Mark Oshiro's second novel is a fantasy in which protagonist Xochitl (pronounced "Sō-chi") has inherited the onerous position of cuentista in her village of Empalme. The cuentista is a role similar to a confessor with a dash of therapist. She listens to the stories, confessions, fears, sorrows of her fellow villagers and then releases them to Solís, the sun god, acting as a conduit for their absolution. A role she neither sought or wants, Xochitl longs to break away and find a different life for herself.

This is on the one hand a beautiful novel of self-discovery encouraging young people to follow their dreams to make the best of themselves and their opportunities to lead fulfilling lives, not being shackled by the expectation of others. I loved Xochitl and Emilia and the road they travel together. And I also loved the gorgeous line drawings denoting location and time of day that head various chapters. But linguistically, I was frustrated by this novel. There is such a hash of Spanglish (and no glossary, so I strongly suggest reading on an eReader like Kindle if you're not a Spanish speaker, so you can look up translations not made in the course of the text more easily) and I was bothered by the actual colloquial use of some of the terms, such as cuentista, which means "liar" in Castillian Spanish. As a Latina reader, I'm frankly increasingly bothered by the Spanglish mashup in books for young people. I feel it just deteriorates a beautiful language reducing it to catchphrases for the English speaking population. I know that's not the author's intent, but it's my reaction to the style. Sorry but es mi veridad.

Overall, a beautiful story, albeit in a style I personally found frustrating.

The audiobook, which I'm listening to on release day, is beautifully narrated by Frankie Corzo.

I received a paper and digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was so beautiful. It’s difficult to describe the plot, so I’ll talk about everything else that I loved.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mark Oshiro, and I adore his writing. It’s lyrical, atmospheric and utterly captivating, painting a vivid picture of this strange desert world with magical creatures, where danger lurks at every corner. I also liked how it here were numerous chapters about the lives of various side characters; t his is an a aspect of storytelling that doesn’t work in every book, but I thought it worked well here.

The protagonist, Xochitl, travels far away from home, embarking on a journey to a faraway place. I loved her character; she was brave and kind, and I really enjoyed watching her struggling to break free from the person she was told she had to be. Her growth throughout the story was fantastic to witness, as she slowly realised her own worth and what she wanted from the world. The side characters she meets along the way were also excellent — all of them had their own backstories and distinct personalities. Furthermore, the slow burn romance between the protagonist and another female character was tender and adorable.

This is probably one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. It’s not really an action-packed book — I would say that much of what happens focuses on Xoochitl’s internal turmoil, as well as Emilia’s. But I hope that that doesn’t deter you, because I still thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Full review here: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2020/09/15/arc-review-each-of-us-a-desert/

Each Of Us A Desert by Mark Oshiro is an incredible fantasy YA that weaves stories and the characters’ journey with themes of history, family, connections, spirituality, and finding a purpose. The emotional depth of this book is just as vast as the desert it’s set in, and the beautiful prose supplements the characters, themes, stories, and journeys written here. I’m really impressed with what Oshiro has done with their stylistic and narrative choices and the way they let Xochitl’s story unfold. I haven’t read anything quite like Each of Us A Desert in YA fiction and it’s just been an incredible privilege to get an eARC of this book.

I got an ARC of this book.

I ended up not finishing this book, but I feel confident writing a review. I read a third of the book and have some pretty strong opinions.

The book isn’t bad per say. I was just bored. The story never picked up for me. If I am bored after a hundred pages, why am I still reading? The biggest issue for me really was that the story resembled one of my favorite books and it just couldn’t compare. So I think this is really on me and not the book. My favorite is a novella and had so much more of an emotional impact, then this one takes a hundred pages to really even have the plot start to go somewhere? I just couldn’t take it.

The writing was really pretty. I was impressed with how fluid that everything was. It flowed between English and Spanish in a way that felt organic and wonderful. It was not a forced switch with constantly translations for the English reader. It was just the way things were. It was lovely and really added a truth to the story that just wouldn’t have existed otherwise. I can’t imagine this story written in any other way. It really was a big detail and the main thing I liked.

