Mark Oshiro

From award-winning author Mark Oshiro comes a powerful coming-of-age fantasy novel about finding home and falling in love amidst the dangers of a desert where stories come to life Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village's stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enigmatic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes. Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit. One night, Xo's wish is granted—in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town's murderous conqueror. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match... if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down. Fresh off of Anger Is a Gift's smashing success, Oshiro branches out into a fantastical direction with their new YA novel, Each of Us a Desert.

Each of Us a Desert

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Sarahi Flores

Okay so this may be a fantasy novel but it is very beautifully written with such memorizing wording that makes you believe is a book full of poems. The combination of English and Spanish made it even better because it felt as if this is the type of reading I need to be reading. I enjoy having conversations in Spanglish because that's how we speak at home lol. It felts good to see that this is a normal thing for a bilingual person. The role of Xochital, the protagonist, is quite unique and pretty interesting. Truth be told it felt like she was a priest listening to the confessions of the villagers. That's how I simplified it lol. The plot was in a way confusing in some parts in my opinion but the more I read it, the more it became clearer.This book makes you wanna think deeply in what you want for yourself. This may be fiction work but it feels something real. Thank you Netgalley for the arc. I definitely found this a wonderful read. Makes me appreciate the beauty of words. This is is 4 out of 5 star reading.

Jennifer

Ahh I really enjoy this! Each of Us a Desert is a diverse and lush character-driven fantasy novel. It's also a story of self-discovery and realisation. I must say that I'm quite a fan of fantasy books which explores topics with regard to self-knowledge and Each of Us a Desert is a prime example where this journey of self-discovery is executed well through the characterisation.

Each of Us a Desert is Xo's journey of self-knowledge. Through her narrative, Oshiro woven emotionally touching stories and demonstrated strong character development & psychological exploration. From Xo's headspace, Oshiro crafted a highly complex and yet likeable main character. Similarly, the support characters are fleshed out from Xo's lens. Xo's deeply intimate narrative allowed me to emotionally engage in her relationship with Emilia. I also enjoyed the diversity of the characters - and how this reflects Mark Oshiro's personal background. So I found the characterisation excellent and sincere.

Through the poetic and emotionally intimate writing, Each of Us a Desert goes beyond slow burn romance regime. Through the carefully crafted stories, this is also a story of coming of age, increasing self-awareness, as well as stories we trapped inside ourselves. By going through the layers of the stories, I loved how Oshiro illustrated the depth in which one could reach to gain self-knowledge. In the age where introspection is often overlooked, reading this journey of discovering one's sense of self is a welcoming experience - especially one which is fleshed out well.

While the characterisation and messaging were the stand-outs, I initially had to push through the first 1/3 of Each of Us a Desert. Personally, I found that the worldbuilding and the magic system weren't immediately apparent. I think this is partially due to the strong character focus (Oshiro mentioned that they focused on the characters first before crafting a world around these characters) and the dense writing to describe Xo's complex sentiments. So while I emotionally connected to the characters, it took me a longer time to feel immersed in the world. So while Oshiro budgeted with the words used to describe the worldbuilding, I do find that the symbolism of the desert pretty fitting with the character development. So I don't think the worldbuilding is a major issue as this didn't distract the central messages. 

Quotes I love (these quotes demonstrated both the internal and external aspects of self-awareness from Xo's emotional narrative):

"I watched them for a while until they were nothing more than a speck on the horizon, and I wondered if others experience this perspective. Were we all specks to one another in this isolated, empty world?" 

"I breathed in that freedom, and I was overflowing with purpose. It was not the one that had been assigned to me, that had dictated my life. It was my own."

"Who I was but a collection of their emotions and experiences?"

"My hope is a bird that flies over the land and in the distance you shine brighter than the stars, brighter than the sun. I will follow you only if you follow me."

"We are the stories we tell one another."

To summarise, this character-driven fantasy novel demonstrated excellent messaging on self-awareness and personal narratives. It's an incredibly emotional and intimate read. It's also has an excellent LGBT+ relationship. I highly recommend this to anyone who's into solid characterisation.

N.B. this book contains the following content triggers: gore, blood, animal cruelty, and death

Leelynn Brady

Full review on my blog  Sometimes Leelynn Reads 

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Mark Oshiro, and Tor Teen for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

In the acknowledgements of this novel, Oshiro tells us that this book ended up becoming a love letter to his late partner Baize White, and after I read the full acknowledgments, I could immediately see how that was so. That is what this book felt like to me, even with all of the violence and death and despair that our characters had to go through: it ended up becoming a love letter between the two main characters Xochitl and Emilia as they take their journey to Solado, to where they need to find out the truth of their lives. I also feel like it was a love letter for Xochitl, for her to finally learn about herself in a way that she never had a chance to before. It felt like a journey that she needed to take for herself, and it was great that she was able to take this journey with Emilia.

Each of Us a Desert

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