something tricky about collected stories is that some can be amazing and some can feel flat and
that's my case with this book
something we can't take back to Daniel A. Olivas is the diversity and representations that her work contains, even if we can't connect with each story it's worth the ride

thank you netgalley for the copy

What a beautiful book. It was heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. I love when a book can tug at all types of emotions and really have you contemplating life. .This cover art is just beautiful and I have considered tattoos like this so when I saw it I had to look at it and request to read. This was such a fun journey through love as a fun/sad/perfect way of being.

I didn't really enjoy this short story collection. There's 31 stories in little over 200 pages and lot of them felt underdeveloped, or I thought would work better as a stand alone than as a part of collection. Speaking of that most of the stories here are published before in different publications and it clearly shows it in the lack of cohesivity of this book.

Strongest stories for me where the ones that magical realism elements and I'd have liked to read a collection of just those. I did enjoy the Chicano culture of these stories, but absolutely hated how the author wrote women in some of them. There was something very voyeuristic about the way the author described women bodies that just gave me the ick.

Overall I didn't really enjoy myself with this and had to struggle just to finish this. If you decide to pick this up I hope you get more out of this than I did.

I confess, I initially judged this book by its cover. The artwork, reminiscent of the classic loteria card deck with nods to Frida Kahlo's style, instantly drew me in. The title, "My Chicano Heart," further piqued my interest. As a Chicana romantic myself, I anticipated a series of love stories, and I can say I wasn't disappointed.

Daniel A. Olivas's collection offers a rich tapestry of tales exploring love in its myriad forms—complex, mysterious, and at times, absurd. I found myself nodding along, relating to the desire for appreciation and affection depicted in these stories.

From the opening tale, "My Chicano Heart," with its evocative imagery of a beating heart in a box reminiscent of Poe's "A Tell-Tale Heart," to the unexpected twists of "Quack," where I found myself fiercely protective of Constance, this collection kept me engaged. "Las Dos Fridas" warmed me with its depth, while "Eight" resonated with its portrayal of office camaraderie amidst workplace challenges. "Weatherman" left me speechless with its impactful dialogue, and "Mateo’s Walk" evoked a profound sense of longing.

However, not every story left me equally fulfilled. "The Fairy Tale of the Man and the Woman" and "Willie" left me puzzled and enraged, respectively. "Blue" tore at my heartstrings, leaving me raw.

Yet, through each tale, the thread of love—be it for others, oneself, or something intangible—remains constant. These stories skillfully interweave elements of culture, language, and family, resonating with anyone who has experienced the complexities of love.

Thank you for giving me this arc.

Mixed between some of the short stories were really interesting and nicely written. And others I found it hard to get into some of the writing and stories.

My rate is 2.75/5

There are some truly excellent stories in this book, including "My Chicano Heart" and "Las Dos Fridas," and several other stories that I really enjoyed, including "Eight," "Weatherman," "The Fairy Tale of the Man and the Woman," and "Quack." But after a strong start, this collection started to lag, and I had trouble staying engaged. Ultimately this collection as a whole did not work for me.

There were quite a few very short pieces and some stories that felt extremely slight, often ending before I could fully connect with the character or storyline. The writing was beautiful, but this collection overall felt extremely unfocused. I really appreciated the author's forward, where he talked about the throughline of love in these stories, but didn't necessarily feel that throughline as I read.

I particularly enjoyed the magical realist/fabulist aspects in some of the stories - especially "My Chicano Heart" - but fewer stories were in that style than I hoped based on the blurb and the opening story. I do plan to check out more of this author's work, particularly his book "How To Date a Flying Mexican," which sounds like it may be more to my taste.

My star rating is 2.5/5, rounded up to 3.

Thank you to Daniel A. Olivas, University of Nevada Press, and NetGalley for generously providing this ARC for review!

Beautifully written. Heart wrenching and thoughtful. You can feel every emotion radiating off of this novel, like it’s been dipped in the authors blood and left to dry.

Here's the deal: I was just browsing the selection while waiting for my roommate to wake up so we can go have lunch, when I spotted a beautiful cover. I sent a request, expecting nothing. But I got an email saying that I was approved within a few minutes. With my roommate still asleep, I opened the book, and started reading the first story. I immediately thought I would not like it. But that was just the first paragraph.

Spoilers ahead: The way the main character requested his heart back intrigued me. So I kept going. The way the process of him taking out his heart and giving it, was even better. Safe to say, I kept going and kept liking it more and more.

The second story broke my heart. The third revealed that twist in the end in the best possible way! The author sucked me into these stories, I couldn't stop reading until I finished it.

The author pays attention to very small details. It makes the story feel alive. All the characters are wonderful, and the pages are dyed with their personality in only a few lines. That's expertise for you! And the humor was top-notch!

I will definitely check out more works from this author!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced digital copy!