Honestly I DNF'd this pretty early and that's a pity. The description and the cover and everything really made me excited to read this. There just wasn't a lot going on and I was forcing myself to read it. I definitely think this has an audience but I'm just not it and that's fine.

Plus insta-love? meh.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for approving me of this book.

For me, this book wasn’t my taste. I thought from the description that I would enjoy it, but I couldn’t get myself interested like I wanted to be. So, I feel that may just be a me issue and not necessarily the writing or the story. For what I did read, I think it’s something that many teenagers would absolutely enjoy, especially if they love magic, various tropes and lots of adventure. I’d absolutely recommend it to that age group. I give this book a solid 3/5

Lucha Moya has never known piece. From the early death of her father to her mother's spiral into addiction, she has always had to be the protector. The savior. When the time suddenly comes for Lucha to step into the depths of the Night Forest and take claim of her own fate, will she have what it takes? How much of her humanity is she willing to give up to save those she loves?

I...didn't like this. It was SO fast-pasted, which made for easy reading, but absolutely devoid of any depth.

Sure, there's queer romance, but it's insta-love. I don't understand how or why they fell for each other. Paz has no discernible personality outside of her faith. Except she's super pretty. There's that.

Sure, there's an "I'd do anything for my sister" trope, but Lis is The Worst for the majority of her presence in the book. And once the book's climax takes place, Lucha's attachment to her seems to fade exponentially. So much for undying love and loyalty.

Sure, there's an incredibly strong female main character, but what is her personality outside of strong? What does she care about, besides saving people from corruption and combating power-hungry villains? Does she like...have basic dreams and goals?

The writing was fine. It wasn't good or bad. I think Mejia had a general story in mind but not really a means to an end. And this is a standalone apparently???????????? So the ending is wildly inconclusive and disappointing. I felt like I was built up for something the entire book and then told "Meh...never mind."

I did think that this was a fairly decent read-- I loved the mystical realm and did love the characters. Lucha and Paz are such interesting characters and I really loved their interactions.

That being said, this was very confusing. The timelines were strange-- I'm pretty sure the main character, Lucha, was captured for months and it was covered in a couple of paragraphs. There was also very little consistency in how Lucha feels about each character. This did, unfortunately, make it a very difficult read, though an interesting one.

I did love the themes of power, the negative implications of capitalism and dangers of corporations.

Overall, I'd say that there was a lot of room to go, and I struggled reading through this due to my sheer confusion.

Lucha of the Night Forest is an enjoyable YA standalone. We follow the point of view of Lucha, who lives in a fantasy realm run by corporations in a capitalist nightmare. Driven by her desire to protect her sister, Lucha finds herself on a magical adventure torn between two powerful forces. I appreciated the themes of power and Lucha's drive to use her power as an act of resistance against the status quo. If you like mushrooms and mushroom magic, there's a lot of that in this book as well, which made for a unique and lush world building reading experience. I appreciated the symbolism of Lucha (in English: struggle/fight) juxtaposed against her love interest Paz (peace), and how their chemistry drives both of them to challenge their inner drives and find agency. Overall, it was a quick read and I recommend to anyone looking for a solid Young Adult with themes of resistance, family, loyalty, and power.

A huge thank you to Random House Children's and Netgalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Lucha's mom is addicted to a forgetting drug and they are going to be kicked out of their home. They can only stay in it if she's working and she keeps missing it. Lis is Lucha's younger sister and she just wants to keep her safe from everything. After being taken by an ex friend, Lucha has to make a bargain with someone that was more of a folktale. But he's real and promises her that he'll get rid of the drugs if she helps him. Lucha and Lis head out to find a specific tree in the forest. A girl Lucha recently met, Paz, joins them. Paz is a believer in the goddess and that's illegal where they live. The three have to deal with magical threats along the way.

I loved how Lucha fiercely loved her sister to the point that she would even give up seeing her to keep her safe. Lucha and Paz falling for each other was cute too. I didn't really find this fast paced, but maybe others will. While I liked this book, I don't think the author's writing is for me. It's always beautiful, but I struggle with the pacing a lot.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgallley for my earc.

The book was so well written and fun to read. I loved the characters. I loved the world. I loved the question of what happens when we destroy the environment we need to survive. This book was beautifully written, and is now one of my favorite recommendations to people looking for a fantasy.

I love when authors create whole worlds AND the characters that inhabit them! This world is both beautiful and dark, as most places are with an evil drug threatening to ruin peoples lives. There are Los Rico’s who have the money and power and use the drug to make money and make people forget, and not realize how awful their situation is and go along with what they are forced into. Lucha is just trying to survive and keep her sister with her as her mother defends into addiction, but when she aligns herself with the wrong God she learns more about herself and human nature than she ever thought possible. This book was a commentary on global warming, addiction, socio economic disparities and while it may have been set in a fantastic world where mushrooms devour men whole, they felt very much like our world today. A fun yet thought provoking book!

