R.M. Romero has become an auto-request/auto-buy author for me and I’m so lucky to be approved for her books because her novels in verse are always full of vibes and feels. Death’s Country, as a polyamorous Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, did not lack in atmosphere or emotions. Liora, Renee, and Andres find each other and fall in love, but they each have their own secrets that could damn them in the underworld. Watching the three of them grow in love with each other, but also in acceptance of themselves, was so beautiful and natural. Part of me wished this book wasn’t YA because there were themes that could apply to all ages, but the other part of me saw why this book had to be YA, for 16 is an age when so many teens are figuring out exactly who they want to be and begin to express themselves and defend their expression.

While this book has a smaller storyline, it did not lack in plot, so much of the action took place within these characters and I enjoyed that introspection. I especially enjoyed the theme of accepting one’s own darkness, that is truly a favorite trope of mine, as well as the theme of finding acceptance of every aspect of oneself from those we love. While I still think The Ghosts of Rose Hill is my favorite R.M. Romero book thus far, I still put Death’s Country in the five star category. I think queer and poly representation is so important, and Orpheus and Eurydice retellings always get me!

I feel like categorizing and marketing R. M. Romero’s books strictly as YA is doing them and her a huge disservice, because her writing transcends such boundaries: they’re novels in verse, poetry made into a novel. Poetry doesn’t know age groups. It only knows beauty.

While it’s not my favorite of Romero’s books (The Ghosts of Rose Hill is still my fave), I was still enraptured by the writing, swept away by the story, and was crying onto my pillow by the end.

Polyamory is still a titillating topic for fiction in adult books, let alone a book about 16 year-olds. On a personal level, I would love to see polyamory more normalized and treated as compassionately and as well as Romero did in this book, because every heart has the capacity for infinite love; however, that doesn’t mean that every person is capable of it. Capacity and capability are two different things, and no one is poorer for being capable of loving more than one person or not being capable of loving people at all (on a romantic level). Love is love, and no one has the right to tell you who you can or should love. I’ve met polyamorous teenagers because I’m polyamorous myself and raised my kids in a polyamorous household. My older kid is polyamorous.

There was so much in this book I loved: The musical references to David Bowie (beloved but deceased bisexual icon), at least three significant references to Sylvia Plath, a haunting homage to Gianni Versace, and the unique spin on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth (which I almost forgot about at some points in favor of the more original points in the story).

The feel of this story is very much soaked in duality: light and shadow, but look deeper. It’s bright neons and glaring sunlight against deepest shadows and darkest nights. It’s a gorgeous and important vibe that Romero executes well and is important to the story. As with all Romero novels, I recommend it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/LGBTQ Fantasy/LGBTQ Romance/Mythological Fiction/Poetry/Polyamorous Romance/YA Fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

This is a gorgeous novel in verse! It is a loose retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, with some Dante's Inferno vibes thrown in for fun. The story follows a polyamorous trio of teens--Andres, Renee, and Liona. Their love story is cute, and seemingly helps Andres heal from the bargain he made with Death prior to meeting them. Of course, tragedy strikes and Andres and Renee wind up on a journey through the underworld to try and find Liona's spirit before it's too late to reunite it with her body following a car accident. I really enjoyed the way the story addressed loss and healing, and I think this novel will be perfect for teen readers who are interested in a complex and modern story that includes plenty of nods to some classics.

So to start I'll have to admit I requested this ARC a bit ago and didn't remember much about my reasoning anymore. When I then opened the book and saw it was in verse I had a small moment of confusion as I really had no idea it would be. But I think this book has convinced me I really love novels in verse. I love how the story flowed and used it's format in a way that felt incredibly emotional. I felt so very moved by the feelings of the main character and felt I was really in the middle of it all. It illustrated the story so well that I could picture everything in my head, surrounded by this wonderful story. This being in verse was exactly what the book needed and made it amazing.

The character relations within this book were so amazing too. Their romance was at the center of this story, but it wasn't a romance book. The romance and characters get established fast but it felt fitting in the way it was written, and then the story moves on to the bigger plot of Liora in coma. In the underworld their love was so clear for me as reader. Renee really takes care of Andres, and Andres also of Renee in his own way. But both are always focused on Liora making it feel that all three are always in the picture of the story.

