I love the family dynamics and the chisme throughout this book! I literally laughed out loud and at time made my bilingual husband read parts so he could understand why I was cracking up. This book perfectly captures what it’s like to be in a family full of chismosas and the dynamics that play into family conflict due to different expectations and well-kept secrets. As a hospice worker, with Mexican lineage and married to a Honduran, there was something super relatable about the emotional conflict when it came to the medical aspect and how the end-of-life health of one of the characters was addressed.

I will say the one thing I struggled with off and on was knowing who was speaking and when. The entire book is told through phone conversations between Mari and Luciana, and it does not specifically state who is saying what so at times I had to read and reread to full grasp who was saying what. There were times when the text was italicized which made it easier to differentiate. I think this could be wonderful as an audiobook narrated by two bilingual women! Some things are just funnier in Spanish/Spanglish and the author nailed it!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Melissa Mogollon, and the publisher for access to this advanced copy ebook.

Oye was a funny coming of age story! I absolutely loved that the story was told through phone conversations between Luciana and her sister Mari. We also learn a lot about Luciana’s grandmother, Abue, and her life story. This was such an amazing read.

Such a fun read! This book had me laughing out loud, contemplating life and feeling like I have a new second family. It felt like listening in on a really juicy phone conversation of the person next to you at a coffee shop. So much family drama and love wrapped into this fast-paced, addictive read.

The characters felt so authentic. This dysfunctional but loving family feels so real and familiar. Abue is the stand-out character. She’s is hilariously self-involved and surprisingly terrifying while somehow being the most lovable and wise character in the book. Her comments had me giggling the whole time. Luciana (the MC) has noticeable growth in the book as she starts to understand her family better and find her path. Her relationship with her “almond mom” and her sister are so relatable. She’s a bit of the odd ball of the family which causes some friction but at the end of the day they still love each other.

The one-sided phone call format does take a few pages to get used to. Just persevere through the first 5 pages and you’ll get the hang of what’s going on! I found that by a few chapter in my brain was easily filling the missing pieces. I think it was a super unique and brave way to write your debut novel so props to the author! Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Fantastic 5 stars. I never expected a book told exclusively through telephone combos to make me bawl. Thanks for the arc

Fantastic voice and epic storytelling. Drew me in immediately. I do love a multigenerational drama, and Oye delivered!

Engaging cast of characters, interesting plot... weird epistolary (?) style. I love epistolary novels in general, but this time I just found it distracting (assuming text messages count as letters). Halfway through the book, I still wasn't sure whether these were text messages between sisters, phone calls, or a mix. Honestly, sometimes I doubted who was even participating. Sometimes it seemed like the protagonist was having a one-sided conversation, other times it seemed obvious that she was talking to her sister. If your format is so distracting that readers have to keep backtracking to see who's talking to who, maybe it's worth a rethink (or a reformat - this would work well in a movie).

The grandmother's story was really my favorite. Despite the awkward style, I can just imagine the family dynamics and some of the scenarios so well. The term "coming of age" gets thrown around a lot, but it's not unwarranted here. Even if the main character Luciana weren't a teenager in the book, she's going through a lot and learning how she fits into the world and her family as an adult.

Told in a one sided telephone conversation Lucianna, a Colombian American teen who has recently come out and is struggling to find her identity, relays the events at the familiy’s home in Florida to her old sister Mari who is a college student at GW in DC. Abue is ill, Lucianna’s mother and Abue both use Lucianna to translate the seriousness of her condition between the doctors and Abue. Lucianna’s mother is one tough, almost cruel mother, her grandmother has a story that she has never shared and Lucianna’s older sister Mari is obviously trying very hard to break free from her childhood home. The book is filled with tragedy so the humor that Lucianna brings is very welcome. However, keep in mind that as a young person whose mother has firmly rejected her sexuality the humor hides pain. Abue just feels like an old narrow minded woman until she has told her story and made a decision. The ending of the book is freeing for both Lucianna and the reader. Lucianna begins to navigate her way and the reader who has often been confused about whose voice they are hearing (Lucianna, grandma, mom, Mari, the doctor or several others) is left with a solid and satisfactory ending.

Book number two of the year was Oye. Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book. This book was very interesting. I loved reading about the family dynamics. It was difficult without quotation marks but that could’ve been because it was an advanced copy. The characters were so well written that I was excited to read about them. Sign me up to read more from this author. It is released on May 14th! Four stars!

