This is a retelling of Eurydice and Orpheus with Afro-Latinx MCs set in the Bronx. We've got Eury, who just arrived after having to leave Puerto Rico after a particularly bad hurricane. Unfortunately for her, a spirit has followed her and it's tempting to steal her away. Then we have Pheus who is Black and Dominican who just wants to play good music but is split between his parents desires for him. He falls for Eury really quickly and will do anything to save her.

As much as I really enjoyed this one, especially the ending, I feel like I lost a little bit of the story in the middle. All of a sudden Pheus and Eury are in love and spending all this time together but we don't actually get any of that on page. They're just telling us that it's happening and I felt a little bit cheated. Add an extra 50 pages of their relationship starting and growing stronger and this would have been an easy five stars.

Lilliam Rivera is an amazing storyteller. She propels us to explore Puerto Rico like we never have before all while giving us Afro-Latinx representation and a look into serious issues that require more exploration. Definitely a must-read!

This book was an interesting take. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a great young adult book and I loved seeing people of color in yet another young adult. I wished there were more like this when I was growing up. It is such a blessing.

I ended up picking it up at my local library and was able to get more into it than I could electronically reading it.

I loved this book. It took a bit to get into it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I loved the representation, I loved the mythology blended into the story, while it still rang as a coming of age story. So well done.

I did have trouble getting into it, but I love retellings. This book will work well for high school students who have moved on from Riordan but still want mythology, in a way that is more relatable to them.

DNF at 20%.
Thank you so much to netgally for this review copy but this book just didn't work for me. I was not pulled in by the stories or the characters of this novel. I really wanted to love it but I didn't feel the need to push through a book that I didn't have any constant motivation to puck up. I will definitely try something else by the author in the future. However this one just didn't work for me. (I do not rate my DNF's)

I love retellings and this one did not disappoint! With Rick Riordan still popular among our teens, I'm excited for a new recommendation for the high school students who have graduated from Riordan but still want the mythology. I'm encouraged by the Latinx characters in this retelling.

Never Look Back is a complex and incredibly narrated story about the manners in which past hurts and traumas stay with us, no matter how much we try to shake them. This book focuses on themes of healing, with a special focus on the power in being truly seen by another human being. I would definitely recommend for YA readers, especially those who need healthy and well-written representation of mental health.

I'm really behind on reviews, so unfortunately, I am reviewing this book far after I read it (which means my memory of its contents is less than stellar). From what I do recall, I remember the writing being beautiful. However, I found myself having trouble staying invested in the story. In this case, it's likely an issue of me rather than anything about the book, as I haven't been in the mood for YA much this year, and while I grew up loving Greek mythology, the Orpheus and Eurydice story (which this book is a retelling of) was never particularly compelling to me. So, while I didn't find this story particularly compelling, I'm likely not the right audience for it, and others certainly will.

Thank you Bloomsbury YA for an advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Just, wow. I really loved this story a lot. This being a mythology retelling was icing on top of the cake! Such an interesting take and point of view, I devoured every word.

I requested this when I was deep in my Hadestown obsession, and all it took for me was to read “Latine Orpheus and Eurydice retelling” for me to request it. As a Latina reader, it’s beyond exciting to find a book with such creative concepts that include people that look like the ones in the community I’ve grown up with.
This book talked a lot about mental health, which is something that is often stigmatized in the Latine community. I love how beautifully and hopefully the author decided to portray it, though.

Never Look Back is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It deals with many topics that include trauma and abuse, and at times it is heartbreaking. However, there is a hopefulness that is found throughout the pages that is beautifully written and captivating. In addition, Lilliam Rivera does an amazing job at portraying the Latinx diaspora through her book settings of New York and Puerto Rico, and I was happy to see the book feature Afro-Latinx characters front and centre.

This is a book I won't be able to stop thinking about. Thoughtful, heartbreaking, and hopeful, a story about trauma and abuse, but also love and resilience. It's truly a love letter to Puerto Rico. What a book!

Really beautiful writing. A bit cliche here and there but overall it kept my attention. Very much shows rather than telling which is a quality I require in the books I purchase for the library. The tell don't show ones don't circulate more than once or twice.

Definitely a great read. I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves YA books. Please check it out!!

I've been wanting to read Lilliam Rivera's work for a long time, and I'm glad I picked up this one first. I read this in one sitting as I was just so immersed. I love retellings, I love Greek mythology, and I love how the Orpheus and Eurydice myth was handled here. It was a distinctly unique story and it was fun to see the familiar aspects of the myth play out in a whole new setting.

Never Look Back is a modern Latinx retelling of the Greem myth Orpheus and Eurydice.
I loved this book. When I first picked it up a few months ago I just couldn’t get into it, I decided to come back later. I’m glad I did!

Lilliam Rivera introduces us to Pheus an Afro-Dominican gifted young musician (El Nuevo Nene de la Bachata) who is visiting his dad in the Bronx. Eury a Puerto Rican girl who is visiting her aunt while she works past some trauma.
I enjoyed all the characters but I absolutely loved Eury. The author did a fantastic job with her story that I felt all the emotions Eury did.

I was a little worried this wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Orpheus and Eurydice is such a well known story but Lilliam did not disappoint me.

I highly recommend this book! If you enjoy magical realism, or if you just want a story full of Latinx culture.

Wow- this book went beyond my expectations.

This urban fantasy is a modern Afro-Latinx retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which you may remember is the one where the hero tries to save his love from the underworld but then looks back at the last moment and loses her forever. If you're like me, you went through a greek myth stage when you were a child. If so (and even if you weren’t) you'll love this book.

Rivera does a fantastic job of placing the story in New York/Puerto Rico and centering the Afro-Latinx diaspora while still keeping true to the foundational story. I enjoyed how the author included the struggle of those who survived Hurricane Maria and the inclusion of Taino cosmology.

This book reminded me of The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin as it explored a lot of the same themes.

Eury and Pheus are richly written characters who are able to save each other, which is a necessary update from the myth in which the man saves the woman.

I would recommend this to those who enjoy urban fantasies, magical realism, myths, retellings and love stories with strong female characters.

I really enjoyed this book! So much so that I finished it in a day! I just wish it was longer. I want more time with these characters. Eury and Pheus are beautiful characters with so much to unpack about their life's journeys. This retelling was creative and fun, heartbreaking and suspenseful. Believe me when I tell you, you want this Latinx #OwnVoices retelling on your shelf to enjoy over and over again.

A Greek mythology retelling with Afro-Latinx characters? Sign me up! I’m always worried about revamping mythology because it’s usually a love or hate thing for me but it worked for this book. Plus adding in the emotional world these two teens were dealing with PTSD from Hurricane María, abuse, mental illness etc was dealt with wonderfully.