•ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL•

~ENGLISH~

The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!

I have many mixed feelings with this novel. When I read the synopsis I didn't know what to expect about the characters or the adventure of Xochitl or Emilia but as I was reading I realized that the author surprised me a lot with this work.
I had not read anything from Mark Oshiro, so this is a new author for me, but I must say that this adventure was unexpected.

The story centers on Xochitl, la cuentista from Empalme, who has been given the power to listen to the stories of the citizens of Empalme, whom she must help to confess and then deliver those stories to Solís, the goddess who observes and protects them all.
The role of la cuentista is very important, thanks to this the people of Empalme can purify themselves and prevent their mistakes from becoming nightmares and torment them all, maintaining communication between citizens and Solís. For the people of Empalme, the role of la cuentista is very important, but Xochitl does not want to have that gift, she doesn't want to be una cuentista, she had no choice. She does her job but wants more, and when she witnesses a horrible event, she thinks she has failed as la cuentista and Solís has punished her. Now she must leave Empalme and find the truth in the desert, find her place and someone who can help and understand her. But she will not be alone, because Emilia, the daughter of a murderer and dictator, will accompany her on that path of self-discovery.

Although I got an idea of what the story was going to be about thanks to the synopsis, meeting Xochitl and her story was really unexpected, incredible.
She is the narrator and tells the story to you as if you were Solís, she confesses on each page and each paragraph and shows you what is like to live in Empalme. She tells you how las cuentistas came to be and the important role they have and everything is so interesting that it keeps you attentive to what is going to happen.

In addition, the atmosphere is very unique, with that touch of mystical magic that surrounds everything and that touch of traditional Mexican pueblitos. It seriously transports you that atmosphere that the author put it! I was able to identify myself too much because I'm from Mexico and thanks to that I can say that the author did an incredible job representing this feeling of a Mexican pueblito.
It is even striking that, while reading the story, you come across phrases and words in Spanish, that helped the atmosphere a lot~.

On the other hand, we have the characters that seemed very mysterious to me, very curious, especially Emilia.
Throughout the book we know Xochitl's perspective and his way of being, but with his role as la cuentista we get to know other characters like Emilia, Manolito, Omar, Ofelia... Each one of them different, people who represent human errors, lies, secrets. Throughout history we see how Xochitl realizes the mistakes humans fall into over and over and over again. Each character is very complex but, although I did not feel much empathy for any of them, Emilia and her complexity caught my attention. I would have loved to know more about her, more in-depth, but I'm actually satisfied with her and Xochitl.

This is a very unique adventure, with the aim of knowing the truth and finding your place in the world, a journey to discover yourself that it will be full of magic and deceit, secrets and dangers. There are some parts where the magic gets very dark and I think those were my favorites.

I really liked the book, I enjoyed it, however I think it is the kind of book that you have to read slowly, take the time to reflect and not read it as quickly (as I did). I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it slowly.
As for the couple, I think this book would have been perfect if the romance had been based. I found the couple they made to be super cute, but I still couldn't stop thinking that I felt that it had appeared out of nowhere. I think that, the slow reading and the fact that in the end it was not my type of reading made the score drop, but I think the story has a lot of potential, it is magical and interesting, full of secrets and adventure. It is perfect for people who love slow, reflective books with touches of magic.

~ESPAÑOL~
El ARC de esta novela fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta. ¡Muchas gracias!

Tengo muchos sentimientos encontrados con esta novela. Cuando leí la sinopsis no tenía muy claro qué esperar sobre los personajes o la aventura de Xochitl o Emilia pero conforme fui leyendo me di cuenta que el autor me sorprendió muchísimo con esta obra.
No había leído nada de Mark Oshiro, así que este es un autor nuevo para mi, pero debo decir que fue inesperada esta aventura.