This is quite a unique book, entirely written from beginning to end, as a series of phone calls and conversations! It will make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings, and make you pause and think of your own life's path. The story starts with a series of phone calls during Hurricane Irma from teenage Luciana, evacuating with her mother, to her older sister Mari, in college, as Hurricane Irma rages through Florida. As Irma changes course, so does the story. Luciana and her mother discover, on their return home, that their grandmother, Abue, who had refused to evacuate, has serious health problems. The phone calls from Luciana to Mari are the basis of the book, as she relates not only her fears and hopes, but also updates Mari on Abue, and the revelation of family secrets. As Luciana comes to terms with who she is, their beloved Abue makes a decision on her path of treatment. The format may be unusual, but the story and the characters kept my interest! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy. The opinions of my review are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Luciana lovess her family, but they can be a little much sometimes. This book was very honest on its depiction of family life.

Oye, a bildungsroman told in three parts, offers all the secrets of a dysfunctional family. The novel opens with Luciana getting her confiscated phone returned from her teacher. She sees six missed calls from Mari, and her caustic language sets the tone for the tension that weaves throughout the book: “Wait, it’s Mari? This fucking bitch.” This routine pejorative unironically follows with hurt: “I hadn’t heard a peep out of you…I texted you being vulnerable.” Mogollon’s language sizzles between sibling rivalry, contempt, sarcastic humor, the pain of rejection, and longing for connection. A one sided dialogue between sisters unravels toxic dynamics and family secrets.

The structure of the novel hands all the storytelling power to Luciana. In these phone conversations, she guides the topics and sets the tone. If you want a politically correct “both sides” novel, this ain’t it. The audience must shift from passive to active reader with this author’s choice of form - a dialogue in which the reader has access to only one speaker - and use one’s own repertoire of family toxicity to know what Mari has said. For any reader with a sibling, we all have that grocery list of verbal slights that still haunt us. We’ve thrown down in those same verbal sparring matches, so we know what the older sibling says.

The inclusion of Hurricane Irma acts as a cleverly placed allusion taking the reader back to 2017, a not so distant memory of tremendous destruction. Like Irma, we think this novel will go one way, but it quickly veers in another direction. Throughout the duration of the novel, Luciana and Mari’s conversation rankles with teen snark, ending with a fall out. The reader may think this story will end with reunification, but when Luciana dives into family history, she moves the epicenter of this story over Emilia, the abuela. And like a tempest lifting roofs, so too does this story lift away all of the barriers that concealed all the family secrets.

Mogollon’s novel certainly explores the grandmother-mother-daughter-sibling relationships. But equally, she punches up against the national dilemma of homophobia metastasizing across America. This culture war occupies multiple fronts, and the most brutal one resides under the family roof. In quick verbal slices, Luciana lets slip the hurt she feels from her family’s indifference to homophobia. Mari will intern for the 2017 Whitehouse when TheOrangeMan is in office. Mari has already interned with Gov. Rick Scott of Florida - a man who seeks to limit the rights of gay people. Luciana, still a kid finding her political chops, employs sarcasm to convey the pain of Mari’s betrayal. Luciana also tells Mari that their mother belongs to an evangelical neighborhood group chat, and when Luciana sees the homophobic content, her mother quickly snatches the phone out of Luciana’s hands. As if one can unsee homophobia if the snatching happens quickly. Her mother doesn’t push back against the homophobia, rather she holds the neighborhood secret. Yes, the political battle looms large on America’s national stage, but Mogollon shows that within the home, a family’s complicity cuts the deepest in this culture war.

These political sidebars carve through the novel, quick paper cuts that nick away at both protagonist and reader. The reader, pulled out of the story and into the American zeitgeist, discovers nightmare and dystopia. Having to confront so much ugliness, the reader surely swings full support behind Luciana. Does the reader then forgive Luciana of her own ugly behaviors because this queer protagonist faces an onslaught of casual bigotry?

No easy answer exists because the reader doesn’t get an uncomplicated hero. Mogollon muddies Luciana’s heroism with her propensity for guilt tripping her sister, and her own childish and casual misogyny. Yes, calling one’s sister - or any woman for that matter - a slut, whore, ho, or a bitch are manifestations of misogyny. And yes, young girls learn this language, internalize it, and then reshape that language into malicious verbal sucker punches. The reader has to tease out how much of this ugly name calling is typical sister banter and how much of it is a retaliatory weapon when Luciana doesn’t get the sisterly love she seeks. But Mogollon doesn’t moralize here. She simply presents a flawed high school kid reluctantly moving towards young adulthood. Our hero isn’t always likable. To escape this negative spin, Luciana has to retreat from Mari.

