Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I’ve read several of Tehlor Kay Mejia’s books, especially the Paola Santiago books and have enjoyed them. I was looking forward to another great read from this author but for me, this book was hard to get into. It felt like the story was coming together towards the end of this book.

“Life was made of choices. Destiny was a myth.”

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

just. go pick it up. right now. well i guess preorder it because it doesn’t come out until march. this was an excellent fantasy novel. the magic isn’t *too complex* the situations are relatable, the characters have DEPTH. it’s a dystopian novel with an oldest daughter complex as the trope and it’s got friends to enemies and A MAGIC FOREST and oh man.

I feel like Lucha was able to learn a lot about herself throughout this story, and I’m not sure if this is the first in a series, but I think I would be interested to see where it goes if it is. It is fast paced, but I think maybe a little is lost in that pacing, but again, that would make sense if this is the first in a series.

All in all, five stars all day. The cover is beautiful, the writing is wonderful, and you feel for literally all the characters. Even the Bad Guy.

There is something about Tehlor's prose that makes me want to swallow it whole, and this is in full effect for Lucha Of The Night Forest. The imagery is so stunning, the world so beautifully crafted, the pain and the sorrow and the aching want seep through every word.

The desperate strength of Lucha, the care with which she holds for her sister, the magic imbued in their world, all of it completely enchanted me. Yet it's still the kind of book that twists your insides, cruelty and darkness very much present. Yet the way that Lucha claws her way forward, the way she pulls herself to her goal with pure grit, I fell in love with her. I fell in love with everything about her, and what she is trying to accomplish.

It is truly a brilliant book all the way through.

Thank you, Random House Children's, Make Me a World, for allowing me to read Lucha of the Night Forest early!

I never read anything by Tehlor Kay Mejia, but I think this was a very beautiful book, not a perfect one, still a very interesting one.

I had enjoyed the Paola Santiago series by Tehlor Kay Mejia and was excited to read a new book by her. This book had what I enjoyed from the Paola series and I think I might have enjoyed this a little more. It had great scifi elements and the plot of the book worked really well together. I could understand the need to protect your sister, I would do anything for my sister so it added to my immersion. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Mejia.

“Thank you.” Formal. A little awkward, but that couldn’t be helped. A means to an end, Lucha reminded herself. It didn’t matter if the places they’d touched still burned. Nothing mattered now but Lis."

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with a digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lucha of the Night Forest is a book I was very much looking forward to in the upcoming year–I mean, look at that cover! However, there are major issues that hindered my enjoyment of the narrative.

By the end of chapter one, I was wishing for more context within Lucha’s lifestyle and how it fit into the backdrop of the larger world around her. Little explanation was given as to what her motivations are for fighting these mystical creatures as well as how she gained training to do so. Readers sort of blindly follow in Lucha’s lead, and it doesn’t feel like Lucha has a grasp on what’s even happening herself. It is for this reason I believe the narrative would have benefitted from the 1st-person perspective rather than 3rd-person limited. There is something just removed, distant, and seemingly tongue-in-cheek about the writing. The following is an excerpt used as an example to convey what I mean: “One girl against the might of Robado’s greed and the men who protected it best. Of course she fell. Of course.” In all, I do not think this story had a cohesive plotline, which directly left me confused as to what was going on.

Of the things I liked about Lucha of the Night Forest was the author immediately dropping readers into the conflict. This made the narrative feel more paced. I also liked how Nature is personified and given character throughout the story. The strong and accurate characterizations, especially of those stultified by addiction, were heartbreaking.

This narrative just wasn’t for me, but I encourage everyone to try the book for themselves!

This book was...a mess. Let's start with the good things. The cover is beautiful and what drew my attention. The description was intriguing but really didn't describe the book at all. The writing was good with some occasional quotes I liked.

There was no goddess, Lucha had known that for a long time. No savior. There was only what you were willing to do for the people you loved. Only what you were willing to pay for their freedom.

Okay on to the rest.

I really liked Lucha, the main character, a lot at first. She reminded me of my favorite character, Katniss Everdeen, and their situations were even similar. A stronger older sister with an absent mom who is the sole provider for her little sister. Except Prim wasn't a brat :( Everything was going okay and then suddenly everything was just happening so fast. At one point, Lucha is in a cell apparently for months described in a couple of paragraphs. I had no idea she was in there that long until later when she reflected on it for like two seconds. Lucha and her love interest had maybe a total of four conversations between a couple of days before Lucha decides she loves her...but she doesn't.....but she does. The romance felt very shallow, and even by the end, it hadn't gotten any deeper. It felt like there was supposed to be a blossoming romance with the antagonist but only in weirdly worded sentences that just eluded to clouded feelings before bouncing back to hate.

Everything was just...confusing. It felt like reading four different books at once as Lucha's feelings for anyone including her own sister weren't consistent. I went into this book thinking it was the beginning of a series, which made the ending even that more disappointing. The ending fell flat and really made me feel like I had read the whole book for no reason.

This story explores some heavy topics in a beautiful way. It raises conversation around drug use and how that can tear people and their loved ones apart. As well as how governments make it easier for certain populations/demographics to get it, thus making them easier to control. It shows how easily loneliness and despair can allow someone to be influenced into making devastating choices. While simultaneously showing how the power of love- insert 80's overture- can overcome that. The prose was lovely and just detailed enough. The setting was eerie at times and also beautiful. I thought Lucha's story was compelling and thoughtful. We got to see her fully transform physically and emotionally. Watching her battle the duality of good and evil, while coming into her own was lovely. Her love for her sister drove her, but her love for herself is carrying her on. I really enjoyed the ending, even if it had me tearing up a little. I will admit I didn't find myself always excited to sit down to read this, but I did enjoy it as a whole. 3.75-4 stars for me.

The strength of Lucha, the main character is what drew me in and that's because Mejia does that right with every story she writes of a strong female lead who comes into their power in a way that empowers others. Where I was lost was the world itself and that's partly because I tend to get lost in the details and find higher fantasy harder to understand- it's through no fault of the writer of these enriching stories. So it's a not for me, not a no in general.

Either way the fight against good and evil (when there's SO MUCH EVIL) was epically written and as the story climaxes, you can't help but root for Lucha and all she must overcome.

I really enjoyed this book! This is my first book from this author so I didn’t have any expectations but I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would! I found the story and the characters compelling, fully realized and very original. A lot of time in YA fantasy a lot of stories feel like stories that you’ve already read but this book felt totally it’s own. I loved the main character Lucha and her journey kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to read more. I would definitely recommend reading this book!

I normally really love Mejia's writing, but this one just didn't click for me. I was never fully invested in the story, and I didn't care about the romance. I think my expectations may have been to high, which affected my enjoyment. I wouldn't say this is a bad book, it just wasn't for me.