I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Thank you, Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates and Tor teen, for the chance to read and review this book.

Xochitl is the cuentista in her village and her role and duty is to take her troubled village's stories and give them back to the earth and desert. But she's tired of this existence, she longs to be understood and to share her heart. She's only seen by some poems she found around in the desert. When something awful happens in her village, Xochitl decides is time to look for answers about herself and her role as cuentista and if there's a chance to be free from her "gift". She sets out on a magical journey across the desert, finding Emilia, the daughter of her village's murderous conqueror, as companion. Looking for answers, they will face nightmares given form, lost cities, monsters and they will be forced to face the truth to find themselves.

Each of us a desert is s lyrical and powerful coming-of-age fantasy novel, set in a world post apocalyptic with two intense heroines, burdened by their pasts and roles.

Xochitl spent half of her whole life, since she was eight, being a cuentista, following her village's rules and expectations, feeling forced to perform her duty, feeling trapped. When the chance to be free arises she takes it, setting out for a dangerous journey

Emilia is Julio's daughter, a brutal and violent conqueror, and she decides to run from him, following Xochitl and trying to get back to her previous home.

The author's writing style is evocative and it felt like being there with them across the desert, facing nightmares, meeting people, discovering lies, myths and truth. Xochitl's world, always restricted to her village, becomes more and more vast, pushing her out of her comfort zone, letting her question her beliefs and what she thought was true about her role and Solís.

One of the things I loved the most about this book is how it was written. Xochitl tells Solís her journey, remembering her actions and feelings, her doubts and stories, while trying to find herself and the truth.

I loved the characterization in Each of us a desert. Xochitl is fierce, defiant, stubborn. She's tired of being someone she didn't choose to be, to be seen only as a mean to one end, to be "used". She wants her life to be hers, she longs for freedom.
Emilia is another complex character, forced to be with her murderous father, to be away from her home and guardian, to be unable to live a life for her self. Both of them snap and run away, finding one other.

Their relationship is intricate, weighed down by memories, stories and pain, but filled also with hope and defiance and determination.

I loved reading this book. I found it sometimes slow, but I was really fascinated by this story and the girls' journey to understand themselves and the truth.
Filled with monsters, inside and outside oneself, I loved reading about las pesadillas, los pálidos, los sabuesos, the guardians, about myths and truths and the importance of stories, of finding oneself.

I love Xochitl's and Emilia's journey, how they find home and love in a dangerous journey. The queer rep is amazing. This book is wonderful.

Thank you Net Galley and Tor Teen for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This entire book is a single prayer from the main character Xochitl to the Sun god Solis. In it she tells her own story, and interweaves the stories of those who tell her their own. Her power, given by Solis, is that she absorbs all of their sins, fears, anxieties, and other negative emotions, and throws them up into the desert, cleansing them, and freeing them from nightmares and the feelings of shame that hold them down. After this process, she forgets what they told her.

But one day, she's told a story she doesn't want to forget, and that decision ultimately launches her into an adventure through the desert, seeking freedom from her life as a cuentista in a small village.

The mythology of this world is unique and captivating, and the desert setting isn't one you encounter often in novels. The prose is rich and lyrical, and at times feels like a poem.

There were parts that were slow paced, and felt somewhat repetitive, and it is up to the reader as to whether that adds to the ambiance of the endlessness of some sections of the desert, and her worrying away at what she wanted to do with her life.

As someone who is bilingual in Spanish, I appreciated the occasional Spanish words, and felt that they were interwoven in a way that a non-Spanish speaker wouldn't be affected.

Overall an exceedingly unique book that will stay with you and give you much to think about.

it took me a while to get into the book even though i thought the writing was beautiful. i think, in the end, this book wasn’t for me but i would absolutely recommend it to others!