The author is clearly not someone who was born with a vagina. I say this because there were SO MANY references to her period and cramping. Seriously? My period was literally two weeks long and had a week of cramping and mood swings before it. I bled so much I was seriously scared of bleeding out. I had to see doctors. I am trans and my world shut down for three weeks every month, because of this. Yet, I still thought about my period less. This was just another example of an author who doesn’t quite get what being a woman is like. The story would not have been any different if she didn’t have her period. It served no purpose but to make me roll my eyes. There were even more references to peeing, like even the smell of her urine was described at one point. It just didn’t make any sense to me. This was part of why I was bored.

I didn’t even make it to the queer content I was promised. Maybe you will make it further. I just couldn’t take the meandering plot that never seemed to start. The writing was great (most of the time). It really was just the slow pacing on this one. I wanted to like it.

This is a powerful, magical story of a girl coming of age amidst overwhelming responsibility. Your heart both breaks and cheers for Xochitl on her journey to discover her place in her world as a daughter, a cuentista and herself. Mark Oshiro's writing is superb and rich. You can nearly feel the oppressive heat of the desert, the horror of the sabueso and the shock as Xo's carefully kept stories take on a life of their own. This is a story that you'll consider days after you've finished it, and quite possibly re-read to capture it all.

This was a wild ride. Beautifully written. A gem. An oasis in the desert. Each of us are a desert. We truly are. A journey of self discovery. A journey of truths. I didn't see anything coming and I welcomed every twist with open arms. Hugging the pain away.
How can I review a book that's much more than that? Words can't be put on paper without having everything they mean distorted, ruined. You have to experience it first-hand. This will be your journey, too.

I loved how unapologetically queer this was. This was not a coming out story, this was not a romance even if it had tension and love in it. People just existed, whether they loved differed or coincided with their gender identity it didn't matter. They existed, they loved, they lived their truths. And I loved that.

Reading the acknowledgements made me appreciate every detail of the main character's journey even more. It made my heart hurt. It gave it a deeper meaning and I appreciate the author for being so opened with it. This mustn't have been easy and it transpired in every word.

Storytelling is a powerful gift passed down from generation to generation, in the oral or written tradition.
When Xochitl inherits the cuentista gift she must cleanse her village when they need it but she starts to feel abused by their privilege.

When a group of men come to take over her village and threaten their lives she decides to take action and starts a journey. With each new person we meet we hear their story. Oh the journey she befriends her enemies daughter Emelia and their relationship grows.

In this life, there are those people that are great listeners. And when you have a huge burden or anxiety or fear over something and you need to unburden yourself you unload onto them. You give them everything and feel so much better and you've given them all of those second hand feelings. But is this fair if you do it over and over with out letting them reciprocate. There are people that are empathic that will feel those stories like physical weights being placed on themselves while others might not even absorb your words. Each of us are alone in this world and each of us have our people. Each of us want to feel that our lives have meaning in this life and that we have purpose.

This story is an poetic blend of Spanish and English, (luckily my kindle is equipped with a translator for the words I don't know). I found the narrative unique like it was a story directed solely to Solís. Which I then read the author's note and it was written that way. I definitely felt like I was in a desert the world felt so hot and dusty. I felt so tired from the journey like I had been on it. I will tell you the familial relationships of two men and two women and pronouns used of they was beautiful. I'm so used to divisive language, that having it just be common was refreshing.

This book isn't like anything I've ever read before, the way the themes are submerged with the plot is brilliant. The writing style was very unique, but the pacing can either fit in the whole atmosphere beautifully or make you struggle to finish the book, depending on your preferences.

The book's premise is very captivating. It's set in a post-apocalyptic desert world, following the story of the 16-year-old Xochitl, the cuentista of her village. Since she was 8 years old, her main job was to use her special powers to take her village's people stories of wrongdoings to give them to Solis, their god, to rid them of the guilt and nightmares caused by those stories. For that reason, people see Xochitl's power as a privilege that was given to her out of all people, which makes her role the most important in the village. In addition to the exhaustion that comes after the rituals she performs, Xochitl feels that the responsibility that comes with her powers is more than she can endure and eventually starts questioning whether her role as a cuentista is really a privilege. That's how she ends up on a long journey of self-discovery in the middle of the desert, in which she witnesses all sorts of magical and supernatural wonders.

