Thank you for this ARC!

A very moving story about a POC’s coming of age.
I really saw a lot of myself in these characters and their circumstances and found it to be a very compelling story.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Oye by Melissa Mogollon. This is a coming of age story told by a Florida teenager with Colombian heritage. Her grandmother is sick and she finds herself being the caretaker. I got about 30% through it and decided to DNF, it was not holding my interest.

Such a unique mode of storytelling and I hope the book has a lot of success and readers love it.
The cover is stunning and the characters were well thought out.
I have learned that I do not fair well without conversation quotes (I can't tell the difference between words being said, thought, or are part of the story)

First of all, I was very excited to read this ARC of a book in exchanged for an honest review of this book. The premise sounded like something I would enjoy: the daughter of Colombian parents travels with her mother up the coast away from Hurricane Irma in 2017 and finds out that her Abuela is sick and the family has to care for her, but there is generational family drama? Sounds SO relatable.

Secondly, there are so many people who will love this novel as written.

Thirdly, I fully believe that if it were not written as a series of one-way cell phone text messages I would have loved this novel.

Forth, I was surprised that I didn't like this format.

So in summary, I wanted to love this novel, I expected to love this novel, but I did not, ultimately end up loving this novel. In fact by chapter four I was struggling to want to finish the novel. Ultimately, I wanted to see if Abue and her sister made peace, and that's what kept me going until the end.

Oye is such an unexpected gem of a book, and I am so grateful I picked it up.

I will admit, it did take me a while to get used to the narrative structure! The first time I started the book, I actually read the first chapter and then put it down for about a month, waiting for the moment in which I felt I could give the story the attention and care it deserved. When I eventually did pick it back up, I was completely captivated.

The tense and often conflicting relationship between the narrator and her sister rings deeply true to my own experience as the older sister who went far away for college, and it made me reflect on the first few years in which I was away in a new light.

Though steeped in Colombian immigrant culture, there are elements of the story that are universally relevant, such as the desire to know everything about your ancestors, and the shock that comes from hearing any story that reminds you they’re real people who were once young and mistreated. Additionally, the discussion of queerness is nuanced and never feels forced.

It’s a deceptively simple story about family, love, and loss, and I cannot think of anyone who wouldn’t find something to love in the novel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!!

I got an ARC of this book.

I couldn't tell who was talking ever. It was not clear what was part of the voicemail or what was story. I only knew they were supposed to be voicemails based on the description. It was just a badly formatted book.

While it took me a bit to get into this book, I really enjoyed the way the story was told from on sided phone conversations between Luciana and her sister. Through the narration, we learn about Luciana's family: her mom, Abue, sister, and extended family. We see how generational trauma has affected the family and how as a high school senior, Luciana is working to live her life - except her family continues to have issues that are keeping her from being herself.

Funny and emotional, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.

DNF

I'm not sure if the formatting of the eARC had anything to do with it, but the structure of the writing in the beginning was confusing. This also made it hard to get into the writing itself.

It took a while for me to get the flow of reading this. I enjoyed the plot, but had a hard time keeping up with the phone conversations and who was talking.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from reading Oye as it was the first novel that I’ve read that exclusively tells a story through phone calls. I’ve read books where stories are told in verse, email, texting, but this format was new and refreshing to me. Though jarring at (first I had to get the hang of Luciana’s cadence) what awaits readers in this novel is a coming of age story about family, growing up, finding your identity, and telling your story.

Oye is an incredibly heartfelt and emotional book as there are some serious moments due to Abue’s declining heath, Luciana struggling with her sexuality, and the strain that the past as well as distance can put on a family’s relationship. But most of all this novel is full of hilarious moments that will make the reader laugh out loud and put a smile on your face. Abue, by far, is one of the most memorable characters I’ve read so far in 2024 and her character alone was one of my favorite parts of the novel. I loved her vivacious nature and sassiness when it comes to interacting with family and anyone she comes across. Her strong spirit reminded me of my own grandma who passed away and I think Abue is someone who will resonate with many who read this novel.

Luciana, who narrates the story, is also an entertaining protagonist and as readers get to know her they become more engrossed into the story. I was curious to see how her journey would progress through the novel as navigates through her own life while being thrust into the role of a sort of caregiver for her grandma. This novel also delves into generational trauma that has been passed down and how it’s also greatly had an impact on Luciana’s life. Learning about her family not only helps her become more closer and understand her family, but also to be more confident about the woman she wants to be.