This was such a great read! Not only is it a unique story filled with traditional myths, beliefs, experiences, and duties - it's also a book that challenges these aspects of our culture (because really, no culture is perfect) and how they affect us individually and as a group. We follow Xochitl on her journey as she tries to pave her own place in the world, finding that getting out of our comfort zones (while scary) is very important to being honest to ourselves

Also, REALLY enjoyed the use of Spanish throughout the text

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

I always hope that I am going to love an ARC, but I had especially high hopes for this one. The ideas and the world building here are very cool and some of the scenes in this book were beautiful. Unfortunately, all of that is smothered under some of the most repetitive writing I have ever seen. Oshiro literally never misses a chance to repeat himself about anything that has happened and usually more than once. I honestly think the book could have cut a full <I>quarter</I> of its pages without the actual story being touched at all. Something which would have helped the characters, who are also buried beneath Xochital's relentless dictation of every movement, thought, and feeling she is having/doing every second.

Two stars since I didn't hate it by the end, but definitely at the top of my disappointing reads list for 2020.

Intense. Powerful. And enchanting.
Each of Us a Desert is a story about Xochital, who is a small town’s storyteller in a post apocalyptic Central America. The book centres around how stories are important, both to individuals and to communities. They hold history, and truths, and hopes for the future. A mesmerizing fantasy, perfect for anyone looking for “Latinx Book Month” recs.

My Views:

This book was very beautifully written and though I did find it a bit slow in the beginning, it did manage to capture my attention quite early on.

Although I don’t understand Spanish, it was interesting to see it being used widely. There was always some context so I could follow the story but it helped me connect with the character’s heritage in the sense that I think language is an integral part of culture and when trying to market a book to a population that may not understand the language, it is neglected. However, this book did not do so and it made a huge difference for me.

Following Xochitl, a young girl who runs from the city she live in, Empalme. In the story she tries to figure out the truth and confronts many of her prejudices and barriers. There was an immense character growth which I really appreciated.

The world building was also fantastic. I loved the descriptions and how they successfully managed to create this harsh world where water was scarce and land was burned.

I also really liked the relationship between Emilia and Xochitl and how it was more focused on the friendship than the relationship. The normalisation of queer relationships was another aspect that made me happy. They’re just so wonderful together and I loved the sweet moments of happiness that were scattered in the book.

Favourite Quotes:

‘Because while I missed home, I knew I had left for the most important reason of all: to become myself.’

“I believed in myself despite everything that told me not to. Is that really so bad?”

I really enjoyed this book! I've been looking for sci-fi novels with LGBTQ+ representation for a long time, and this book delivered that. It was an enjoyable read with enjoyable characters and a solid plot.
The beginning of this book was really interesting to me because I walked into it somewhat blindly, so the narration in the beginning surprised me a little, but in a good way. It really captivated me, and from the beginning I was excited to learn more about these characters and the world.
It's hard for me to say much without spoiling too much, but I would definitely recommend this book! I'll be looking forward to Mark Oshiro's books in the future!

Absolutely beautiful.
The writing is so lyrical and enchanting but also haunting.
It won’t be for everyone, some people will find it confusing, they’ll want more of an explanation. But those who understand it will love it

Xochital is the only person in her village who can take on the burdens of her community- confessions of all kinds that she must return to Solis so that they may live without fear of retribution. Until one day when she learns something she doesn't want to forget and begins to hold on to the confessions. Life in the village grows more and more difficult and Xochital wants little more than to escape from her burden.

I will be honest. I didn't love this book. It was okay, but it was incredibly difficult for me to get in to. It stalled my reading for a few weeks while I tired to get interested in the story. I pushed through and would say it got better, but I was disappointed, especially after how much I loved Anger is a Gift.

This post-apocalyptic book was an ok read. It is one of those books that you are either going to love or hate. The author's writing style was really good, I just didn't enjoy the story that much.

This book is all at once unique and contemplative. It tracks the story of Xochitl, a cuentista who has the power and duty to absorb anyone's story in a process akin to Catholic confession and "give it back" to Solis, the sun god. It's set in either a dystopian future or a sci fi world, in which everything was destroyed by the sun and the world is a desert. It's written as one big story told to the sun god. It deals with people's "stories" and how they are told and kept safe. It's full of well-used "they/their" pronouns, and it treats queer relationships as normal and doesn't even question their queerness. On top of all this, the story is told about half in Spanish (which I don't understand), but once you got over the initial hurdle of understanding, the words were integrated extremely well into the story and added to the authenticity of the world it was based in.