In this pursuit of connection, Luciana draws closer to her brash grandmother. A tumor, a surgery, a recovery, a relapse, and a metastasizing absorb Luciana’s senior year of high school. Through the months of caring for Abue, Luciana becomes the recipient of the family secrets and histories. Mother, Abue, and Tía all provide variations on the same theme of historic family trauma.

What readers learn from these variations is the power of narrative perspective. Here, Mogollon hits a master stroke. Storytelling from the perspective of those complicit with the oppressor minimizes damage and absolves themselves for their part in the damage. Emilia, the family matriarch and survivor of horror, reveals a history that vibrates with pain. Her history resonates as nothing but the closest one can get to truth. Mogollon’s structural choice, narrating only through Luciana’s perspective, serves a purpose. Emilia’s story, told through Luciana’s lens, moves the reader to empathy, a perspective that most closely approximates the truth the reader will get about this dysfunctional family unit.

This novel is not just the story of a girl coming of age, it’s a look back at a history of women who employ personal strength to survive catastrophe. And personal strength doesn’t always come across as likable to the reader. Abue’s strength requires setting boundaries. What first appears to Luciana as her grandmother’s irrational stubbornness now functions as a template for the protagonist’s own path to young womanhood. Family does not have to be embraced, especially when members of the family are complicit with the oppressor. The Ernestos and Marcos of the world, predators and abusers, should never be tolerated, in particular by Luciana’s mother.

This novel answers America’s current dilemma - our bent towards the destruction of the other. Luciana’s answer is a resounding “I will not forgive your complicity.” Like her grandmother before her, Luciana also sets firm and clear boundaries, and does not waiver. This is how the reader knows that Luciana has moved from childish things to young womanhood.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

I love coming of age movies and Oye truly felt like one! However I must say that it took me a bit of time to get used to the style of writing. It had me confused for a bit until I got more comfortable. Its only towards the end that I realized that I couldn't imagine this story and the voice of Luciana without this unique writing style.

Also Abue was definitely the star of the story she made me laugh and also tugged at my heartstrings! Just her character alone should be a reason to read this book!

The format of this book is so unique - a little weird - and it absolutely does not work for me. Had I known the format ahead of time, I would not have requested this book on NetGalley or added it to my TBR shelf. I was excited to read about a Latinx family and learn more about Latinx culture, but after about 5% of my best efforts, I cannot continue in this format. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

This is adorable, and I really loved the premise. Also the title/cover art are both absolute perfection.

Thank you to Hogarth (Random House) publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the early positive reviews. The synopsis and beautiful cover further sold me. That being said, I really struggled with this one. The story is written from the perspective of the main character, Luciana, but we only read her POV. It feels like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation.

Outside of the writing style, the story was enjoyable. Although it wasn’t my cup of tea, I would still encourage readers to give this book a chance.

I wanted to like this book….I especially like reading debut novels but this book just did not work for me. I lived in Miami for 20+ years so I do understand and appreciate the culture but….I found the format distracting and annoying. The format could have been effective but I found all the characters unlikeable and annoying.

I think the author made a bold choice in format but it missed the mark for me.

What a wild ride and so enjoyable! I’m so happy I was given this digital copy early. Coming from a Latin family, so I was able to relate to some of the family drama. The format for me took me back a little and trying to get use to it. Once I did though, it was so enjoyable. The first half is slightly slow, but the second half I couldn’t put it down. Abue is my favorite character ever and I love her so much. Such a great coming of age story! Thank you so much NetGalley, Melissa Mogollon and Hogarth for this digital copy.

I found it hard initially to get into the writing style, only because it wasn't anything like I was used to. It took about two chapters in until I got into the rythm of reading it, though I kept feeling like I had to pause to make sure I understood the plot. Still I thought it was a unique book and readers looking for something in a different style than they're used to will probably enjoy this book.

thank you to netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Hogarth for allowing me to read this book. I wanted to enjoy this book however i just couldnt get into the story

Unique storytelling style that is at times hard to follow. Funny and entertaining insight into family drama. It showcases compelling characters and what it means to grow up amongst it all.