La historia se centra en Xochitl, la cuentista de Empalme, que ha sido otorgada con el poder de escuchar las historias de los ciudadanos de Empalme, a quienes debe ayudar a confesarse para luego entregar dichas historias a Solís, la diosa que los observa y protege a todos.
El papel de una cuentista es muy importante, gracias a este, las personas de Empalme pueden purificarse y evitar que sus errores se conviertan en pesadillas y los atormenten a todos, mantienen comunicación entre los ciudadanos y Solís. Para el pueblo de Empalme, el rol de una cuentista es muy importante, pero Xochitl no desea tener ese don, no desea ser una cuentista, no tuvo ninguna opción. Ella hace su trabajo pero quiere más, desea más, y cuando presencia un horrible suceso, piensa que ha fallado como cuentista y Solís la ha castigado. Ahora debe salir de Empalme y encontrar la verdad en el desierto, encontrar su lugar y a alguien que pueda ayudarla y entenderla. Pero no estará sola, porque Emilia, la hija de un asesino y dictador, la acompañará en ese camino de autodescubrimiento.

Aunque me hice una idea de lo que iba a tratar la historia gracias a la sinopsis, conocer a Xochitl y su historia fue realmente inesperado, increíble.
Ella es la narradora y te cuenta la historia a ti como si fueras Solís, se confiesa en cada página y cada párrafo y te enseña cómo es la vida en Empalme. Te cuenta cómo llegaron a surgir las cuentistas y el rol tan importante que tienen y todo es tan interesante que te mantiene atento a lo que va a pasar.

Además, la ambientación es muy única, con ese toque de magia mística que lo envuelve todo y ese toque de pueblo tradicional mexicano. En serio te transporta esa ambientación que le puso el autor! Pude identificarme demasiado porque soy de México y gracias a eso puedo decir que el autor hizo un increíble trabajo al representar esta sensación de pueblito mexicano.
Incluso llama la atención que, mientras lees la historia, te encuentras con frases y palabras en español, eso ayudó muchísimo a la ambientación~.

Por otro lado, tenemos a los personajes que me parecieron muy misteriosos, muy curiosos, especialmente Emilia.
A lo largo del libro conocemos la perspectiva de Xochitl y su forma de ser, pero con su rol de cuentista llegamos a conocer a fondo a otros personajes como Emilia, Manolito, Omar, Ofelia... Cada uno de ellos diferentes, personas que representan los errores humanos, los vivios, los secretos. A lo largo de la historia vemos cómo Xochitl se da cuenta de los errores en los que los humanos caen una y otra y otra vez. Cada personaje es muy complejo pero, aunque no sentí mucha empatía por ninguno de ellos, me llamó la atención Emilia y su complejidad. Me hubiera encantado conocer más sobre ella, más a fondo, pero en realidad estoy satisfecha con ella y Xochitl.

Esta es una aventura muy única, con el objetivo de conocer la verdad y encontrar tu lugar en el mundo, un viaje para auto descubrirse que va a estar lleno de magia y engaños, secretos y peligros. Hay algunas partes donde la magia se vuelve muy oscura y creo que esos fueron mis favoritos.

Me gustó mucho el libro, lo disfruté, sin embargo creo que es el tipo de libro que hay que leerlo a pausas, tomarse el tiempo de reflexionar y no leerlo tan rápido (como yo lo hice). Creo que lo hubiera disfrutado más de haberlo leído lentamente.
En cuanto a la pareja, creo que este libro hubiera quedado perfecto si hubiera tenido bases el romance. Me pareció super cute la pareja que hacían, pero no terminaba de encantarme porque sentía que había aparecido de la nada. Creo que eso, lo lento de la lectura y el hecho de que al final no fue mi tipo de lectura hicieron que bajara la puntuación, pero creo que la historia tiene mucho potencial, es mágica e interesante, llena de secretos y aventura. Es perfecta para las personas que aman los libros lentos, reflexivos y con toques de magia.

