Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming  Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Reading this is like watching an ornate and color-drenched panorama of personal drama and tragedy and love and resignation circle around you. It's horrifying and joyous and moving and about survival and how dysfunctional families and lives can lead to self-sufficiency and resilience and at the same time cause depression and something that goes even beyond depression into death-like living. Highly recommended.

I’m not sure what I was expecting with this novel, but wow. A beautifully written tragic tale, this one took me by surprise. 
It touches on loss, thoughts of suicide, depression, prejudice, lots of other heavy topics that I won’t say to avoid spoilers.   
A sister trying desperately to save her brother one last time. 
To me, it really was Rufina’s story and all she had endured. And it was a lot. 
It was, at times, hard to follow. But I found the ending wrapped it up nicely. That ending was triumphant. It’s a short novel that packs a punch.

Jamie Figueroa writes about emotion, family, and selfhood in this well-composed book. Literary, lovely, and character-centered.

Jamie Figueroa’s debut novel “Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer” is a fever dream, by turns lyrical, often highly disturbing. The boundaries between past and present, reality and magic are fleeting and uncertain. It is a truly gripping read from start to finish.

The foundation of the story is rooted in trauma, tragedy, and familial bonding. While many scenes are wonderous, beautiful, loving, and kind, many others are dark and foreboding. And the reader does not get much if any advance warning. You may be going along languishing in the beauty of Figueroa’s sentences and all of a sudden read a bit that makes you stop, ask yourself, “What was that?”, re-read, and process. I love books like that.

I do not know Ms. Figueroa’s background, but I  look forward to soon finding out. She clearly knows about what she is writing and has beautiful style and technique. We are going to be hearing a lot about her as “Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer” is going to appeal to a wide audience.

Thank you to Catapult and NetGalley for the dARC. Much appreciated.

Very atmospheric writing that keeps the reader engaged in this story about grief and hardship. An adult brother and sister who recently lost their mother try to make it through a weekend. The impetus seems silly but the way it’s written demonstrates complexity in life, emotions and relationships. A beautiful, sad yet short and quick reading novel. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.