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.

Giving this a 4 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The premise of a polyamorous, queer retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice really drew me in. The prose is very whimsical, which lends itself to an otherworldly, dream-like quality. It takes a bit to get used to it, but by the end I really enjoyed it.

Ground Control to Major Tom; I have just read one of the best books I have ever read in my whole life.

Death's Country is a queer retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice - one of my favorite tales of Greek mythology!! It's polyamorous - two Miami teens travel to the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s soul! It's told in verse!! R.M. Romero really took all of my favorite things and wrote them into a book. There are real tears in my eyes as I am writing this. Not because the book was sad - which it actually was - but because I am just so happy. I loved this book. I am going to be insufferable about this book.

Andres was all swinging fists... until he drowned in the Tietê River… and made a bargain with Death for a new life. Now uses music to escape. He meets Renee, a photographer, and Liora, a dancer. And they fall in love. And I am in love with them. I also want it on the record that I too use music to escape, I love photography and I used to be a dancer. It felt like I found a piece of my soul in each of these characters. Then a car accident leaves Liora in a coma, and Renee and Andres head to the underworld to bring her back. But finding Liora’s spirit is only the first step in returning to the living world.

The verse in this book is some of the most beautiful I have ever read. I try to not be impulsive with my tattoo decisions, for the sake of my wallet but also because I am built like a stick figure and I don't have much space to make hasty decisions. BUT I am very much considering messaging my tattoo artist because I need this whole book tattooed on me. Or at least a line because;
- "If I'm to worship anything, let it be love."
- "The newspaper boy was right: the best is yet to come. The newspaper boy was right: the worst is yet to come."
- "My true self wasn't a hero, but I guess he had a lot of love to give."
- "Maybe her secrets haunted her to her grave."
- "God. God, what grave you two have dug with your own personal Beatrice."
- "Ground Control to Major Tom-
okay yes, I will stop now. I just really love David Bowie and Space Oddity is one of my favorite songs. I used to ask my dad to play it to me before going to bed all the time when I was a kid. The song just tickles my brain in the perfect way.

Okay, back to the book; I do think the characters act a lot older than what they are supposed to be. Good for me that I have ADHD so I completely forgot how old they were actually supposed to be. And even though I knew it is written in verse, it did take a moment to get used to it. But once I did, I absolutely adored it.

The way Romero writes makes me feel the same as I felt when I was a young child and my grandma told me bedtime stories. It feels like laying in the bed under the softest blanket under the glow of the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars and listening a story told by someone you love. I am going to be eternally sad about the fact that my grandma does not know English and thus I cannot ask her to read this book to me. Shoutout to my grandma, thank you for making me fall in love with stories.

Ground Control to Major Tom; to sum up; I love this book. I don't know how to but it into words. I need to get my hands on a physical copy asap. And I might be getting a new tattoo in the near future!



Content warnings: death, war, drowning, self-harm, disordered eating


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

DEATH'S COUNTRY reiterated that I will always, always devour R. M. Romero's stories, and they will always be strange and beautiful and dark. I have been transported, so gorgeously <3

The verse here sizzles with colour and heart-fire. It's about learning to be gentle whilst embracing your sharpness, about loving in boundless ways, about storytelling and mythmaking and letting go and holding on. It has some of the first polyamorous rep I've seen in YA, and it was handled deftly; the triad's relationship was lovely. Even though "travelling to the underworld" stories are far from new, Romero still made this Orpheus & Eurydice retelling feel fresh and exciting.

Wild & surreal as its cover, this is a novel-in-verse I will hold close to my heart for a long time.

Beautiful and breathtaking. I'm cautious about reading novels in verse (it takes a skilled hand to deliver a plot in poetry without falling into the trap of all fluff, no substance) but this more than delivered. I'm also always excited to see more diverse representation in YA, and the idea of a polyamorous triad in a YA novel captured my attention right away. While the plot and writing did meander at times, the strong character work and absolutely lush prose was more than enough to keep me enthralled until the very end. I have a feeling a lot of people are going to love this one.

Death's Country by R. M. Romero is a beautiful Queer retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in Greek Mythology. The best part? It's told in verse! If that is something you think you'd enjoy, then please do not hesitate to pick up this book when it is released on May 7!

In this book, you follow Andres and Renee as they fight to get their girlfriend's spirit back from the underworld; where it has gone after a car accident left her in a coma. Andres and Renee plan to reunite Liora's soul with her body to bring her out of that coma.

This book is hauntingly beautiful to read! It took me a while to get into the book because I'm not used to reading books written in verse. But that is my own fault, and not any fault of the author! I found myself highlighting so many passages because of the prose and the way each sentence moved me. If I wasn't careful, I would have highlighted the whole book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Peechtree Teen for a free copy in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review.

