Sacrificio is a magical book with twists, turns, and plot lines that will ignite your imagination. Each of the characters is complex and evokes both empathy and disgust in the reader. Mestre-Reed does an incredible job of giving a modern take on the classic magical realist form. Although it is challenging to read due to its dark themes, Sacrificio is a book you should not miss.

DNF. Ugh. I wanted to like this!!!!! I found it to be both dense and lacking in context, which made it hard to read. Maybe if I could have pushed through it would have been worth it in the end, but I couldn't risk the reading slump. I felt like I was digging for the goodness in the book, or trying to catch up to something mid-series.

Sacraficio by Ernesto Mestre-Reed is a mesmerizing read. It's about Cuba during the AIDS crisis. It's told through interwoven back and forth stories of the main characters of how they all came to be. The main story is about Rafa and will he be able to find his friend Renato who has gone missing. You get portrait of Cuba during the late 90's with all the hardship of AIDS combined with the poverty of Cuba and what it does to the main characters and what they do to survive. This is a great novel for lgbtq reading groups and those interested in Cuba. Truly one one of the best lqtbq novels of the year. You really don't want to miss this one.

An immersive and haunting story that is masterfully woven. It was hard to put this one down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.