The plot was a very slow build, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't all-consuming. I knew that each time I picked up the book, every bit I read would have some kind of slow character development at the very least. Xochitl was a good character, but not overly compelling. What compelled me the most about her character was her relationship with Emilia, which I absolutely loved. I also didn't see the very final resolution coming, but I was very happy with the way the author resolved the plot relating to all the stories coming alive and haunting the characters in the desert.

This book is very dark at times, and not a light read at all, but it's a book about freedom, love, religion and stories. It's about finding yourself and coming to peace with who you are and what your journey has been up until now. It is about the journey, not the destination. Oshiro executes their vision of this book very well. It's not for everyone, but many of the aspects should be highly commended. I hope this book becomes a classic in its genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars!!!

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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Maybe the most important thing to know before going into this book is that is it slow paced. Very slow paced. It is not the kind of book that has lots of ups and downs, lots of adventures where the "not knowing" is what keeps you turning the pages – not that there's anything wrong with books like that!!

The beginning is slow. I am glad I kept reading it, but there was very little at the beginning that kept me turning the pages.
Also, the writing style is very... different. This book is written as a story told to someone – in this case, Solís. I personally loved the writing style, although it did take me a hot second to get used to it and found it a little tiring at times. However it's a style I am not sure everyone will enjoy!

As for the characters, I have very mixed feelings. I really liked Xochitl and Emilia – the main characters. Their relationship (although a bit predictable) was one of the biggest thing that kept me turning the page. Their romance was definitely not the most important part of the story and was kept at a minimum but I loved the little crumbs we did get – they were so valuable!

The rest of the characters felt a little bit distant. I liked how they were important to Xochitl but not necessarily to the story in and of itself. Speaking of Xochitl, her character development was 10/10! Her development was more satisfying to me than the actual conclusion of the plot... or rather the lack of it? Yeah, I'm still confused about the end. (although I feel like we're probably meant to feel that way...?)

This story is also very much a story about faith – the unconditional kind. I loved the way it was handled – can't say more because of spoilers, but I hope you'll go find out yourself 👀

Finally, I loved the amount of Spanish in the book. It made me feel at home, and worked extremely well in the story. Those poems in Spanish? *chef's kiss*. This, however, may come as an issue to readers who don't speak Spanish. I found that sometimes, the Spanish was not translated or explained, even when it was more or less vital to be able to understand what was going on (the poems were translated though! Which is really good because they're beautiful). Be prepared to read this with Google Translate at the ready!

In the end, would I recommend this? Yes and no. I thought it was a good book and I thoroughly enjoyed the Latinx and sapphic rep. If you enjoy slow paced plots - please give this a try!! The writing will suck you in and the world will terrify you (but like in a good way). Also, Xochitl and Emilia (both together and separately) will win your heart!!!

Mark Oshiro's second novel is a fantasy in which protagonist Xochitl (pronounced "Sō-chi") has inherited the onerous position of cuentista in her village of Empalme. The cuentista is a role similar to a confessor with a dash of therapist. She listens to the stories, confessions, fears, sorrows of her fellow villagers and then releases them to Solís, the sun god, acting as a conduit for their absolution. A role she neither sought or wants, Xochitl longs to break away and find a different life for herself.

This is on the one hand a beautiful novel of self-discovery encouraging young people to follow their dreams to make the best of themselves and their opportunities to lead fulfilling lives, not being shackled by the expectation of others. I loved Xochitl and Emilia and the road they travel together. And I also loved the gorgeous line drawings denoting location and time of day that head various chapters. But linguistically, I was frustrated by this novel. There is such a hash of Spanglish (and no glossary, so I strongly suggest reading on an eReader like Kindle if you're not a Spanish speaker, so you can look up translations not made in the course of the text more easily) and I was bothered by the actual colloquial use of some of the terms, such as cuentista, which means "liar" in Castillian Spanish. As a Latina reader, I'm frankly increasingly bothered by the Spanglish mashup in books for young people. I feel it just deteriorates a beautiful language reducing it to catchphrases for the English speaking population. I know that's not the author's intent, but it's my reaction to the style. Sorry but es mi veridad.