Those first few chapters really felt fast paced but nowhere it felt rushed. Then when we get to the point of going to the underworld the tone of the book changes and magic is everywhere. It feels there is a very distinct division of "before the underworld" and "in the underworld." Both parts have their charm. Before the underworld there is love and joy rooted in reality, while in the underworld anything can happen and the world is full of magic. Before the poetry felt full of Andres pain but also his joy in Renee and Liora. While in the underworld the poetry really shined in the way it could write the magical things happening. Both were done amazing and made me really fall in love with this book.

Concluding I think this book is absolutely amazing and would recommend it to anyone who likes queer books in verse.

3.5/5 ⭐️

"Death's Country" is a modern retelling of the classic Orpheus and Eurydice mythology with a polyamorous love triad set in Miami. It's written in verses, much like Romero's other works, and reads more like a story rather than poetry. I enjoyed this but didn't like it as much as her other book I've read, "The Ghosts of Rose Hill." I think there was just a bit too much going on plot wise. The relationship between Andres, Renee, and Liora moved too quickly and didn't feel fully developed. Romero does do a nice job of tackling some darker themes that are important, especially for YA readers (check the TW's). The ideas in this are interesting and meaningful, but the execution just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, R.M. Romero and Peachtree Teen for my early access to this.

This was quite enjoyable... it's a sort of YA Orpheus and Eurydice meets Dante's Inferno meets Latine mythology, with some world events sprinkled in for good measure. I really loved that we get a YA triad at the center of this love story, and that while someone else (no spoilers) views their relationship as being purely physical, they're so emotionally invested in each other. There's also one particular character in the underworld who, while relatively minor, is one of my favorite characters in the book, and who is the focus of some of the most moving passages about loss and memory.

I somehow missed the memo that this was a novel in verse (oops). That's not actually a problem, as I do enjoy novels written in this style, although in this case I felt like something was lacking in terms of richness of prose, and sometimes in terms of transitions between scenes. I had to go back and reread one part because I thought I'd missed something, but no, it was just very abrupt. The style does make the whole story seem a bit more dreamlike, but some of element of emotional depth was missing for me. Depending on the reader, however, this may not be an issue.

If you like Amber McBride's work, I think Death's Country is in roughly the same literary neighborhood as We Are All So Good At Smiling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this as an ARC.

I really do like a verse novel. This one was no exception. It was very interesting and I really liked the whole death's world thing. But I was a little confused at times and I had trouble really connecting with any of the characters, everything flowed a little too fast and I didn't form any true connections with them. It kept me from truly caring about the whole thing. Like I cared but in a more surface level way. I can't explain. Overall, I did enjoy it though. It was an interesting, original and very fast read. I will definitely look into more books by R.M. Romero.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of "Death's Country". I loved that one! The cover was the first things that drew me to that book and the story was also really enjoyable. I loved the characters and their relationships. I'm exctited for another book by this author.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH AN ARC OF THIS STORY
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I don't often read novels in verse and I didn't even realize this was a novel in verse (I think I skipped over that line in the synopsis) but this was one of the better ones I read! For some verse novels I feel like it's hard for authors to world build so I can never really picture what's going on around the characters but for this novel I could see The City so well. The descriptions of The City and it's people (although short) were very impactful so I could clearly picture in my minds eye the underworld that Renee and Andres were walking through.

Vasily/Virgil was a great addition to the story too. I didn't anticipate him having as big of a role as he did but I'm glad he ended up having his own happy ending!

I REALLY loved as well how Renee and Liora didn't get upset with Andres when they found out The Prince was Andres shadow. They loved and supported him and didn't make him feel bad for his past (they did the same for Liora so it's only fair). I appreciated as well how Andres sacrifice ended up being his guitar and NOT Liora like he was worried it would be. I'm imagining a really good future for the three of them because they all seemed really mature.

I will literally read any retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice that I find. It is one of my most favorite Greek myths.

And this queer, polyamorous retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in modern day Miami was absolutely breathtaking.

Good god, but I loved this. This is a novella told in verse, written beautifully, and examining who our parents try to make us be, who we pretend to be, and who we are. There is a sweet romance, which could have been developed a bit more. I mostly would have liked more development of the two girls, as they felt the most ill defined in the story. Perhaps something on purpose though, reflecting Eurydice’s own status as a shade in the original myth.