It took me some time to connect to the world and the magic system in the first part of the book, but their description was amazing, and the desert setting was very entertaining to explore. The prose was more than beautiful; the author's style is lyrical and atmospheric, linking the literal and metaphorical aspects of the story in a very smooth way. It definitely pulls you in with the whole atmosphere especially with the use of Spanish, which I'm not sure if it'd be a problem with other readers, since I knew enough of the language not to need to check up the Spanish words/expressions, and I think it made the experience even more unique. The main character was perfectly set out, we get to follow her step by step and explore her thoughts, complicated emotions, and tough decisions. She gets to grow, learn, change, and develop gradually throughout the whole story and we get to see that closely. I definitely liked her companion and the development of the relationship between them. The romance was perfectly built up and full of strong emotions that warmed my heart. The best part of the book though was the different themes explored, like the power of stories, their impact on our lives, what they tell about us, as well as what we can learn from them. There's also a whole discussion about faith, and how it can be challenged when we see different perspectives, leading us to question our perceived views, and that was very relatable. For a YA book, the overall tone was darker than I expected; it may sound like a fairy-tale-ish story, but it definitely isn't and it contains many tough, heart-wrenching moments and triggering scenes, which I was definitely down for.

Now, my only, but not so little, problem was the pacing. This book is not plot-driven. It's very descriptive and takes its time to slowly develop the characters and explore the themes, and for a book this length, it takes way too long for the plot to move. Character-driven stories are usually a hit or a miss for me, this one was a miss, unfortunately. I struggled to keep myself connected to the story with the pace that slow. Needless to say, it took me longer than usual to finish the book, and I had to put it down multiple times. It's still a matter of preference; the slow pace in this specific book can work just so perfectly for other readers.

Overall, this book was unique, its setting was phenomenal and the writing style was more than excellent. I loved the premise, the fantasy elements, and the characters, but the slow pace made it pretty hard for me to go through. So, unless you're not into character-driven fantasy books, I highly recommend this one!

Each of Us a Desert follows the story of Xochitl, a cuentista, who’s tasked with returning the stories of her people to Solis, their almighty. However, Xochitl longs to free of the responsibilities she never asked for, and thus, she undertakes the journey of a lifetime.

You guys, this book gave me some incredible the Alchemist/Gabriel Garcia Marquez vibes!!!! (Please do note that I haven’t read more than 10% of the Alchemist; it just wasn’t for me. However the vibes I refer to here are on a positive note xD)

The first misconception I had about this book is that it is a read-it-in-a-single-sitting kinda book. However, I happened to find that reading a lot of it in one sitting isn’t as wonderful as reading, and savouring, it, part by part. The second misconception I had about this is that it would primarily be a tale of finding love. Turns out, this is much more than that. This book is about finding yourself.

The first quarter of the book is hella slow, but, persevere. If you enjoyed One Hundred Years of Solitude by GGM, chances are, you’ll enjoy this too! This is my first book by Oshiro, and I’d love to read more of their work.

Though its pacing isn’t exactly its strongest aspect, the writing and characterization most definitely are. I ADORED the way each character was given intense back-stories, it helped make all of them real. And Xochitl! Her fascination with the poems, her conflict over her duties and Solis, and her unending desire for a different kind of life were ALL beautifully represented. The slowburn f/f romance was also beautiful! Oshiro’s writing really brings the characters to life, and the poems are just. perfection. They really gave the story a whole ‘nother dimension!

There was so much to love about this book! From the beginning, the writing was absolutely beautiful. Xochitl's job as a cuentista is to take people's stories and give them back to Solis, and the whole book is written as Xo's story to Solis, telling her own story.

From a young age, her job was to be a means to an end, and she gets more and more exhausted with having to fulfill a role that was thrust onto her, without choice, without power, and without genuine companionship. At first, it seems that Xo's entire personality is being a cuentista for others, taking on the worst parts of themselves so they don't have to. She seems one dimensional as a character, but then you learn that that's the problem itself (and so does she). From then on, she finds company in some very unexpected places, and finds herself as she's losing herself to the stories she's keeping.

From start to finish, this was such a new and exciting premise and I love how it turned out and the twists that I wasn't expecting. There were some parts that felt a little laggy but because I loved the writing so much I ate it all up anyway.

Each Of Us A Desert is a story of responsibility, freedom, love, and the strictures of power, told via a desperate journey across an unforgiving desert to a destination which keeps shifting to remain just out of reach.