Overall, a beautiful story, albeit in a style I personally found frustrating.

The audiobook, which I'm listening to on release day, is beautifully narrated by Frankie Corzo.

I received a paper and digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Full review here: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2020/09/15/arc-review-each-of-us-a-desert/

Each Of Us A Desert by Mark Oshiro is an incredible fantasy YA that weaves stories and the characters’ journey with themes of history, family, connections, spirituality, and finding a purpose. The emotional depth of this book is just as vast as the desert it’s set in, and the beautiful prose supplements the characters, themes, stories, and journeys written here. I’m really impressed with what Oshiro has done with their stylistic and narrative choices and the way they let Xochitl’s story unfold. I haven’t read anything quite like Each of Us A Desert in YA fiction and it’s just been an incredible privilege to get an eARC of this book.

I got an ARC of this book.

I ended up not finishing this book, but I feel confident writing a review. I read a third of the book and have some pretty strong opinions.

The book isn’t bad per say. I was just bored. The story never picked up for me. If I am bored after a hundred pages, why am I still reading? The biggest issue for me really was that the story resembled one of my favorite books and it just couldn’t compare. So I think this is really on me and not the book. My favorite is a novella and had so much more of an emotional impact, then this one takes a hundred pages to really even have the plot start to go somewhere? I just couldn’t take it.

The writing was really pretty. I was impressed with how fluid that everything was. It flowed between English and Spanish in a way that felt organic and wonderful. It was not a forced switch with constantly translations for the English reader. It was just the way things were. It was lovely and really added a truth to the story that just wouldn’t have existed otherwise. I can’t imagine this story written in any other way. It really was a big detail and the main thing I liked.

The author is clearly not someone who was born with a vagina. I say this because there were SO MANY references to her period and cramping. Seriously? My period was literally two weeks long and had a week of cramping and mood swings before it. I bled so much I was seriously scared of bleeding out. I had to see doctors. I am trans and my world shut down for three weeks every month, because of this. Yet, I still thought about my period less. This was just another example of an author who doesn’t quite get what being a woman is like. The story would not have been any different if she didn’t have her period. It served no purpose but to make me roll my eyes. There were even more references to peeing, like even the smell of her urine was described at one point. It just didn’t make any sense to me. This was part of why I was bored.

I didn’t even make it to the queer content I was promised. Maybe you will make it further. I just couldn’t take the meandering plot that never seemed to start. The writing was great (most of the time). It really was just the slow pacing on this one. I wanted to like it.

This was a wild ride. Beautifully written. A gem. An oasis in the desert. Each of us are a desert. We truly are. A journey of self discovery. A journey of truths. I didn't see anything coming and I welcomed every twist with open arms. Hugging the pain away.
How can I review a book that's much more than that? Words can't be put on paper without having everything they mean distorted, ruined. You have to experience it first-hand. This will be your journey, too.

I loved how unapologetically queer this was. This was not a coming out story, this was not a romance even if it had tension and love in it. People just existed, whether they loved differed or coincided with their gender identity it didn't matter. They existed, they loved, they lived their truths. And I loved that.

Reading the acknowledgements made me appreciate every detail of the main character's journey even more. It made my heart hurt. It gave it a deeper meaning and I appreciate the author for being so opened with it. This mustn't have been easy and it transpired in every word.

Storytelling is a powerful gift passed down from generation to generation, in the oral or written tradition.
When Xochitl inherits the cuentista gift she must cleanse her village when they need it but she starts to feel abused by their privilege.

When a group of men come to take over her village and threaten their lives she decides to take action and starts a journey. With each new person we meet we hear their story. Oh the journey she befriends her enemies daughter Emelia and their relationship grows.

In this life, there are those people that are great listeners. And when you have a huge burden or anxiety or fear over something and you need to unburden yourself you unload onto them. You give them everything and feel so much better and you've given them all of those second hand feelings. But is this fair if you do it over and over with out letting them reciprocate. There are people that are empathic that will feel those stories like physical weights being placed on themselves while others might not even absorb your words. Each of us are alone in this world and each of us have our people. Each of us want to feel that our lives have meaning in this life and that we have purpose.