All in all, this is a wonderful novel about family and choosing to live life on your own terms. My only complaint is that the novel is a bit longer than it needs to be due to writing style. This is a novel with a lot of heart!

From the publisher:
"Yes, hi, Mari. It’s me. I’m over my tantrum now and calling you back . . . But first—you have to promise that you won’t tell Mom or Abue any of this. Okay? They’ll set the house on fire if they find out . . .”

Structured as a series of one-sided phone calls from our spunky, sarcastic narrator, Luciana, to her older sister, Mari, this wildly inventive debut “jump-starts your heart in the same way it piques your ear” (Xochitl Gonzalez). As the baby of her large Colombian American family, Luciana is usually relegated to the sidelines. But now she finds herself as the only voice of reason in the face of an unexpected crisis: A hurricane is heading straight for Miami, and her eccentric grandmother, Abue, is refusing to evacuate. Abue is so one-of-a-kind she’s basically in her own universe, and while she often drives Luciana nuts, they’re the only ones who truly understand each other. So when Abue, normally glamorous and full of life, receives a shocking medical diagnosis during the storm, Luciana’s world is upended.

When Abue moves into Luciana’s bedroom, their complicated bond intensifies. Luciana would rather be skating or sneaking out to meet girls, but Abue’s wild demands and unpredictable antics are a welcome distraction for Luciana from her misguided mother, absent sister, and uncertain future. Forced to step into the role of caretaker, translator, and keeper of the devastating family secrets that Abue begins to share, Luciana suddenly finds herself center stage, facing down adulthood—and rising to the occasion.

As Luciana chronicles the events of her disrupted senior year of high school over the phone to Mari, Oye unfolds like the most fascinating and entertaining conversation you’ve ever eavesdropped on: a rollicking, heartfelt, and utterly unique novel that celebrates the beauty revealed and resilience required when rewriting your own story.

Oye by Melissa Mogollon was released May 14th, 2024 from Hogarth.

My thoughts: The format takes a little getting used to, but it's worth the effort. Most of the book is Luciana talking to Mari over the phone with occasional snippets of conversation between her and Abue or her and her mother. These other conversations appear in italics. The phone call itself is in regular print. While it is an unusual format, it works for this story.

My favorite characters are Luciana and Abue. Abue is definitely on the eccentric side of things. Unfortunately she is dealt a difficult hand. While Luciana and her mother were out of town from evacuating from Hurricane Irma, Abue turns yellow. This requires a trip to the hospital. And this is where Luciana starts to shine. She was good before, but the situation has her rising to the occasion. Abue's backstory is very much like a tele novella. And I would definitely say that Abue lives rather than just exists.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. The story moves along at a decent pace. The characters are likable and interesting. And the format is interesting. I wasn't sure I was going to like the format. It was a little confusing at first. But, once you get the hang of it, it's definitely worth the effort.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

Thank you netgallery for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. It took me a while to get through the book because the writing style is very different written as the main female character talking through phone calls to her sister. This style works really well as an audio book which I also listened to. 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for a great story of multigenerational family drama. Although mostly heartbreaking as the main character (Luciana) is dealing with a mother who doesn’t understand her, a sister (Mari) she feels like she is losing and a dying grandmother (Abue). Very beautiful story with many layers. I thouroughly enjoyed. And at times laughed at loud.

NetGalley ARC - As Luciana life veers significantly offtrack, she begins recounting the series of events through phone conversations with her sister, Mari, who is away at college. Luciana is supposed to be starting her senior year when Hurricane Irma threatens the southern Florida coast and her mother insists that they evacuate. After her grandmother, Abue, refuses to join them, they come home to her unscathed by the storm but in very poor health. After Abue moves into Luciana's bedroom, Luciana becomes her caregiver and confidant, allowing their complicated bond to grow. We begin to hear about Abue's life and the secrets that she's spend a lifetime holding onto come to light.

I believe that what initially made the premise of this debut so intriguing, the narrative structure, ultimately ended up being the issue that I had with the novel. It's not immediately clear that these are one-sided conversations that the narrator is having with her sister. The conversations are also all over the place chronologically, while occasionally being repetitive. Overall, it was a bit confusing and took me out of the story as a reader.

