👋OYE👋 by @melissamogollonwriter

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @hogarthbooks for the e-ARC.

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"Fuck that, I am not the freaking feelings janitor."

Lucianna is a third generation Columbian-American living in Miami area with her mother and father while her older sister is away at college. She is a fiercely anxious overthinker struggling to graduate high school who likes girls but can't talk about it after her mom cried for weeks when she came out. She only talks to her sister Mari and best friend Nico about that. When her grandmother (Abue), who lives nearby, is taken to the hospital, the family finds out the awful news that she has cancer. This launches Lucianna's mother into a fix-it-all frenzy, brings about a visit from one of Abue's estranged siblings causing old wounds to erupt, and eventually leads Abue to spill the family's secrets after all these years.

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Part Columbian-American family saga, part queer coming of age, and part end of life story, this book was both hilarious and heartbreaking. Told in a series of chapters that represent one-sided phone calls to her sister, Lucianna narrates this story with all the hype, gossip and drama as would be expected of an 18 year old. I laughed out loud so many times, especially as she recalls conversations between her and her glamorous yet spicy Abue who she adores but also finds to be an enigma - "But imagine a bull. In the body of a butterfly"

This story is also about how the power of fabricated rumors can ruin people's reputations, kill friendships and families and distort history, especially in a small place. While this book took me some time to get through, I found that I always wanted to return to it. The unique style and voice were so well written and it kept drawing me in to find out what Abue's big secret was.

There is a worthwhile message here too - that holding on to bad emotions, resentments and grudges will eat away at you and vulnerability is often the only way to heal. All in all a wild and rewarding ride.

Do you have any siblings? If so, what was your relationship like growing up vs. now?

💚SMASHBOT💚

Luciana is the youngest of her large Columbian American family. She's in high school, and is often taken for granted and overlooked in her family of big personalities. Her older sister Mari is at college, and Luciana misses her greatly.

When Luciana's grandmother Abue refuses to leave her Florida home despite evacuation orders before a hurricane. Luciana is roped into travelling with her mother to get Abue out of there. They find Abue ill, and get her immediate medical help, which reveals much larger, and much more serious problems. Luciana is crushed by the diagnosis, and moves her flamboyant and swanky dresser grandmother into her room at home. Abue has all sorts of demands and causes more uproar in an already volatile family. This, of course, affects Luciana's schoolwork, but her time living with Abue brings the two women so much closer together, prompting Abue to reveal some pretty heavy secrets about her reasons for never returning to Columbia to visit family.

Luciana reveals all this in a series of mostly one-sided phone calls over months to Mari, and we see how author Melissa Mogollon charts Luciana's growth, but also the development of a deeply meaningful relationship between her and Abue.

This is a smartly structured and beautifully characterized story of Luciana, who becomes the sole family member who is focused on her grandmother and her health. Luciana has so much frustration with her situation; her mother has not taken her revelation that Luciana likes girls well, her homework is suffering because of all the family disruptions, and though only a highschooler, Luciana feels in many ways more mature than many in her family. She's full of anger, hurt, love, and confusion, and we can see the strong, wise woman she will eventually become with her tackling one problem or family revelation after another over the course of the novel.

Mogollon also skilfully weaves Abue's difficult life into the story, and how her trauma left damage in successive generations of her family, which is being repaired through Abue's sharing of her secrets with Luciana, and Luciana's processing of them.

The story is ebulliently told, and Luciana and Abue came to brilliant life immediately. Mogollon beautifully balanced out the hurt and pain with moments of humour and warmth. This book was such a pleasure to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Random House Publishing Group - Random House for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Such a compelling read that offers a unique perspective on family, identity and resilience. This story will make you laugh, cry and reflect on growing up and all the complexities of life. This is a must read!
Thank you NetGalley !

This book is fantastic! The tone was spot-on, I could imagine over-hearing this conversation easily. The characters were so relatable and easy to fall in love with, each character reminded me of someone in my own family. The writing style was a little confusing in the beginning, but once I learned the flow, I took off. Having a dramatic person telling a story knowing that they are being dramatic added a wonderful layer of humor and lightheartedness to a family that was going through a lot. It was so entertaining to see the characters go through waves of emotions, some I could relate to, others I couldn't, but a beautiful story all together.

There was a lot of hype around this book and I was super excited to read Oye by Melissa Mongollon. It proved to be a hilarious, yet touching, coming of age story. I loved the cast of secondary characters that only added to Luciana's story. While I enjoyed the story and character development, the format of this book was not for me, and often confusing. The format would often change mid-chapter that often contributed to a somewhat disjointed storytelling. I feel like if it was presented in a different way, I would have enjoyed it more, but ultimately loved Luciana's growth and ability to realize she can live her life without the approval of others.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i was attracted to the beautiful cover at first but inside is a really great story. i found it unique, unless i have it wrong, that most of the story between luciana and mari was told through phone calls. i can't believe the level of description and detail you can get by telling a story that way. mogollon's writing is so beautiful and i hope she writes more.

The story itself was enjoyable and I’m glad I stuck it out until the end of this book, but the format nearly killed it for me.

I’ve often enjoyed books that are told through a series of emails, phone calls, or texts - but it was my least favorite part about this one. Clearly I’m too old to appreciate the voice of a teenage girl under distress. Luciana’s choice of words and constant focus on herself (while scolding others for being too self involved) grated on my nerves. I nearly DNF’d this book more than once.