In a post apocalyptic world, Xochitl is la cuentista, a kind of sin eater through the stories her community tells her. A traumatic event causes her to run and try to learn how to find value in herself beyond what she does for her village and find the truth of her abilities.

This was beautiful and lyrical and left me breathless. A book about the importance of the stories we tell each other and ourselves, and the choices that we make.

First of all, I want to thank Tor Teen for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest thoughts, celebrating "Latino Book Month"

WOW, I'm really impressed by the quality, intensity, reality, and depth of this story, I think it will be one of those difficult reviews to write due to the emotional charge that this book gives me with its pages. There's so much that I could share with you about the book, but I'll try to give what I can without spoilers, throwing all my thoughts and feelings here, so I hope it's understood. In summary, this book is a poem about the strengths and weaknesses of human beings. It's about overcoming fear & going in search of your own truth and your own destiny, I loved it, obviously!


This story follows Xochitl, "la cuentista" of her village who one day, after a tragic and unexpected event, decides to go out to pursue the truth about her destiny and for this, she must undertake a dangerous journey across the desert. But their path ends up bumping into Emilia's, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town's murderous mayor, and together they'll go through hundreds of creepy and challenging obstacles to discover their destinies, and meanwhile, something magical begins to emerge between them.


I loved it! Something really magical happened to me with this book, I knew that I would love it from the moment I started reading it, there's something in which it feels very captivating and unique, so it was inevitable for me to commit myself to the story and the characters. It's also super special for me due to the amount of Spanish I found in the story. If you're not Spanish-speaking, don't worry, the author makes everything understood perfectly anyway, but being Latina myself, it felts super nice to find a story that's so familiar and fluid in such a special way for you, you know?

The plot is the most unique thing I've read in a while, and also something strange and difficult to explain, but I will try. In this book, as I mentioned before, we follow Xo, and she's a cuentista, which means that she has a special ability which allows her to retain people's stories and then deliver them to Solís (who's their god) and so allow these people to feel relieved and not be persecuted for their nightmares or past guilt, and after having delivered those stories Xo immediately forgets about them, but it does drain a lot of her energy which leaves her super tired until even make her sleepy for many hours. So this story focuses on this concept in a world where "Solís" has given this "privilege" to certain people, and they become the most important people in their villages, being a job or duty for life. On the other hand, even when everyone believes that being the cuentista is a great privilege, Xo feels drained by it, and after terrible situations, she begins to see it as a curse. Also, this "power" has been passed to her by her aunt before she died, which is why she has never had a real chance to be or do anything else, you know? And with all that comes this journey in which hundreds of magical, shocking, and supernatural things happen.


In this book, we have a lot of magic happening all the time, even when they're atrocious situations because it's not a fairy tale, in fact, it's a very graphic, hard-hitting, and bloody book, so if you're an easily impressed person, I recommend discretion. I was so shocked when so many gory and brutal things begin to happen, I certainly didn't expect it, but I think it's the tone of the book and that scene remains throughout the course of it. So I could say that it's a survival story too, because the characters will have to face extreme climates under super scarce resources. In addition to the cuentistas, we also have other beings such as "Los Guardianes", "Los Sabuesos" and "Los Palidos" among others, who are represented in the form of animals (wolves, cats, bears) as well as in other humanoid forms.

On the other hand, I can't fail to mention another kind of magic that occurs in the book and they are the relationships between each character, it felt so real to me, especially because there's a sub-plot in this story where Xo finds poems on the way and feels absolutely attracted to them for things that she still doesn't know and there's such a powerful message there of love and of super innocent and sweet energy. I think magic is also in everything the author shows us through small gestures.


The writing style is wonderful, one of my favorite things about the book, it's easy to read but at the same time it's complex and poetic, and it fulfills with transmits all the feelings that the characters are going through, it's a story that although it focuses in fantasy you can feel its great power and strength in the realistic side. I can't wait to read more from the author to continue experiencing his unique style. In addition, the plot is told from Xo's perspective, but as telling everything that happened to Solís, which seemed like a great detail to me, as well as we also have small poems, which are beautiful.