Thank you, Random House Children's, Tehlor Kay Mejia, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

I liked this book. It is a different fantasy than what I usually read. I love the inclusion of nature in it. The book starts with the same family dynamic as in The Hunger Games Lucha is the older sister trying to protect and raise her younger sister Lis. Their mom is absent, and the dad is not in the picture. I liked that Lucha and her sister fought like siblings. It made it more relatable.

Lucha wants to destroy the thing that is taking apart her family, and she gets the opportunity when God agrees to help her at a cost. The magic is tied to the land. This is well written. I liked how the magic and the Gods and Goddesses are intertwined. The only thing was that sometimes it was hard to follow because I needed to learn the folklore around this book. But it did make me want to learn more about it.

I would recommend this book to my friends.

I would read anything by Tehlor Kay Mejia. This was a great fantasy about a girl surrounded by addiction and greed, confused when confronted by kindness. I liked the development of the sapphic relationship, the complicated relationships with her family, and the empathy shown for addicts. I like that Lucha is a character that is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals. She's someone who wants to do the right thing, but also won't think twice about taking a life if she feels they deserve it. I think this is a standalone, but it leaves room for more story in this world and I hope the author isn't done with Lucha.

Mejia continues with her lush writing style and fantastical plots that drew readers in to Paola Santiago and other styles, but with a more complicated world filled with danger and mystery. Because of the more intricate plot, I did find myself a bit confused at several times around the pacing / timing or on details of the world. I didn't get that "I need to read this all right now!" feeling that I typically get in Mejia's books, but it was still a solid read.

This was far too much of an information overload for our middle-grade readers to get into, especially since we have so few of them who visit our libraries already. Needs more action. I stopped at 5% in.

The cover is gorgeous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Lucha does what she can trying to keep her and her sister together after their mother disappears. Most likely thanks to the drug that’s making the rounds in their hometown. When Lucha gets an offer to help eradicate the drug for good, she takes it. No matter the cost. She doesn’t want to see anyone else suffer like her mom has.

What she doesn’t factor in is a strange new girl who’s arrived in town and tags along with Lucha. Lucha also doesn’t realize she’s stumbled into a fight that’s been years in the making, between a scorned god and higher powers that be. Will Lucha be able to fully step into her new powers? Or will she end up being consumed by the Night Forest?

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advanced copy of Luch of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia to review! After reading We Set the Dark on Fire, Mejia became a favorite. Also, how does she score such beautiful covers? Honestly, this one is absolutely stunning.

First of all, Mejia’s writing drew me in right at the beginning. I always appreciate the way that she builds worlds in her books. She drops small details here and there and isn’t afraid to just drop you in the middle of the action. At the core of this story is Lucha’s relationship with her sister. She will do anything to ensure that her sister is safe. That her sister doesn’t have to deal with the hardships of their mom.

Additionnally, there’s a sweet romance that builds between Lucha and Paz. The whole central cast of characters is well developed, overall. Coupled with the unique nature of the magic system, and this felt like a breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre. Fans of her previous YA works will definitely enjoy this one. She’s also sure to gain some new readers as well!

My only complaint about this book has to do with the pacing. The beginning does start off a little slow, meaning it takes a bit to actually get to what the central plot is in the book. However, once you do get to main conflict, hold on to the edge of your seat

All in all, this is a new YA fantasy filled with a lot of promise. Definitely check it out when it comse out in March!

The mess of this book left my heart a mess.

3.5 Rounded up to 4. Odd to be entertained and confused at the same time. I loved the premise, the sisterly love, and the magic system within the forest. It did feel like it needed to be tightened up through the middle section and expanded at the beginning to world build a bit more. The plot twist was pretty predictable. Yet I was still rushing to get to the end. If you like slow-burn romance, a strong female character who'd destroy the world for her little sister, and a magic forest, this is it.

Writing:
Phenomenal. Loved the writing, it kept me moving through the slower parts and somewhat flat characters. Great quotes, so many highlighted sections that I'll go back to reread. I loved the prose, the romance, the descriptions. I wanted more.

Plot:
I appreciated the commentary of how those in power are corrupted by it despite their best intentions, the links between life and death, addiction, and the difference in having a choice vs seeming to have a choice. The slow burn romance had me begging for more! I did like the villain, however minor antagonists (Alan) fell a bit flat for me and minor characters were nearly non-existent (which I get, they're in the forest, but it hurt the world building). The romance was a bit insta-love, which I usually really dislike but in this sense, it felt fine.

Characters:
Lucha was a pretty run of the mill heroine, fighting for her sister and maybe finding love along the way. She was well developed other than a bit of her backstory that was more taken at face value (her hunting skills). Her motivations were sound, and I was rooting for her the entire time.

Paz was also pretty run of the mill sidekick. Her story was really the only thing that surprised me in the book. She felt a bit flat due to her motivations but overall I thought she was the most complicated character with internal conflict.

Our main villain was well developed, but once again, a bit cliche of a backstory and did not fool me one bit.