I definitely want to read this again as an audiobook. I’ll be ordering both a physical copy and an audiobook copy as soon as I’m done reviewing.

I was a little thrown by the lack of dialogue related punctuation, but I did eventually get used to that.

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for this ARC.

Death's Country
R.M Romero
400 Pages, ARC
YA Magical Realism, Poetry, Queer

PUB DATE: MAY 07, 2024. I received this book from Netgalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

"Death's Country" by R. M Romero s a modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, written in verse. It follows a polyamorous trio—Andrés, Renée, and Liora—as they journey from the summer streets of Florida to the ghostly cities of the Underworld. Romero’s poetry is melodic and captivating, weaving feelings of love, identity, and loss around a cast of Latinx characters. I enjoyed the vibrant dreamscape, the diverse representation, and the world-building influenced by Latinx folklore and pop culture. I was fully entranced by the protagonist, Andrés’s inner dialogue as the story developed; his feelings a building song, and his world the stage. I loved the subtle political and social commentary intertwined into the storyline. I definitely recommend this book to people who love modern myth retellings, poetry, and romance stories exploring self identity and polyamory! It’s a beautiful and effortless read!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ( I wish other characters got more developed as the story progressed)

this had some beautiful moments and Romero's gorgeous writing style but for a story inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice I was really missing the romance and tragedy element of it all?

I think part of the problem for me was that the book covers a large amount of time and we both get to see Andres fall in love with Renee and Liora, have Liora's accident, and their journey through the underworld. It's a lot for a novel-in-verse of 4oo pages. I don't think the book does their relationship justice which in term made my investment in their retrival mission low and ultimately a forgettable experience.

There are also more themes that fell by the wayside as Romero is spending their time to build the underworld and gear up for the finale, like the exploration of toxic and positive masculinity. I adored their debut and liked their historical one but this one felt rushed and unlike the others, I barely have any quotes underlined.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! ☠️🎸

Going into this, I hadn't expected this to be written in verse, which is on me; I didn't read the synopsis properly.
That being said, I was rather pleasantly surprised! I am not one to read novels written in verse, as I find that the pacing or the style in general reads strangely. However, in Death's Country, the author does an great job, in that the story flows well, regardless, or perhaps because, of the writing style. There was so much story fit into this book, considering the fact that there are less words than typically would be in a full-length novel. The writing was excellent, every word was fully utilised such that I felt every moment of the characters' emotional journey.

The way each character's arc was handled, alongside their growing relationship was sooo good, the author gives each character their own screentime to develop, and also twines it together with their love story. I think teens would find this cast of characters relatable, especially with all the obstacles and uncertainty they face, which are real and prevalent issues today. I also liked how the book doesn't just provide a clean solution to everything, but the characters grow and learn how to manage things in a way that feels more realistic.

I find that this novel also provides a rather age-appropriate exploration of the concept of death, and how different people deal with it, as well as the different perspectives our main cast has about it. This could be an interesting discussion to have with youths about concepts of mortality and the afterlife.

All in all, an excellent read, one that is quite short in terms of word count, but makes a big impact <3

I really liked this one! It was a pretty unique read and the beautiful poetic writing fit the story perfectly. The main character were great and I could definitely feel the love between them. This is definitely a book I would recommend if you are looking for something different or a sweet queer romance.

romero writes so beautifully. I love how diverse the characters are. the teens were really complex, each with their own traumas that are explored with love and dignity. I wish we had seen some more complexity for the adults though. the idea of the dead boy was intense and really needs some delicacy, I was a little worried about it, but in the end I believe it was done properly. I would have enjoyed to read more, but it was lovely through and through

4.5 stars
A short read, written in poetic style. You do not need to know anything about Orpheus and Eurydice to enjoy the story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

What a delight this was to read. It was every bit poetry and an ode to the classical storytelling of old with their lyrical narratives. I loved the weaving of different mythologies and customs into the narrative. The smooth flow of Greek to Mexican to Catholicism felt so natural, as if every mythology were rivers creating one delta to explore together. Likewise, the characters all worked really well for me. I mourned this story’s Virgil, I felt for each of the three characters’ struggles and triumphs.