There's a female/female romance happening in the book and I adore it, especially since it's not 100% focused on it and it's not very heavy, in fact, it develops very naturally and is a slow-burn kind of romance, which I personally LOVE. I really enjoyed it, each scene of these girls interacting is wonderful, it's all super organic and perfectly imperfect. In addition to the romance, we have a lot of diversity, obviously, all the characters are Latinos, but we also have gay and lesbian representations, played in a very casual and natural way in these communities, which is great.


The main character is Xochitl, and she's great! She's a super-strong young woman, she doesn't know it, though, because she has lived all her life in the same place and doesn't know much about life outside her village, but once she decides going out to discover, you can really see the inner strength that she has and a great conviction to find her truth. She has a super noticeable growth, she begins having many doubts about her life and what's true and what's not, and after facing so many obstacles that make her grow, we can see a different girl more determined and ready to decide for the first time for herself. I'm proud of the journey that Xo undertakes and above all, of her great growth and personal development. Emilia is amazing too, a super interesting character, she's the daughter of a ruthless man who goes village by village destroying everything, and at first, you don't know what her role really is, but when the character develops and we know her whole story, we can know the reason for her attitudes and decisions. I adore Emilia, she's a really kind soul, and she has gone through so many injustices that really breaks my heart, but also as Xo, she becomes strong and ready to show her true self. Then we have hundreds of characters that we know on our trip and others who live at each stop that the characters make, and although there's not much development of them, you do can appreciate their personalities and even feel connected to them and their lives. I want to mention Julio specifically because he's one of the most awful, evil and terrible villains that I've read in a long time, I really came to hate him, a ruthless man that dragged everything in his path for his desire for power . Then we have several wonderful and interesting souls that I will mention quickly like Rosalinda, Felipe, Manolito, Luz & Eliazar, all them AMAZING.


The story takes place in the desert, so it's a fairly vast and desolate image that gives the story a lot of meaning in itself. We also toured villages and towns, desolate and ravaged by what was is called "La Quema". We also explore places underground, so the whole landscape is quite sad, but also very atmospheric and scary.

This book, in addition to being wonderful because you go throughout a discovery journey and search for freedom, also discusses and questions many belief systems that these people have, and the characters are super confused because they've grown up thinking in a certain way and suddenly everything is uncertain and it seems that everything was a lie or that things aren't as they seem. I liked that this is discussed, as well as "realities are created by our beliefs" and that "we're shaped by the experiences that we live". The book forces the characters at times to challenge their biggest fears and is heartbreaking, but also eye-opening for them and makes the plot even more incredible. I think the blurb doesn't do the story justice, I don't think this is a simple romance, you know? This book is much more than that, it's self-discovery, it's facing the truth, it's fighting for your freedom, it's learning to put yourself first and be responsible for your decisions, and it's to grow and heal. It's wonderful and I'm very happy to have had the chance to read it.


I know that maybe it's a disorganized review, but honestly, I couldn't explain all these feelings with words and do justice to the book, as well as it's a rather difficult and complex promise to explain in its entirety, even more without spoilers. But, I hope I've done my best and that you feel that desire to give it a chance because it's very worth it. It's a whimsical story and I would highly recommend it if you enjoy complex and weird storylines, but the best kind of weird, you know? I compare this story a lot with Seanan McGuire's stories, for some reason they resonate for me, and I remembered Middlegame a lot while reading this book for its original plot and its unexpected twists, but also for the whimsical and crazy of the stories and that power to make you addictive to them. I highly recommend it, and I hope you decide to give it a try as soon as it comes out on September 15th, 2020, I know you have to wait a little while but it's worth it, I promise.