The structure of the journey in this book is really good. It feels open without being aimless, they have places they're trying to go and things they need to do or find there, but part of the point seems to be that what they're looking for keeps being just out of reach, or not quite what they thought it would be. The ending is amazing, it brought everything together in a way that surprised me while also completely fitting the story. The characters are great, the prose is beautiful, and I love the way that we travel through various towns with different ways of handling something which is deeply personal to the main character in a way that, by the end, changes the way they think about it. I don't understand Spanish, but the way it was interwoven with the English meant I had enough context to get the feeling of what was being said even if I don't know the translation.

I love everything this book was doing, but it was a difficult read for me because I’m terrified of vomit. The MC (for great and very interesting plot reasons) spends a long stretch in the book occasionally throwing up and consistently thinking about how she’s trying not to throw up. If you have a phobia of that very particular thing (as I do) then please be careful. It’s handled with care and there isn’t much of a description in each instance, but it’s very clear that that’s what’s happening and so it stressed me out. If you don’t have that specific phobia then you’ll probably be fine, this just happens to be a major thing for me and it affected how much I could handle reading at a time.

Overall this is fantastic, and if you don't have my particular hangup you should be fine (just check the CWs first). It felt different from anything else I've read and I definitely recommend it.

CW for vomit, dismemberment, gore, massacre, parental death, murder.

“Cada una de nosotras es una desierta
Solitaria y vasta
Quemada
Nos estiramos por siempre.
Each of us a desert
Solitary and vast
Burned
We stretch forever.”

Within the first few pages Mark is able to take me to a part of my life that I’ve been lacking since the start of this year. This small town of Empalma and how everyone acts with one another, it reminds me of going to my grandparents house for a party. This is shown even more with spanish being added into the story in such a natural way. Although I don’t know a lot (as I’m barely learning spanish) whenever I do get a word right I’d just be happy and move on. When I didn’t know the words Mark had made sure to put enough context clues for you to be able to decipher it or put a translation. You get these especially with the poems which are my favorite parts. This was my first time reading a book that was written in spanglish and I enjoyed it very much. Now onto the rest of the book.

One thing I now know I can depend on Mark for is characters and beautiful writing. Every side character I can remember their name and their backstory. He makes them feel like real people as opposed to just the cast you’ll be reading about for the next 400 pages and then forget right afterwards. These characters have life in them, and I think he’s able to do that with how these characters are portrayed. All having faults and needing to tell someone of their guilt, anger, fear or shame. And the one character who can hear them out and take their pain away is of course our main character Xochital.

And if I thought the side characters were memorable I of course mean that even more with our main characters. Xo being stuck with a power of having to take on everyone’s pain and get nothing in return is the perfect way for the reader to immediately go on her side and root for her to find a way to be rid of it.Then when we learn their might be a way from the character Emilia you just get hooked into the story more and want to continue on this journey to see it happen. And that is where Mark’s writing comes into play of making you feel like you’re in this desert with them, traveling these long days till you get to your goal. And along the way you get to see Xo and Emilia slowly grow closer till their end of admitting their love for one another. I greatly appreciate that the romance does not completely take over the story and instead being subtle with the looks they give each other and Xo’s thoughts. I greatly enjoyed that we stayed focused on the journey and the development of these characters.

Then we get to the ending and I’m sure Mark is also really great at writing final lines:

“I just hope that you have been listening. Because this is the last story I will ever tell.”

And I love me a good ambiguous ending of knowing enough of what might happen, but not getting the conclusion if that’s what happened. It’s very bittersweet and all you can really hope for Xo is that Emilia will stay with her till the end, even if she has to remind her everyday of their journey and how they grew close to one another.

There wasn’t much that I didn’t enjoy about this book, besides maybe the gorey details that popped up but that’s a personal thing with me being grossed out as opposed to it being random and not needed. Those moments were absolutely gritty and dark so I just loved how real it got. Showing how despicable people can be to one another.

Overall I adored this story and look forward to when Mark Oshiro decides to put out his next book because I will buy it without question.

This is a hauntingly beautiful story. I loved the use of the desert as the setting as well as an extended metaphor. The characters are complex, the story line filled with twists and turns. Unique and delightful.

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro is a fantasy novel set in a world that is now a desert. It is believed that, as a punishment, the god Solís sent a firestorm to decimate mankind and the few people who survived had to adapt to the post-apocalyptic setting.