"Death's Country" by R M Romero takes readers on a gripping journey through a world where death isn't just an end, but a beginning of a new adventure. Romero's vivid storytelling and rich world-building create a captivating atmosphere that immerses readers from the first page to the last. With a perfect blend of mystery, fantasy, and adventure, this book offers a unique perspective on the afterlife that will leave readers pondering its themes long after they've finished. If you're looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read, "Death's Country" is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you, Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Andres was furious and involved in the war between his parents, until he drowned and made a bargain with Death for a new life. Now his parents are still fighting and he uses music to escape them. While wandering Miami Beach he meets Renee, a photographer and Liora, a dancer, starting an intense polyamorous triad with them. When an accident leaves Liora in a coma, Andres and Renee are willing to do anything to get her back. Like going into the City of Death and retrieve her soul before it's too late. There everything is weird and peculiar and finding Liora's soul isn't so simple, since Andres left there a piece of him he doesn't want to meet...

Two Miami teens decide to travel to the Underworld in order to retrieve their girlfriend soul and this book is truly magnificent. It's my first boom in verse I've read and I was pleasantly surprised! It's vibrant, rich and lush and I was involed into the story since the first page. The City of Death was one of my favourite setting, so evocative and intriguing and I love the characterization. Renee, Liora and Andres are brilliant characters and their relationship is so pure and intense and I love their love and dedication. Their journey was beautiful and intriguing and I adored how the author talked about loss and healing, love and peace in this book of magical realism.

This was a really interesting read and I have a feeling a lot of people are absolutely going to adore this! The description comparing this book to Orpheus and Eurydice hit the nail right on the head, and as someone who loves that myth, I really could feel the essence of it immersed in Romero's Death's Country. I loved the queer representation, poly representation, and the imagery. I really felt like I was in this fantastical space with the characters. It felt magical, whimsical, but also dark at the same time and touches on quite serious subject matter such as self harm, racism, struggles with immigration/displacement, grief and losd, and familial abuse/domestic violence between parents.

Although I loved the imagery and overall story, I did struggle with the flow of the verses. There were quite a few moments where the writing felt disjointed and I'd be repeatedly taken out of the moment making it difficult to find this as enjoyable as expected, but this also could just be me personally. I still would highly recommend checking this out.

YOU KNOW THIS IS NOW MY TOP READ OF 2024!

Do yourself a favour & listen to Hozier’s song ‘Talk’ - before, during and/or after reading this book!
It adds a beautiful vibe when you hear the lyrics, “I'd be the choiceless hope in grief that drove him underground.”

The heart of this story is acceptance, love (oneself and someone else), and truth.
Even though we follow Andres's POV, we experience the growth, hurt and character healing of all three characters in this polyamorous triad. This shows why they were all drawn to each other and why they work as a loving unit and I adored this will all my soul! They were human and didn't share everything right away with each other of, their struggles and insecurities, and even after the adventure, they didn't magically go away for them all. The promise to help one another was what remained, and that is the beautiful thing.

I want to shoutout a few things that deserve all the love:
1) R.M. Romero changed my view on lyrical/poetic storytelling. I read 'The Ghost of Rose Hill' (A top read for me in 2022), and it was breathtaking to someone who initially hated poetic stories, so I decided to rethink my views & give the style another chance; this book proved it was the right call!
2) As a member of the LGBTQ+ Community, THANK YOU for being so sweet and good with the portrayal of a M/F/F polyamorous triad. It wasn't sexualised and was handled with much care and understanding that they are teenagers who are figuring things out, growing, and just wanting to love the people they love as a unit.
3) Death's Country and the magic journey and exposure to the world were so fascinating. The portrayal of the dead and what it means to hold on and stay in the city of death or accept things and move on - was interesting. The versions of the dead we saw, how/who they were, and what they did in life were reflected in the way they acted in the city. A lot added to my own thoughts and feelings about what could be after death. (LISTEN IT BROUGHT UP DEEP THOUGHTS!)

'Death's Country' is a fantastic read and I cannot wait to pop my staff pick sticker on it and force friends, family, and more to read it!

TW: Violence, divorce, death, drowning, hospital, death magic, war, eating disorders & trauma.

Things I really liked about Death's Country: the beautiful cover, Orpheus/Eurydice retelling that is unique, lyrical writing, and it's a R.M Romero book! I knew going into this book that it might not be for me -- I'm pretty picky when it comes to books written in verse, as I find that the style distracts me from the story at hand. And while the writing is lovely, I had a hard time connecting with this book for that reason. For folks who like Elizabeth Acevedo's style, there is a lot to enjoy here, including a book that speaks to societal issues and gender constructs and is worth a try. I'm looking forward to more from Romero! Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

I've loved R.M. Romero's previous books, and this one sounded fantastic. A polyamorous retelling of Orpheus and Euridice? Sign me up!

Though the writing was pretty, I found it so hard to make sense of it. I couldn't manage to keep track of the story, which is why I decided to DNF.