The main criticism that I have about Luciana is likely just related to her age. I found some of the conversations whiny. She spends significant amounts of time complaining to her sister and feeling upset that she is away at college and doesn’t have to manage the situation occurring at home. It's unclear if what's been allowed to happen is due to the fail of the adults in her life to take responsibility for what's going on or if Luciana is putting this pressure on herself unnecessarily.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves chaotic families, coming-of-age stories, and uncovering mysterious pasts.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

What an interesting read! It was engaging and well-written. Definitely different but I couldn't stop reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Melissa Mogollon!

I have tried and tried to read this book, but have no clue what is going on. I’m guessing it is phone calls, but no clue who is talking or if it is a one side of the conversation.

I read as far as I could and had to give up since I really had no clue what was going on and who was even involved in the book. Maybe it gets better I don’t know I truly tried to get through this book on several different occasions.

Actual rating 3.5, rounded down for the complicated presentation.

As many before me have said, this was a tricky novel to navigate with the choice made in how to present it. I was well and truly lost for the first chapter or two until I figured out how to know who was speaking and what was going on. It isn't always clear in the "flashback" segments who the characters are, so you really have to be paying attention at all times so as not to get lost. Luciana goes through a lot of growth, but the distance created by the one way phone calls makes it difficult to ever feel really connected to her, and the lack of any real development makes any connection with anyone near impossible. That said, this was still interesting in a fly on the wall way.

My thanks to Random House/Hogarth, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was unique given that we got to learn about an entire family through a one-way and sided phone conversation. It fully represented la cultura.

2.5 stars, rounded up - I SO wanted to like this book because the premise hit home. My maternal grandmother passed away from cancer in 2014, and what the narrator (Luciana) describes during her conversations with her sister, Mari, reminded me so vividly of what myself and the rest of my family went through during the 2 years leading up to my own "Abue's" passing. But if I didn't have that personal context, along with being Cuban (the Dominguez family is Colombian), I don't know how this book would have landed. The writing style is like nothing I believe I've read before - you're only hearing Luciana's (or Nana, as she's sometimes called) side of the phone conversation with Mari, who is off to college. The way it read, I just didn't want to believe it was a high schooler (who is applying for colleges, mind you) who was narrating - it felt childish, immature. Which is probably why I went between hating Luciana for being annoying and loving the way she was present for her grandma during such a horrific diagnosis. It's a wild ride of a book - there are so many different things that happen/unfold... And the ending just fell flat, in my eyes - I didn't get the closure I either wanted or expected.

"Oye" presents itself as a fresh, innovative take on storytelling, unraveling the complex family dynamics and personal growth of its protagonist, Luciana, through a series of one-sided phone calls. The premise is intriguing, promising a blend of comedy, drama, and a touching family saga. However, the execution of this concept leaves much to be desired.

The novel primarily consists of Luciana's monologues to her older sister Mari, discussing their vibrant but tumultuous Colombian American family, and more poignantly, their grandmother's declining health. This could provide a rich tapestry of emotional depth and cultural insight, yet the format of the book—the relentless one-sided phone calls—makes it more confusing than compelling, offering little room for character development.

Adding to the confusion are mini-conversations with other characters, styled in italics or different fonts. On a Kindle, these stylistic choices did not translate well, blurring the lines between Luciana's main narrative and the snippets of other dialogues. It took a complete restart of the novel after an initial baffling 20 pages to somewhat grasp the flow of these interjections, a hurdle that significantly hampered my engagement with the story.

While I acknowledge that "Oye" has garnered numerous positive reviews, my personal experience with the book was one of frustration and disappointment. The innovative approach, while ambitious, ultimately detracted from the story's potential impact. The emotional stakes felt muddled by the format, and the depth of family dynamics and personal struggles that could have been profoundly moving was lost in the novel's structural choices.

Overall, "Oye" was a challenging read that I struggled to connect with. The concept of telling a story through phone calls is original, but in practice, it created a barrier to truly understanding and empathizing with the characters' experiences. I wanted to be drawn into Luciana's world and feel the weight of her family's history and her own personal growth, but instead, I was left feeling detached and bewildered.

The strength of this book lies in the dialogue and voices of the characters; at once funny, contemporary but also nuanced and enlightening. This communication style really shines a focus on the bond between the siblings and reveals the all to common aspects of immigrant families; secrets kept in order to survive. As the sisters learn more about their family and themselves, their bond solidifies what it means to be a first generation American.