In the midst of all of this, Xochitl is a Cuentista, a person who has the most important job of all, to hear people's stories and tell them to Solís as a way of absolvement. The part she plays is fundamental to her village, Empalme, or so she's been told all her life. However, when dangerous circumstances make her leave Empalme, she must take Emilia's help and cross the desert and get to Solado, a place she's sure she can find help.

"I had my doubts about You and Your love but at the moment surrounded by possibility ad hope it was easier to believe" — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert

I didn't know the book had the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope, so that was a very nice surprise. Nevertheless, I appreciated how both characters, Xochitl and Emilia, had their own separate journeys that happened to overlap. Xochitl is trying to understand her part in the world beyond being a Cuentista and Emilia wishes to flee from her cruel father. Because of that, they felt realistic and were easy to relate to. Concerning all the characters actually, Mark Oshiro was excellent in portraying the good and the bad in human nature. Throughout the book, we hear confessions from different people and therefore we learn that literally every character is flawed and carries some kind of sin.

Xochitl especially had an amazing character development throughout the story, as she met new people and places, as she learns more about Cuentistas. More than her journey crossing the desert, that was what I enjoyed. Besides, I loved how the small stories here and there Xochitl is told shaped or reshaped the characters while also having an impact on Xo.

“We all decided to come on this journey,” she reminded me. “You get to decide how to end it.” — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert

As for the plot, to be honest, the beginning of the book felt a little bit slow, as most fantasy novels are due to, you know, all the introductions and such. Regardless, once I reached about 25% of the story, I read it all in one sitting. The ending was satisfactory concerning the plot, although I could have read five more pages as an epilogue or something. Of course, that's just because I am a sappy greedy reader.

Oh, and the plot is not exactly focused on romance, but if you are into a slow burn, wlw, this book is "chef's kiss".

Anyway, I have to praise Mark Oshiro for having written such a beautifully worded book. And in two languages, no less! Each of Us a Desert has a lot of Spanish in it, which I highly appreciated. But, if you don't speak the language, don't worry! The story will still be clear, I promise. Also, the world-building is amazing! It's Mark's fantasy debut and I think he's done a great job creating a post-apocalypse world with so much depth. (also, let's be real, with climate change and all, the desert-like scenario is very possible).

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro is a great fantasy read and a strong pick for the Latinx Heritage Month!

I don’t know how I feel about each of us a desert. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I found myself very confused right from the start and I kept feeling like I was missing something, like some backstory or off page world building I’m just not understanding. I don’t know if that was due to the book or myself. I guess it felt a little like I missed the start of the story and jumped in a couple of chapters later.
I will say, as usual, Mark Oshiro’s writing was amazing and I think what I loved most about this book: on that alone I recommend this one. As I’m still figuring out how I felt about this one, I’m unsure of how to rate it, but I think a solid 3 stars would be fair.

I really enjoyed this, I thought the writing was gorgeous and poetic. The world building was super interesting and overall an unforgettable story.

Each of Us a Desert won my heart solely by having one of most beautiful and lush prose imaginable. It instantly hooked me with its beckoning fingers, and I found myself standing next to Xochitl. When reading, the prose itself evoked a yearning so devious it could not be sated. I drank it in by the mouthfuls, and yet found myself still parched and hungry for more. Exactly how Xochitl feels, which makes sense because she is the one telling her own story. Only the recipient she intended it for is not the one listening.

The book is vivid in its imagery and emotions. And they are what seamlessly carry the book, through wild wastelands and sprawling cities. I immediately fell in love with the book because of its setting – an unending desert land, that is not seen as something despicable or savage; but it is home to many different villages and cities. I think that because of white, colonial gaze, we have all come to see deserts as wastelands where nothing but danger and death await. Some see them as useless swaths of land, unyielding and home to the “uncivilised”. But Mark Oshiro changed that perception by populating their desert with people, guardians, gods and myths; something truly fascinating and beautiful, which is closer to the truth than any other portrayals of deserts that I have ever seen.

