An interesting coming-of-age story, Oye is unusual in that it consists solely of a phone conversation between two sisters, Luciana and Mari. We only “hear” the voice of Luciana, but both characters come clear.

Luciana is the younger sister, and Mari is away at college while everything from a hurricane to their grandmother’s cancer conspire to drive Luciana mad. Since Mari can’t or won’t come home, Luciana must face all the drama by herself. It is pretty humorous learning how she does this.

However, a whole novel of conversation makes for hard reading. One voice, even if it’s a spirited teenager’s, with all the highs and lows of that age, can become wearisome over twenty or so chapters. It is especially difficult in the beginning because there are a lot of characters to meet, and they may just come up briefly in the conversation and then disappear for pages before being mentioned again.

I have to say, though, that I admire the author for trying to tell the story this way. It’s definitely not easy to reveal through a one-sided conversation the necessary details for readers to understand what is happening in the family. I look forward to learning how the author challenges herself next.

Luciana's senior year, is nothing like she expected, there are many things happening, and her grandmother has lived the life she has had and become the person she is. When a hurricane is heading to Florida, her grandmother decides she isn't leaving, her mother leaves and decides to keep going to see the country, and Luciana is going to have to step into a role she isn't prepared for.
Luciana uses the phone and her sister's answering machine, to make it through all that is going on. At first, I thought this was strange but then as I read, I began to see things a different way. I begin to see the changes in Luciana, and she was beginning to see the person she was now, and she discovered she is moving into adulthood. I enjoyed this story because I think most of us finds their own way of coping and making it through the things that are happening, I had my way and this is what worked for Luciana.
This is a story, that is different, but it how Luciana can make it through all that is going on with herself, her family and the world around her. I received an ARC from Hogarth through NetGalley.

Oye is unique in that it is a series of phone calls that tell a story. I'll be honest that it was a little confusing at times. Most of the story is told by Luciana as she calls her sister who is away at college. In the phone calls you learn all about her grandmother who at first was left alone during a hurricane and then later is going through a health crisis. There is a lot that goes on and there are some really interesting back stories about the grandmother. However this book just wasn't for me. I didn't like the phone call format. I just wasn't as invested as I would have liked to be. Plus there were italics that showed when other people were talking but I had a hard time following who was speaking. I would recommend this book to people looking for a unique type of book about family relationships.

Thank you to Random House/Hogarth for this ARC>

OMG THIS WAS AMAZING.

this is told entirely through the main character (luciana)’s side of phone conversations with her older sister who’s at college. their grandmother is sick and luciana feels like the only person who cares and understands her.

The formatting was everything, the characters were everything, the plot was amazing. I can not recommend this enough Omggggg. Also this was a debut and I’m so impressed Melissa Mogollon you’re gonna do amazing things.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random house for the ARC! I loved reading this I am so excited for everyone else to!

Oye by Melissa Mogollon is such a delight! I consumed this coming-of-age story in just a single reading session and laughed, cried, and just got lost in Luciana’s world. Told via one-way phone conversation, this unique setup allows you to become immersed in the stress and levity that Luciana feels as she faces a family full of hilarious quirks and a challenging time in her life.

Many thanks to #netgalley #hogarth and the author for an #arc in exchange for an honest review. This book is set to publish in May 2024.

#oye #oyebook #melissamogollon #literature #fiction #novels #debutnovels #humor #comingofagebook #lgbtqialiterature #lgbtqia

This was an unexpected good story filled with invigorating emotions.

Abue is someone to love. She’s Luciana’s 75-year-old grandmother who doesn’t miss a beat. She’s goes after what she wants and her family is there to support her with lots of love. It starts with Hurricane Irma in 2017 in Florida with a storm that was unpredictable. They needed to get out but Abue wasn’t about to go anywhere. All those southern coastal readers get it.

