 yr old voice in my head… I could just picture Luciana the whole time. I crackled up, I laughed out loud and I felt my heart breaking… I don’t know if it’s because I’m Latina and also have a crazy family that resembles Luciana’s, or if it was because Luciana’s nickname is Nana which happens to be my daughter nickname, or if it was Abue and Luciana’s heartfelt relationship but it hit me in a way that left me longing to be closer to the my grandma who’s across the sea and to just embrace my crazy and chaotic family even more.

Oye is funny, tragic, dramatic, modern and not your typical story. It’s more than just a funny read… it covered so much- family drama, sickness, trauma, culture, relationships, self discovery, acceptance in a way I haven’t seen! I’m so glad I judge this book and will be thinking about it for a while 🫶🏽.

Oh, and a heads up!! Be prepared to fall in love with Abue- she’s not your typical grandma but she’s a grandma you would love to have by your side!

This was a solid 4.5/5 read for me! 💫