For me, reading this book was like watching one of those intense films in which the camera is focused on the main character’s face and hands the entire time; with opportune cuts to these wide shots of their surroundings. What I mean by that is, the story is focused entirely on Xochitl and her emotions; but it manages to be scintillatingly atmospheric. This is a story about the journey, not the destination. You find yourself in the desert, facing the sweltering heat and with a parched throat, walking beside Xochitl; all because of the vivid descriptions of the characters’ journey through many different parts of desert. Throughout her journey, Xochitl finds her beliefs and understanding of the world constantly challenged. How she reflects and interprets those challenges is what makes this book immensely delightful to read. You cannot peel your eyes off of this girl, whose world falls and rebuilds over and over again. I had seen some people say that even through a significant portion of the book, they couldn’t gauge what Xochitl’s characters is supposed to be like; and to them I say, that is the point! She is a blank slate, because that is what she was told to be. La cuentista, who holds everyone’s stories inside her; but she shrunk her own down to accommodate others.

As someone who looks at religion and religious stories only from an interest point of view, Each of Us a Desert paints with most impressive brushstrokes. From its inception to its conclusion, the story deals with religious events and its various interpretations through Xochitl’s lens. It challenges the readers perception of their own religious perceptions as well. The end that it reaches is glum, but somehow also soothing; probably because it is somewhat rooted in reality.

I also enjoyed the very subtle and beautiful slow-burn sapphic (f/f) romance this book interspersed through its pages. How the relationship between the characters constantly sifts in the sand – enemies, distrustful acquaintances, friends, people who understand each other intrinsicly, destined for each other. Although, I would have liked to see some more yearning and angst, especially with the point their relationship reaches at the end of the book.

The finale of this book is ambigous; or to be fair, open-ended. Which I think accurately reflects its theme of the journey being more important than the destination. However, we did reach a destination and learnt the harsh truth. A truth that reflects themes of colonisation and how it changed the landscape of colonised countries; that shows that the violence created by colonisers in a quest for power and riches begets more violence, because some of those oppressed seek that power too. It was a destination that changed everything; but the book doesn’t end there. I understand that there is more to be said and resolved, and that Xochitl must journey back to her home; but the journey no longer holds that same allure, because we have already seen everything there is to see. Which is why, even though I understood the reason behind it, that return journey grated on my nerves.

Each of Us a Desert made me feel every emotion and experience every single grain of the desert sand, every crook of the mountain rock and every bead of sweat that formed on Xochitl’s forehead. I highly recommend this book, not only for its lush prose and atmospheric setting; but for the deeper questions it asks of humanity and faith.

i've settled on a 3.5 out of 5 stars! i really enjoyed this book and thought it was really fresh and interesting. there were only a few areas it felt a little bit lacking to me but we'll get to that later, first let me start with the things i liked!

the diversity! THE DIVERSITY! so! much! representation! in! this! book! there were lots of different sexualities incorporated into this book, as well as the effortless use of they/them pronouns, which i really appreciated. we also follow the main characters as a sapphic romance develops, which as many of you know is something i'm always looking for in books so i can recommend books with f/f romance to fellow sapphic people!

i absolutely loved the integration of the spanish language (though i do see that this could be jarring for some people so i'd recommend having a dictionary at the ready for translations, if you think you'll need it, as the meanings of the words are often important - definitely don't consider that as a chore though or let it put you off because it's always good to be learning!) this wasn't much of a hurdle to me though as i have a somewhat basic understanding of the language, and i loved learning some new words too (it was actually really gratifying to realise by the end that i was better able to read and understand a lot of spanish phrases without needing to pause and think!)

on the topic of the writing style: this is written in a sort of devotional way to solís, from xochitl's voice, addressed to 'you' (solís). i thought this was really interesting, and set it apart from many other books, giving xo a really strong narrative voice.

however the writing style wasn't always for me - i tend to prefer much more descriptive writing, and this was more straight to the point a lot of the times. (the writing style was still really nice and individual - it's just a personal preference but i think i might've enjoyed it that tiny bit more if it was little more descriptive sometimes)

also, the plot started off quite slow and the characters (to me) felt quite flat for a while into the book - these were both things that i felt improved towards the end - but for a lot of the time i didn't feel too invested in the plot or characters. (definitely don't let this put you off though, because of course everyone connects better with different characters and stories than others!)

whilst i did feel it had a bit of a slow start, the plot definitely did thicken - and that ENDING THOUGH!

