Genre: Magical Realism

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland | ARC Review

Posted September 6, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

Do you ever go into a book thinking it’s going to be just OK but have it completely blow your expectations out of the water? That’s what happened to me with How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe. I was expecting a typical young adult contemporary novel (a genre which I’ve been sort of so-so with lately) but what I got instead was an absolutely breathtaking, raw, and beautiful story steeped in magical realism and stunning observations. The novel follows Moon Fuentez, who is the self described “weed” or ugly duckling in the family in comparison to her […]

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle | Review

Posted June 1, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 4 Comments

It’s rare that I make it through an entire book in nearly one afternoon these days, but that was the case with In Five Years- I couldn’t put it down! I found this book to be very polarizing to me, as on the one hand I really enjoyed it, and on the other hand I had some fundamental problems with it that left me blindsided and feeling more than a little tricked. Nevertheless, it was an addictive reading experience that is nearly impossible to describe without spoilers, so be prepared for a few below (I won’t be spoiling the entire […]

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno | Review

Posted March 30, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

One of my goals for 2020 is for at least 10% of the books I read to be by Latinx authors, and I’m thrilled I was able to start off the year with a cute and charming Latinx story. Don’t Date Rosa Santos was as charming, quirky and colorful as the gorgeous cover suggests, and also had threads of magical realism, self-discovery and travel that I wasn’t expecting. The story takes place in the charming Florida town of Port Coral, where Rosa lives with her abuela Mimi, who’s raised her from a young age while her wanderlust mother travels across […]

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine | ARC Review

Posted September 9, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine immediately caught my eye at ALA midwinter this year because of its striking cover. I had never heard of it before, but it was GORGEOUS and I knew I had to add it to my TBR immediately. With a release date 8 months in the future, I saved it as one of my special reads for the end of the summer season. When I finally picked it up over the Labor Day holiday weekend it did NOT disappoint, and is easily one of my favorite contemporary reads of the year. I was thrilled by the format […]

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim | ARC Review

Posted May 27, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

Thank you so much to Berkley for providing a review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! From the moment I heard of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, I KNEW I had to read it. Set in San Francisco, centered around food, with a dash of magical realism? Yes, please! Then the cover was released and was (and is!) absolutely adorable, and once I saw it on NetGalley I hit that “request” button SO FAST. Though not slated for release until June, I eagerly started the book in February and found it to be a heartwarming […]

Blanca Y Roja by Anna- Marie McLemore | Review

Posted January 14, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

Anna-Marie McLemore is no doubt known as one of the best Latinx magical realism voice in YA literature. Her prose is always beautifully crafted, her stories otherworldly, and her writing able to take readers into different worlds with a turn of phrase or small action. Her debut The Weight of Feathers was beautifully crafted and reading it was a transcendent experience. Unfortunately, though there were many elements of Blanca & Roja that I liked, I didn’t find it as immersive as the prior work I read by the author. Blanca & Roja is a triple fairy tale retelling, pulling from […]

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater | Review

Posted December 21, 2016 in Reviews / 4 Comments

Oh dear oh dear oh deer (no pun intended.) There seems to be something peculiar about my relationship with this series, which is that I absolutely love and am consumed by the odd numbered installments, but the even numbered volumes are a bit harder for me to get through. I’ll admit I held off on reading this book for months because 1) I have to be in the right mood to appreciate Maggie Stiefvater’s paranormalcy and magical realism, and 2) because I was scared it wouldn’t live up to how much I adored Blue Lily, Lily Blue. I finally decided […]