This story is an poetic blend of Spanish and English, (luckily my kindle is equipped with a translator for the words I don't know). I found the narrative unique like it was a story directed solely to Solís. Which I then read the author's note and it was written that way. I definitely felt like I was in a desert the world felt so hot and dusty. I felt so tired from the journey like I had been on it. I will tell you the familial relationships of two men and two women and pronouns used of they was beautiful. I'm so used to divisive language, that having it just be common was refreshing.

This book isn't like anything I've ever read before, the way the themes are submerged with the plot is brilliant. The writing style was very unique, but the pacing can either fit in the whole atmosphere beautifully or make you struggle to finish the book, depending on your preferences.

The book's premise is very captivating. It's set in a post-apocalyptic desert world, following the story of the 16-year-old Xochitl, the cuentista of her village. Since she was 8 years old, her main job was to use her special powers to take her village's people stories of wrongdoings to give them to Solis, their god, to rid them of the guilt and nightmares caused by those stories. For that reason, people see Xochitl's power as a privilege that was given to her out of all people, which makes her role the most important in the village. In addition to the exhaustion that comes after the rituals she performs, Xochitl feels that the responsibility that comes with her powers is more than she can endure and eventually starts questioning whether her role as a cuentista is really a privilege. That's how she ends up on a long journey of self-discovery in the middle of the desert, in which she witnesses all sorts of magical and supernatural wonders.

It took me some time to connect to the world and the magic system in the first part of the book, but their description was amazing, and the desert setting was very entertaining to explore. The prose was more than beautiful; the author's style is lyrical and atmospheric, linking the literal and metaphorical aspects of the story in a very smooth way. It definitely pulls you in with the whole atmosphere especially with the use of Spanish, which I'm not sure if it'd be a problem with other readers, since I knew enough of the language not to need to check up the Spanish words/expressions, and I think it made the experience even more unique. The main character was perfectly set out, we get to follow her step by step and explore her thoughts, complicated emotions, and tough decisions. She gets to grow, learn, change, and develop gradually throughout the whole story and we get to see that closely. I definitely liked her companion and the development of the relationship between them. The romance was perfectly built up and full of strong emotions that warmed my heart. The best part of the book though was the different themes explored, like the power of stories, their impact on our lives, what they tell about us, as well as what we can learn from them. There's also a whole discussion about faith, and how it can be challenged when we see different perspectives, leading us to question our perceived views, and that was very relatable. For a YA book, the overall tone was darker than I expected; it may sound like a fairy-tale-ish story, but it definitely isn't and it contains many tough, heart-wrenching moments and triggering scenes, which I was definitely down for.

Now, my only, but not so little, problem was the pacing. This book is not plot-driven. It's very descriptive and takes its time to slowly develop the characters and explore the themes, and for a book this length, it takes way too long for the plot to move. Character-driven stories are usually a hit or a miss for me, this one was a miss, unfortunately. I struggled to keep myself connected to the story with the pace that slow. Needless to say, it took me longer than usual to finish the book, and I had to put it down multiple times. It's still a matter of preference; the slow pace in this specific book can work just so perfectly for other readers.

Overall, this book was unique, its setting was phenomenal and the writing style was more than excellent. I loved the premise, the fantasy elements, and the characters, but the slow pace made it pretty hard for me to go through. So, unless you're not into character-driven fantasy books, I highly recommend this one!

There was so much to love about this book! From the beginning, the writing was absolutely beautiful. Xochitl's job as a cuentista is to take people's stories and give them back to Solis, and the whole book is written as Xo's story to Solis, telling her own story.

From a young age, her job was to be a means to an end, and she gets more and more exhausted with having to fulfill a role that was thrust onto her, without choice, without power, and without genuine companionship. At first, it seems that Xo's entire personality is being a cuentista for others, taking on the worst parts of themselves so they don't have to. She seems one dimensional as a character, but then you learn that that's the problem itself (and so does she). From then on, she finds company in some very unexpected places, and finds herself as she's losing herself to the stories she's keeping.

From start to finish, this was such a new and exciting premise and I love how it turned out and the twists that I wasn't expecting. There were some parts that felt a little laggy but because I loved the writing so much I ate it all up anyway.