World building:
Beyond the explanation of their town and the forest, we don't get much explanation about the rest of the world. It made me feel very isolated in the story, which was both a great plot device and an aspect that left me wanting more. The magic system within the forest was well thought out and explained. The villain's origin did feel very cliche, but I enjoyed it. We meet very few other people so the story felt isolated from the world.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will pick up the next one or another from Tehlor Kay Mejia!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Lucha’s town is overrun by a drug that makes everyone forget while they are on it. When her mom succumbs to her addiction and is no longer reliable, it is up to Lucha to take care of her sister. After she breaks them out of captivity by essentially making a deal with a devil, she must learn to harness her power before it consumes her.

I was expecting more magic in this book. I also found it a little slow, especially since the description called it high paced. That could just be for me though! I think it had a lot of promise, but it didn’t deliver for me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the beginning of this book, though a lot of it made me angry, I think that was the intention. It felt like things were happening too quickly and the characters were acting like more time passed then what actually had. I basically lost all interest after the cult showed up.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read this early! I absolutely loved this book, although I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as YA. There are some adult themes throughout the novel, especially in the beginning, that probably should be acknowledged with content warnings (such as drug use and overdose, and forced prostitution). These themes made the story grittier and certainly raised the stakes, but I do think they should be acknowledged.
Ultimately, I loved this book. It is a story of exploitation and anger and love and redemption. It is a story about a broken family and a girl who had to grow up too fast. But it is also a story of a young woman who does whatever it takes to eradicate the death and destruction caused by a devastating drug to save people like her mother and sister.
There’s also a sentient forest.
And lesbians.
What else could you ask for?
Perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic (you’ll see quite soon why) and I could not recommend this book enough.

This book was unfortunately a DNF for me at 45%. I just could not get into this story. The writing style was not for me and I found myself forcing myself to read this and it’s not fair to the book or the author to do that and then review it negatively when it’s an issue with me and not the book.

I looked at a few reviews from people who had the same issues I had with it and they ended up not enjoying it by the end so I don’t want to push myself through it.

"There are no agreements between captors and prisoners," Lucha said. "There's only freedom. At any cost. By any means."


Lucha Moya and her little sister Lis live in the glorious city of Robado; except not really, bc Robado is a complete pit. they're basically orphans, with their dad dead back from when they were little and their mom addicted to the local drug of choice. Lucha had to grow up young and grow up fast to take care of her and Lis as there was literally no one else who would.

Robado is dirty and dark and sad and the local 'government' (a pair of drug empire kings called Los Ricos) could care less about it. they only care about the money they make off their drug Olvida, and to a significantly lesser extent the creepy forest that keeps trying to inch its way back into town. all the dirt in Robado is dead, thoroughly salted and uninhabitable, a last ditch attempt to keep the woods out.

why are the woods so spooky? well apart from it being called the Bosque de la Noche, sometimes people who clear-cut new extensions get turned into/killed by (usually both) a giant white mushroom. local superstition is rife with stories of Lo Sediento, a tall and spindly dude with long dark hair and intense 'demon red' eyes, who will snatch your soul if you call his name. and if all those stories weren't enough, the woods are also crawling with sombralados, huge-mongous smoky corvid skeletons that fly around and eat people.

Lucha is one of the few locals who deal with the latter problem (there's really nothing to be done for the unfortunate mushroom fellas, and nobody can decide if Lo Sediento is real or not). she's a cazadora, a hunter of the bird beasties, one of the youngest and most efficient in her field. there's a bit of a secret to her skills however; Lucha has a mysterious ability to make herself invisible to the monsters. she can walk right up to them and they will never perceive her, so inevitably she makes a killing (lol 💸) with this job.

the thing Lucha hates more than anything else in the world is the drug that ruined her city and took her mom from her; Olvida, the forgetting drug, mass marketed by Los Ricos and sold at the local black market. Olvida is a drug distilled from the Pensa, an old plant that original pilgrims chewed to "open their mind" to the goddess (another entity who may or may not exist, idk). now the euphoria effect is condensed and intense, and people very rapidly become addicted to the sensation.

Lucha would give anything to destroy this drug empire and protect her sister. anything at all -- maybe even her soul.


I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it early! the storytelling is very dreamy and easy to read; the characters are complex but fun, all full of startling plot twists and reveals. Lis' character growth was lovely. I wish there had been a bit more worldbuilding (no sufficient explanation was ever given for the sombralados, and since I really liked them I really wanted one) but honestly it's easy to overlook bc it leans into the book's overall vibe. a lot of the details feel purposefully soft-edged and hazy, like the reader is experiencing a little bit of the Olvida high themselves.


rep - sapphic mc, sapphic love interest
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

While I was excited at first, this book was a struggle to get through. Uneven pacing, flat side characters, and a muddy conflict made it difficult to stay fully engaged with the story, which at times felt less like a story and more like a series of random events. Although Lucha was a strong lead character on her own and on paper, she seemed to not quite slot into the world being crafted? Her relationship with the forest, and even her relationships with the three main side characters (the supernatural antagonist, her love interest, and her sister) felt strangely disconnected.

There are so many interesting nuggets of detail here, particularly with the worldbuilding, but nothing was fleshed out enough for my tastes.