I wanted yo love this book and tried several times to read it. It is the first book I couldn’t make it through. Several times Tehlor Kay Mejia pulled me in with characters and events, especially dealing with a lesser known population, but then interest would wane. I hope to see additional titles by this author in the future.

I think the relationships are what really made this book for me and the narrative of Lucha using her power to disrupt the current way of things, refusing to sit back or run away, mirrored a desire I think many people have to live in situations similar to hers.

This is probably the best YA fantasy I’ve read thus far this year. I thought it handled addiction with more compassion than I normally see in fiction, especially fantasy. I also deeply loved that the beating heart of this book was the love between sisters. In fact, there were very few men in this book, and I wasn’t expected to care about any of them, which earned the book another star 😂😂😂

The author didn't give this story enough space! Everything was underdeveloped to the point that I'm not even sure if it *was* a full story. I've heard other books by Mejia are wonderful, so this may have been a fluke, but I would have loved another 150-200 pages to really make it worth the time.

**Thank you NetGalley and Make Me a World for the eARC**

Lucha of the Night Forest is an interesting and magical story about a girl trying to save her family and ultimately the world. The author created a beautiful story of natural magic, which is my all time favorite. With mushrooms, vines, and plants galore, Lucha is able to speak to the first in a way. I am not quite sure why, but I had a hard time really connecting to the story and getting fully invested in it. It felt a bit complicated with some political aspects that I feel weren't completely explained. I did like the ending and how it came back to sort of the origin story of some of the characters in the book.

I've tried multiple times to read this book and each time I can't seem to get into it. Clearly it isn't for me. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

This book kind of destroyed me for a while, and I’m not sure why. It’s a complicated story, I think. It was a really good book, with really lush descriptions and tremendous worldbuilding. Obviously I also wanted Lucha and Paz to get to be together. The end was okay, I guess. I did really enjoy the questions it brought up about societies and power and the difference between the goddess’s intent and the interpretation of that intent by her followers. And the recognition that Rio really wasn’t all that different from Los Ricos or Salvador. It’s beautiful and fierce and dark, and I loved it. I really liked Salvador as a character, even though he's not a good guy, and I wanted a different ending for him. This is a book I would love to discuss at length with others who have read it. I wouldn't mind reading more books set in this world.

"Lucha of the Night Forest" by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a captivating Latinx sapphic YA fantasy that weaves a unique tale of loyalty, sisterhood, and friendship. Mejia's narrative style evokes nostalgia and sets this fantasy apart.

The story follows Lucha and her sister navigating a world plagued by addiction, corruption, and ancient gods. Sisterly bonds, forest magic, and an addictive drug form the backdrop, with classism, corrupt government, and powerful deities adding complexity.

While some aspects take time to adjust to, the honesty in Lucha's relationships shines. Her dynamics with her addicted mother, difficult sister, enigmatic God, and the complex Paz form the emotional core. The latter half accelerates the pace, unveiling unusual world-building and a magic system centered around "magic mushrooms."

Despite a desire for more depth, the narrative's honesty and nuanced take on chosen-one tropes, exploring free will, addiction, and faith, make it compelling. In essence, "Lucha of the Night Forest" offers a refreshing and memorable fantasy experience, standing out with its distinctive tone and exploration of relationships in a fantastical setting.

I felt this is not this author's best work, which is quite disappointing as the premise is very unique. I appreciate the queer representation and the atmosphere of the story, but the story itself and the characters didn't quite stay with me the way Tehlor's other books have.

Tehlor Kay Mejia's Lucha of the Night Forest is a fast-paced and action-packed young adult fantasy novel. However, it falls short in some areas, particularly in terms of worldbuilding and character development.

The book is set in a richly-imagined world inspired by Latin American culture and mythology. The story follows Lucha, a young woman who is forced to flee her village after it is attacked by a mysterious force. Lucha must embark on a journey to find her sister and to save her people.

Mejia does a good job of creating a suspenseful and exciting plot. The action scenes are well-written and the stakes are always high. However, the worldbuilding is a bit underdeveloped. The reader is not given a lot of information about the different cultures and factions in the world, which can make it difficult to follow the plot at times.

Additionally, the character development is lacking. Lucha is a strong and determined protagonist, but she is also underdeveloped. Her motivations and goals are not always clear, and it is difficult to connect with her on an emotional level. The supporting characters are also underdeveloped. They often feel like tropes rather than fully realized characters.

Overall, Lucha of the Night Forest is a fun and fast-paced read, but it is not without its flaws. The worldbuilding is a bit underdeveloped and the character development is lacking. However, the plot is exciting and the stakes are always high.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this DRC.
A dark fantasy with a dangerous forest, an oppressive society and a horrible drug. Lucha is trying to keep her family together and must head into the Night Forest to save her sister and herself.
Hard to get into but ended up loving it.
#LuchaoftheNightForest #NetGalley

I had high hopes because the premise sounded interesting but the writing didn't work for me. The cover is beautiful though.

This a a fantastic epic fantasy!! I was hooked from the first page. The character arc of Lucha is top notch. It reminds me of This Poison Heart in all the best ways. The action based plot kept me on the edge of my seat wanting Lucha to make the right choices.

In a world ruled by corruption, greed, and drugs that let people forget what is any one to do. Lucha just wants to save her sister no matter what it takes even if that means making a deal with El Sediento the master of death who’s suppose to be just legend. This journey through that defines that destiny is just the culmination of the choices a person they make.

Who enjoyed a YA fantasy? Me? Moi? Who? I'm flabbergasted. Are you?

Anyway. As with the rest of my ARCs, I meant to read this 9234829346 years ago, but here we are. It's a good month for this one, anyway. Heritage. Horror. All of that.

I may have mentioned this before when reviewing Mexican Gothic, but what is it about mushrooms?

As always, there is a very prevalent theme of light and dark. I don't enjoy the idea of a savior, but I get that it's relevant to the culture.

Because I'm trash, I wanted a villain romance. That's not what we got, and I'm mostly fine with that. It's not quite first love, but it almost feels like it. It's cute, I guess. What is wrong with me?

From the cover
A scorned god.
A mysterious acolyte.
A forgetting drug.
A dangerous forest.
One girl caught between the freedom she always wanted and a sister she can't bear to leave behind.
Under the cover of the Night Forest, will Lucha be able to step into her own power...or will she be consumed by it?

This gorgeous and fast-paced fantasy novel from acclaimed author Tehlor Kay Mejia is brimming with adventure, peril, romance, and family bonds--and asks what it means for a teen girl to become fully herself.

I really struggled with this book and I am not quite sure why…I go back and forth with whether it was not adventurous enough or the world building wasn’t as strong as I needed it to be. Lucha’s growing powers seemed to happen out of nowhere and the pace didn’t allow me to connect to the characters. Super cool idea that just needed 200 more pages.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tehlor Kay Mejia, and Random House Children's Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

This book sadly did not work for me! Overall, I would say the positive things are that the cover is stunning (that's what initially drew my attention) and the description also sounded like something that would be up my alley. The writing was also good, but unfortunately I felt as though the story was quite confusing at times, and eventually I had to realize that maybe this book would be better suited for someone else.

The strong characters and dark fantasty setting of secrets and the trade of secrets was very good. I liked the setting and story, but the storytelling wasn't compelling enough for me to stay raptly engaged. I kind of petered out.