However, i did wish I had more in some places. I wanted more of the budding romance into the relationship. I wanted more between the three lovers. I adore that it was poly, however, as there is far too little representation of it as a romance style. I also wished the ending wasn’t so abrupt. It hit so very fast, but the narrative wasn’t worse for it. It’s my
Own greed for more of these characters and their story.

My final note was on the formatting. In some places, i had to reread to understand that someone was speaking at all, let alone who it was. In future editions, i would have loved italics or some denotation that someone was speaking. But it wasn’t terribly difficult to figure out, just jarring at times.

Overall, i loved this story. I had feared the worst for the ending, but I was so happy that these three get such an ending compared to that of Orpheus and Dante. I will be proudly adding a copy of Death’s Country to my shelves on release!

4,5/5 stars rounded to 5.

Andres’s world is discolored by his rage. When he drowns in a river, he makes a bargain with Death for a new life without all his anger, a life where he can play music and enjoy the beautiful city of Miami, to which he just moved. Freed from his anger, he meets and grows to love two girls, Renee and Liora, and the three become a polyamorous triad. When an accident leaves Liora in a coma, Andres fears Death has come to collect on their deal. He and Renee decide to descend into the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s spirit and reunite it with her body.

Death’s Country is another magical masterpiece by R.M Romero. Oozing with romantic imagery and gut-punching verses, Death’s Country takes readers on a journey through the City of the Dead, a place where aimless souls yearn to forget and songs grow flowers.

Everything Romero writes is absolutely gorgeous. The novel begins with an exploration of Andres’s rage so gut-punching, it is impossible not to root for him. So when we meet his girlfriends, we feel the depth of his relief and joy. And when he thinks he may loose them, we feel the fear and loss right alongside him. I am always so impressed when I read free verse poetry like Romero’s where so much is said in (relatively) few words. Romero is truly a master at their craft and readers will have no problem connecting to the characters and world they’ve crafted.

Some other things to look forward to in this gem of a novel: a story that feels like a folktale, an exploration of grief & healing and the work it takes to piece ourselves back together, breath-taking Miami scenery, a romance readers can’t help but root for, so many song references !! (David bowie fans unite!), and a sweet boy from Kyiv who serves as their guide to the underworld.

DEATH’S COUNTRY is perfect for lovers of free-verse (and people interesting in trying out the medium!), folklore fans, readers who love to highlight & annotate their books (it’s impossible not to annotate this one!), and readers interested in a reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Please note that this book is on the heavier side. Readers should not go into this expecting a light/fluffy romance or adventure. While there are many sweet moments, such as when Andres meets the girls, this book features a fair amount of grief, healing, death, strong imagery, and other themes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy I received in exchange for my honest review!

A polyamorous retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice told in verse! The story follows two Miami teens as they travel to the Underworld to retrieve their girlfriend's soul. Andres Santos is someone who swings his fist and lets his anger take hold, someone who is stuck in the middle of his parent's fights, and someone who drowned in the river until he made a bargain with Death for a new life. A year after the incident his family has moved to Miami... and thats where he meets two girls: photographer Renee and dancer Liora. The three become a polyamorous triad, happy in their love despite the fact that no one understands their relationship. However when Liora gets into an accident and ends up in a coma, Andres and Renee are broken... that is until Renee proposes that they both go to the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend's soil and reunite it with her body. Yet as they travel into the underworld, their relationship will be tested and Andres will have to face his own demon... one he left behind on the day he drowned. This was definitely a really unique retelling on the classic story and while I didn't particularly enjoy the in verse style of the novel and felt that some parts were a bit muddled, the overall story itself is one I would recommend. I feel like if you enjoy in verse novels, this is definitely one you should add to your TBR! It's a gorgeous retelling and it definitely creates a unique story while staying true to the spirit of the classic.

*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

When I originally picked this up, I had absolutely no idea that it was a novel in verse, but honestly that was so welcome and the poetic style really shines the whole time Andres and Renee are in the City. The lyricism highlights the fantastical elements, whether beautiful or terrible or both, and it made me wish I was listening to the audiobook. Also we love polyamory rep!

Where this falls short is that I honestly felt like we knew very little about Liora and Renee - they were metaphors more than they were girls, which made it hard to fit them in the very well-defined spaces created by Andres. I think I needed a little bit more grounding in reality outside of our trips to the underworld.