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro is a spectacular story. The title alone gripped me and I knew I would be in for a powerful journey; I wasn't wrong.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for the opportunity to read this delightful book before its official release. I absolutely loved the inclusion of Spanish throughout the story through conversation and poetry alike. Stylistic moves like this as well as others make the jump into this beautiful universe absolutely seamless. And the overarching premise and world felt very fresh and fascinating. The messages that we need to be honest with ourselves and others while also not letting their shame and failures control or consume is deeply resonated with me and are important to hear in our increasingly individualistic and isolating culture. Although I loved the premise and world that the author has crafted, at times I felt like some of the plot points that guided me through it felt awkwardly paced, anticlimactic, and cliche/tropey. Despite these, I still would have no hesitations suggesting this title to my students as fun leisure read.

This book has beautiful prose, seamlessly slipping between English and Spanish, and strong themes of storytelling, pain, loss, hope, family, and obligations. This book is filled with adventure - a literal and figurative journey - and examines what stories mean, and what it means to hold them or let them go. 3.5 stars.

An adventurous books filled with trial and love. This book took me on a winded journey of self discovery.

I enjoyed the story of Cuentista (Storyteller) Xochitl as she attempts to balance the needs of her people with her own desires, and discovers her place in the world. I appreciated the discussion of the many facets of religion & thought that the author brings up many points to consider. Truly an interesting work.

Spanish is frequently used. I think it suits the book as it allows the cuentista to speak in her own language. However, I would have preferred more contextual clues as to the meaning of these phrases, so as not to overwhelm those with no Spanish language ability.

Each of Us a Desert takes place in post apocalyptic Central America, following a small town's cuentista as she ventures out of her town and travels through the desert with the daughter of a man who brought death and destruction to her village and led to her starting her journey. As cuentista, Xochitl takes people's stories from them and gives them back to Solís, their deity. She's had this duty since she was 8 years old and much o her journey revolves around her wondering why she keeps doing this and if there's anyway she might change how it's done.

Before I start the actual review, I want to say that I really hope to reread this at some point, because I wasn't in the best place while reading this. I got distracted easily, I read short sections with lots of pauses because I was having several panic attacks a day and couldn't focus, my mental health was dipping. So I definitely couldn't appreciate the beautiful writing and sceneries and characters to the full extent I might have at other times. I'm still writing the review because despite all that, I kept coming back to read when I physically could, because anytime I read this, I was enveloped in the world and felt rejuvenated, even if just for a short while.

This was a little different from the genres I usually read, but I still loved being pulled into it for a little while everyday. It's hard not to fall in love with just about anything given how beautiful Oshiro writes. They have a wonderful way of painting the setting around the characters in such a vivid way that I could practically feel the desert heat and sand scraping against my skin. There was such a wide range of rich, complex characters and it was the sort of plot that by the end, I realized just how well everything tied together and all the signs that pointed towards it all along.

Even reading it under less than ideal circumstances, this novel was a masterpiece. I'm looking forward to rereading it with a clearer head and I encourage everyone to pick this up once it comes out!

Each of us a desert.
Yet each of us dreams to be a part of something.

Each of us yearns to be free.
Yet when we are free, we are opened up to more boundaries.

Each of us desires to know our purpose and calling in life.
Yet each of us might not want the destiny.

Each of us long to learn.
Yet will the knowledge set us free?

Each of Us a Desert is a beautifully-written, thought-provoking novel about family, identity, love, and community. As Cuentista ( storyteller), Xochitl begins to question the role she plays in her religion, as well as the ways in which her religion has been interpreted by others. As someone who's interested in religious studies, I thought the author did a stellar job of providing thoughtful commentary on exegesis and interpretation, and I appreciated the care with which religion and religious beliefs were presented. The world-building is exquisite, featuring diverse cultures and communities, all of which are careful and intricately crafted. Our heroine, Xochitl, is relatable without being "relatable," if you understand my meaning - she's clearly a unique person in a unique situation, and the author doesn't pander to the audience in describing her feelings and opinions. In sum, I highly recommend this book. A queer fantasy featuring a strong heroine and complex themes, this is one for all fantasy fans to pick up and enjoy.

