Title: Each of Us a Desert
Author: Mark Oshiro
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 15, 2020
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Summary
Xochital is a cuentista, which means that she takes stories from her fellow villagers. Stories that make them feel guilt, sadness, stories they don’t want to keep. Xo then gives them back to Solis, their god, in hopes to stay in their good graces. While she does her duty, there’s one thing that she wishes for: someone to share her stories with.
When Xo accidentally keeps a story, she finds herself on the run in the desert. She doesn’t expect to meet Emilia there, the daughter of the violent mayor. As they set out on a journey through the desert together, they could be a match. If they can survive the journey first.
Review: Each of Us a Desert
We got an ARC of this at the Barnes and Noble I work at, and I was so happy when I pulled it from the mailbox! I’ve been seeing this book everywhere, and only heard good things about it. I’m so glad that it lived up to the hype.
This is one of those books, for me, that’s difficult to describe without giving away too much about the story. It’s one of those books that you should go into without knowing much about it because that makes the experience even better. You get pulled into Xochital’s story, not wanting to put it down until the very end. It’s lyrical, magical, and everything you could want in an early fall novel.
I also loved the way Spanish was incorporated into this book. It made the world-building even stronger, pulling readers into this Latinx culture, filled with magic and stories. The characters were really well done, too. You can feel Xo’s pain at doing what she’s not supposed to do; her exhaustion at hearing everyone else’s dark secrets, her desire for freedom and companionship. This is threaded throughout the book, making both the characters and the story completely engaging.
This is an intense and emotional book that will be difficult to put down once you pick it up. Come award time, I think there might be some buzz around this book, but I guess we’ll see! It’s really so well done.
4.5/5 stars