Oye is a fast=paced rush of novel that takes you into the world of hurricane evacuations, stubborn grandmothers, complicated mother-daughter dynamics. and sisterhood. I loved this book. Written as a one-sided phone conversation from a little sister to her big sister at college, Oye is a whirlwind of a book. The narrative took me a little while to get into it, but once I did I was along for the ride with Luciana, Mari, Abue, and more.

"Oye" by Melissa Mogollon was an interestingly writing-format novel, told from the point of view of a teen age young woman, with many responsibilities and a complicated family, as well as a difficult circumstance. Navigating a dysfunctional family, and resolving issues, this book was intriguing and compelling. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to this book. The premise sounded really intriguing, The format is what I couldn't get past. It all takes place over a phone call, which I had trouble keeping up with.

A really clever format for a story that will tug at your heartstrings. OYE is told as a one sided phone conversation from the perspective of Luciana Dominguez, as she communicates with her older sister. With hurricane Irma on its way, Luciana is struggling to get their great grandmother to evacuate to safety.

I appreciated this format and the distinct voice, but found the single perspective to be too much after a while. Intergenerational stories are always so meaningful, and I’m a sucker for siblings!

did not jive with the way this one was written, but I love it as a concept and hope it finds it's audience!

Reading this as a Latina was a dive into the most toxic parts of the culture in an entertaining & unique way! I’ve never read a book that was told in the form of a one way phone call!

I’ll never see Jesus’ outfit the same ever again, that’s for sure. 😆 I’m glad they also embodied how WILD Hispanic news channels are!!

I think it was set in 2017, which was when I would’ve been 18, and I swear my friends and I didn’t say dude/bro/lol so much. Saying lol over the phone rather than text sent me every single time. Could’ve done without it!

I was the sister away at college, so I saw myself in Mari for a little bit until their true dynamic was shown! It’s hard to be the siblings that are left behind, I’m sure. Older sibling life is hard too — out there doing everything for the fam for the first time.

Overall, this story progressed well and they embody a Latina grandma so well! The toxic obsessions with beauty, youth, and overall caring what others thing. Revenge is also huge! Their grandma was hilarious and reminded me of my paternal grandma.

Not a heavy read, but not light either. Grateful for the experience. :)

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oye by Melissa Magollon is a coming-of-age, family saga told from the perspective of a one-sided phone call from Luciana, a Colombian-American teenager, to her college aged sister, Mari.

I thought the way Magollon told this story was absolutely genius and unlike any book I have read. As the reader, you are in Luciana’s head, listening to her angsty teenage complaints as she rants and unloads to her sister over a one-sided phone call. It feels like you are her older sister, Mari, off at college living your own life, while you listen to Luciana unload about her life drama: moving amidst a hurricane, helping her grandma with health issues, and generally being annoyed her older sister isn’t more involved in their lives. Super unique and a blend of comedy, tragedy and relatability.

The story did drag a touch too long, but I enjoyed it overall and the cover is perfection 🤌🏼. I would recommend Oye for lovers of Kiley Reid because it gave me similar vibes.

It’s generally hard for me to put into words a proper review for this book because it hit so close to home. I literally cried the last 60 pages. This book reminded me so much of my family, especially my younger sister (who is probably sick of hearing me talk about it every time weve been on the phone the last couple weeks 🤣) and my Nonna.

Written as a series of one-sided phone calls from the perspective of the youngest sister in the family to her big sister who is away at college. We begin the story with everyone in the family with the exception of Abue, Luciana’s eccentric grandma, evacuating as a hurricane is approaching where they live in Florida. As the youngest, Luciana is often not left to solely deal with the happenings of the family. But when Abue experiences an unexpected medical diagnosis while they are away the family’s dynamic is turned upside down. She soon becomes a translator and caretaker among many other new roles as the family navigates this tumultuous time.

This story is what it would literally sound like if you were to listen in on a phone call with me and @tl3w11. In addition to the real portrayal of sisters I loved the relationship you see between Luciana and Abue. I don’t share too much personal stuff on my page but this book took me back to when my sister and I were part of my Nonna’s end of life care. It made me miss her even more than I usually do but I was comforted by someone highlighting how beautiful relationships are with our elders can be and how much we can learn from them and their lived experiences. I cannot recommend this beautiful book enough and it will stick with me for a long time. If you want a tender and hilarious novel about complicated and chaotic families you should definitely pick this one up 💛

"Oye" by Melissa Mogollon is a powerful and introspective read. It's a book that invites readers to reflect on their own experiences and emotions, making it a deeply personal journey. While it may not be for everyone, particularly those who prefer a conventional storytelling format, it is a worthy read for those who appreciate heartfelt and candid writing.

I LOVED this book. Told completely through the voice of an 18-year-old high school senior, the sad realities of life (cancer, natural disasters, generational trauma) are made hilarious. Just amazing writing from Melissa Mogollon that I never wanted to end.

Thank you to Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. I thought the writing style and approach was unique, once I understood what was happening. The idea of a story just coming from one person and their dialogue was distinctive. I'm not sure it's for everyone though because you were unable to hear another prescriptive but I enjoyed the way the story was relayed.

Oye is a coming of age story that was a very enjoyable read once you get used to the format. The format of this novel was interesting- mostly one-sided phone conversations from Lucianna as she talks to her sister Mari. The book itself was heart-warming and funny all at the same time. For a debut novel, Mogollon does a fantastic job! I would recommend picking this one up! 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall enjoyed this book. The one-sided phone calls method was really effective, and a great way to feel the up to date emotions of the MC dealing with her multigen family. Some parts the MC was really angry and it felt more like a YA book, but was also appropriate for the age of the MC. I love stories that explore the messy lives of our mothers/grandmothers