The plot has twists that I didn’t see coming. It makes it a fast, engaging story with family history that makes Abue the person she has become. She was an immigrant from Columbia and the reader knows that life couldn’t have been easy for her with an environment filled with overpowering men.

While it’s exciting to read in many ways, the first chapter was like entering a foreign country where the language is confusing. It was a struggle until I read other reviews and figured out the format. Once I went back to reread the first part, it was fine. But it would have been great to have a “head’s up” on this type of conversation in the book without any quotes. It’s like the author wanted her characters to be free – free from a past that was unsettling.

My thanks to Hogarth Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 14, 2014.

Luciana's senior year is going to kill her. Her GPA is in the toilet, her mother won't let her come out, and now Hurricane Irma is going to flatten Florida. Her mom wants to use the evacuation as an excuse to tour America, while her spitfire abuela refuses to evacuate at all. To help her cope, Luciana phones her big sister Mari to vent. The novel consists entirely of a transcription of Luciana's side of these calls. Then, her Abue's health crisis cranks the family drama up to eleven. Old secrets come pouring out, with results both heart-rending and side-splitting. Thanks, Netgalley.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. While I loved the unique idea of telling the story through one-sided phone calls, I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief enough. Throughout the whole reading process, I was distracted by my own thoughts of, "No one talks like this on the phone." She would just conveniently give her sister a ton of context so that the reader wouldn't be kept in the dark. And while the context is helpful, it doesn't make any sense to deliver it this way.

This book is written as phone conversations between sisters but you only hear (read) one side. It takes a bit to get used to the style but once I did it read very quickly and it has so much heart. A story of family care taking, forgiveness,and love.

Initially, the format of this book was a little confusing to me and took a little getting used to. It wasn't until about chapter 4-5 where I was HOOKED and could NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!! Also - I absolutely LOVED the little "icons" used for each chapter it was such a cute little feature!

I really enjoyed reading the book from Luciana’s perspective and reading about her experiences with her family as the younger sister who seemed to feel like she was left behind by her older sister. Even though the way the book is written can take a bit of time and having to re-read to get used to - all of the characters felt very real especially since we get to know them a bit more throughout each chapter.

I did also have some questions throughout the book like - What is Mari's perspective?, Did she ever engage in the conversations with Luciana but that dialogue just wasn't included (because this was starting to make me think wow is Mari so heartless she never responds to her sister)?, What happens to Abue after? Would there be another book from Luciana perspective when she's older (and about how she dealt with the passing of Abue)? Does Luciana tell the world Abue's story and what happened to her - do people believe it or does her story die with her?

The format kind of threw me off. Lots of family drama. Bold characters, and good family dynamics. But I found it hard to read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

This one is a character driven novel if I’ve ever read a character driven novel. After reading this, I feel like I know this family and I feel better off for that. This is a debut and it does read like a debut at times, but I will definitely pick up Mogollon’s future books too!

Luciana is 18 years old and figuring out life as she is going to be graduating high school, close to be considered an adult.
After having lived in Miami for several years and working in schools it reminds me how living in Miami is far from easy, even complicated many times.
Family drama as we only get one side of the phone conversations as Luciana talks to her sister Mari.
A story of finding oneself while dealing with secrets and a health crisis in the family.

Thank k you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book.

Oye is fun. It’s told as a mostly one-sided conversation between high-school aged Luciana and her college-aged, (very much NOT at home) older sister Mari. The format is a little confusing, especially in the beginning, but after I got the hang of it, this book made me laugh and smile.

Luciana is gay. It’s important, but not central to the theme. She’s Colombiana, and that is also important, but not central. Luciana’s grandmother, Abue, is dying and Luciana is devastated. Abue is her favorite person. And Abue is so damn likeable, described as “imagine a bull. In the body of a butterfly.” Abue is 75 and obsessed with looking and feeling younger. Flirting. Wearing mesh. Getting plastic surgery. The way her character is described is both entirely incredible and believable.