This book was gorgeous, which I expected nothing less from Mark Oshiro. A stunning story, with real characters and a world that you could so easily fall into. I read this in one sitting but didn't stop thinking about it for days.

“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”
-Each of Us a Desert, Mark Oshiro
✨
Each of Us a Desert is about the journey of Xochitl, una cuentista, a storyteller, who is blessed with this gift which she considers a curse, to find her purpose. Xochitl takes the stories, or perhaps the scars of the people in her village. It’s a tiresome ritual that leaves Xochitl exhausted and makes her forgetful. She has this responsibility to do this for everyone whenever they need her so they are not haunted by their pesadillas. Xochitl yearns for more. She cannot fathom the idea that this is what her life comes down to, just taking people’s stories and forgetting about it. She then decides to go on a journey and meets many people along the way. She finds much more than what she originally hopes to find. However, once she reaches the end, she realizes that she changes so much and she finally knows what she is meant to do. What she has to do, and how she will do it moving forward.
✨
I can do my best to write my thoughts on this book or summarize in my own words, but I feel like it’s not enough. This book is so much more than everything I mentioned above. It’s about love, and a really deep hurt. It’s about even though we feel alone and relate to no one, there’s someone out there, perhaps within the desert, that sees the way we see and feels and struggles to one similar to our own. It’s about understanding how the people in our life are a part of who we are in a way and how much they mean to us. This book, to say the least, is a masterpiece. I’ve never read anything like it before.
✨
My goal with this post is to enlighten you all about this upcoming release. Each of US a Desert is worth everything! Every hype, every shout out, every—everything! I was left breathless and I stood up until 3 am reading it, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Each of Us a Desert releases 9/15/2020. I will definitely be preordering, make sure you do to!
✨
#eachofusadesert #markoshiro #latinx #latinxreads #bookstagram #bookish #latinxfantasy #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bookreview

Each of Us a Desert is a thought provoking book. As Xochitl is questioning her role as a Cuentista ( storyteller), the book provides intriguing commentary about religion and what it means when people who practice the same religion have very different interpretations. The book reflects a lot on what people will do on the name of their religion and how your beliefs affect your experiences. Additionally it talks a lot about honesty and shows some of the realities of people abusing a system for their own gains. I could go on and on with all my important take aways from this book. It really has so much to say and I don't want to spoil it all for you.
Xochitl is a very relatable character. We get to see her struggle over the course of there book to find herself amidst all the expectations for her. We also see her grapple with what it truly means to be free. It really feels like a call back to a point in my life where I was struggling to reconcile all I had been told as a child with the world as it opened in front of me.
The world Oshiro builds for us is vast and diverse. We see several different cities which are nothing alike. We get a rich religious background that is introduced throughout the book. It's a interesting fantasy world with just a bit of magic and a whole lot of corrupt people.
My main criticism of the book, and why it didn't get 5 stars is that at times things that should have broken me emotionally were merely sad. I admit this is a point I am probably always a little too picky on but I just wanted a bit more. Oshiro does try and at times succeeds. He does individual life stories for people which gives us context for them and I did really like that part. But some people could have used more dedicated time. I wanted more time for Emilia who is the most important side character. She has a great story, and her relationship with Xochitl is developed well . But she goes through so much and I just wanted to sit in it for a little longer.
This all being said I still highly recommend this book. It's a queer fantasy with so much to say.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for an unbiased review

Sidenote: there is a lot of Spanish in this book and it adds a lot of depth to the world. It is totally possible to get through with context clues as Oshiro translates the big parts. However if you don't speak Spanish and want to know every word being said I would recommend picking this up as an ebook because it makes translation easier.

This has a wonderful concept and lovely prose, but I'm having a hard time immersing myself in it at the moment so unfortunately I won't be finishing it for the time being. I'd love to come back to it in the future and in the meantime I wish the best of luck with it.