(this review has been posted on goodreads, and will soon be up on my blog along with an instagram post at the weekend)

Mostly ok. I did think parts of it were boring. I thought the premise sounded pretty good, but once I started reading, I knew I probably wasn't going to be hooked. I tried though! Just not the book for me.

4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: fantasy, story-telling, journeys, unique narration styles, LGBTQ characters, enemies-to-lovers

This book tells the story of la cuentista, Xochitl, who relieves others of their burdens by taking their stories and returning them to the earth (technically, Solis, but whatever). It's such a fascinating concept, particularly with the post-apocalyptic fantasy setting Oshiro wrote it in. For the most part, it lives up to that promise.

In terms of something I wasn't too fond of, I feel like the bit with Solado was 1) rushed and 2) not foreshadowed nearly enough. It was a pretty big reveal and obviously there was some foreshadowing going on there, but I still feel like it kind of came out of left field and barely lasted 10 pages. It's an interesting way to tell a story, with the climax being quick enough that the story really revolves around the to-and-from the climactic moment/location, but I would've liked something more in Solado. That being said, there was one foreshadowed moment that was a bit too obvious, but I'll let readers decide for themselves how they feel about that, since I was rolling my eyes at Xochitl not figuring it out until she did and, frankly, I actually think it worked despite the obviousness of it.

Also, Julio is set up to be the main villain with his supuestos and he is just really...not. Having read the entire book I understand why things happened the way they did, but while I was reading I got to a certain part and was kind of like 'well what happens now?'. I was only about 30% of the way through at that point and a certain sequence of events left me wondering what was left to tell. So, if you're reading this before reading the book, I'd advise to perhaps be aware this story is very much a self vs self/internal conflict sort of a book rather than one that focuses on self vs other/external conflict.

I also wish we got to know/see more about the world Xochitl and Emilia are in, but I also get that, for the story to work, we really can't. Something that makes this book so fascinating is that it is largely about the journey and realizations that the characters, mostly Xochitl, have and what they decide to do about it. It's a story about the stories and truths and lies we tell ourselves and each other and how they can become so tangled and ingrained that we stop questioning them. It's a fantastically tangled web and I love it. While it is a bit rocky at first, once you get into it it's easy to get caught up in Xochitl and the stories people tell her and the various myths people have about la cuentista and Solis.

The narrative structure is rather unique as well. It's told from 2nd POV, with Xochitl narrating as she tells the story to Solis. It's not particularly a format you see all that much and, of the one other story I remember being really genuinely 2nd POV, it is easy to do very very badly (I cannot for the life of me remember the book it was, but W O W it turned me off of 2nd POV narration). Oshiro does it well, though, and it's a unique method of storytelling that doesn't get overwhelming and, considering the theme and plot of the book, it works well for Each of Us a Desert. The story is also circular, in a way, which I liked but won't say too much about to avoid spoilers.

Onto the characters: Xochitl is an interesting character, naturally. In the beginning of the story, she's stuck in a relatively dead-end town where she's pretty much solely talked to by people who want her to relieve their burdens by taking their stories. Xochitl, on the other hand, does not feel burden-free from taking these stories and sees it, rather, as a burden that was thrust upon her but which she must perform to save her people. Things always get complex when you mix resentment with responsibility for other lives. Add in Julio and that was a spark just waiting to burst. Xochitl wants so much to be seen and wants to be able to choose her own path and, though the start to her journey doesn't begin that well, she is able to go on that journey and grow a lot as a character.

Emilia is really the other character we get to see the most of, and while it's harder to judge how much she changes over the course of the book, she certainly seems different at the end than she did at the beginning of the journey. Poor Emilia has been through a lot in a different way than Xochitl has been, but she, too, just wants to be free and feel seen. From a girl who feels helpless to stop her father from hurting aldeas and her she transforms into someone who can survive and lead people through the desert toward hope and peace, however and wherever they find that.

Overall, I feel like Each of Us a Desert is a good book and I enjoyed it. The narrative structure was unique without being overwhelming and fit very well with the themes and plots of the story. I liked the characters and, though it was hard to get a feel for the world at first, I did enjoy the bits we got to learn about it throughout the book. I do prefer books with a little more action to them typically, even if it's relatively minor, and felt the climax was too sudden and quick, but I don't think those things detract too much from the story since the characters, plot, and events were interesting and enjoyable.