And yes, Mari is away at college and Luciana is feeling abandoned. Luciana is taking on too much weight and the world feels heavy and hard. So we see her struggle via her conversations with her family.

This book is sweet, funny, and mostly easy reading (again, format can be confusing at times). If the format strengthens in the final edition, I think it could easily get a higher rating from me. Nonetheless, recommended. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some fun notes:
It’s like she had blinders on your entire teenagehood. And instead, I get fucking binoculars.

Sometimes I wonder if they make high school so bad so you do anything BUT stay. Yes, Mari. I still even hate English class. That one is never going to change. Because, dude! They have us reading things like The Handmaid’s Tale!

No, she’s lying! She just hates doctors. That’s not true … She loves plastic surgeons. Those are different. She needs them.

I just wish that Abue still had that same slutty goth style now. Looking like the daughter of Morticia Addams and Celia Cruz.

But now, what? Dad just gets to leave and avoid the fallout? While Mom cries like a helpless baby by the stairs? After letting this bomb with hair and legs waltz in here? Fuck that. I’m not the freaking feelings janitor.

So I reasonably tried proposing Kohl’s—the freaking Switzerland of department stores—but Abue shot me down by saying, What the heck am I supposed to buy there? Everything is cozy and full-length.

This book took a little getting used to the format is essentially phone transcript between characters and at first it felt a bit chaotic. Once finding the books rhythm I enjoyed this coming of age soapy drama.

I see in the synopsis it described as a telenovela and that is an apt point. I loved the way these characters interacted they were vivid and fun and came right off the page.

While I did struggle in structure I do think this will make a fabulous full cast audiobook .

Thank you NetGalley and Hogarth for the ARC all opinions are my own.

I went into this book with no expectations and I loved it!! A very coming of age book, easily enjoyable for me! And can I say how much I can relate to the characters when it comes to their conversations and their whole family dynamic lol!! Such a great read, I can’t wait to actually have a physical copy on my book shelf! First time reading from this author and I can’t wait to read more! Definitely recommend this book! Thank you Random House for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!

What makes this book great is how EXHAUSTING IT IS.

Hear me out: we are witnessing a young girl’s life, through one sided phone calls, littered with “dude” and “do you even care?” Which certainly feels like something we can relate to. Young teenage girls are exhausting. Sibling dynamics are exhausting. This book IS EXHAUSTING. And in that, is the magic. It is laugh out loud funny at times, purely young and sweet, and just like a teen girl’s mood swings, a little bit bitchy.

I loved this book. I loved the format, the message and the ingenuity it took to write. I did balance this one out with a non fiction when teenage life got to be a bit much, but oh man what a good story. Loved it.

Definitely a coming of age novel, delving into the intricacies of life thrown at Luciana and Abue. Luciana learns about why Abue is the way she is and learns life lessons along the way. A refreshing, interesting read.

First of all, I was very excited to read this book. The premise sounded like something I would enjoy: the daughter of Colombian parents travels with her mother up the coast away from Hurricane Irma in 2017 and finds out that her Abuela is sick and the family has to care for her, but there is generational family drama? Sounds SO relatable.

Secondly, there are so many people who will love this novel as written.

Thirdly, I fully believe that if it were not written as a series of one-way cell phone text messages I would have loved this novel.

Forth, I was surprised that I didn't like this format.

So in summary, I wanted to love this novel, I expected to love this novel, but I did not, ultimately end up loving this novel. In fact by chapter four I was struggling to want to finish the novel. Ultimately, I wanted to see if Abue and her sister made peace, and that's what kept me going until the end.

2 stars.

Oh, did this book make me laugh out loud! It’s unique in that it’s told from the perspective of a one-sided phone conversation between Luciana and her sister. Mogollon draws you in with never ending drama and sass as Luciana learns how to navigate familial relationships and how to deal with everything life throws at her. A very heartwarming and entertaining read.

This has been published to GoodReads on Mar 5, 2024.