I absolutely love this book. It is written as if Luciana is in conversation with her sister and we are only hearing her side. Her tales of her family, the drama surrounding her grandma's cancer ( horribly sad, telenovel delicious). This telling of the history of these vastly different, but strong Columbian women, is such a great look at the impact of family through generations.

Luciana's odyssey embarks on a gripping journey, triggered by the looming threat of Hurricane Irma and a mandatory evacuation order that forces her and her Colombian-born mother to embark on a long, tumultuous car ride. As they navigate the turbulent weather, Luciana keeps her elder sister Mari updated, weaving an unbreakable familial thread amidst the chaos of the storm.

The narrative takes a fascinating twist when the family returns, only to discover their beloved grandmother, Abue, ailing and in need of care. Abue is relocated into Luciana's bedroom, setting the stage for a series of uproarious and heartwarming developments.

What truly adds a unique touch to this story is the rollicking, one-sided phone conversation that skillfully illustrates the narrative. It's a gem of a storytelling technique that made me envision this tale as an engaging play, with its absolute hilarity and charming quality that's sure to captivate readers.

I couldn't help but be utterly charmed by this story, and I believe you will be too! It's a delightful blend of humor, family dynamics, and unexpected adventures. I encourage you to dive into this heartwarming narrative, which unfolds in a way that's as unpredictable as a hurricane, yet filled with love and laughter.

I enjoyed reading this book. The style of writing is different and really enjoyable. Kind of like your listening in to a conversation. The story was fun to read and you felt like you were there experiencing life with them in the moment.

It took me two chapters to understand the format of this book. Most of the text is Luciana speaking to her sister Mari on the phone, while italicized insertions are in-person conversations she had with other people prior to the call, except you have to deduce from context who is talking. I didn't think this quite made sense, and it made the book too hard to read, though I do give the author credit for creating a strong narrative voice for Luciana.

“Oye” is a fun and unique novel! It took me a few chapters to get used to the format but I ended up liking it. I really enjoyed the multigenerational story and the story being told from the youngest member of the families perspective. As the reader you can’t help but feel emotions and nostalgia of your own life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth Press for the advance copy.

"Oye" is a novel that is spirited and life-affirming. It celebrates the family dynamics of a Colombian American family, and is told completely through phone calls between two of the sisters. This unique framing allows for more of an eavesdropping vibe for the reader, which has an intimacy to that I appreciated. If you connect with the narrator and family, you will love this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Funny, unique, and touching. Each chapter is a phone call between Luciana, our FMC, and her sister. I’ve never read anything written in this style, so it took me until about 20% of the way through this story until I got used to it. Once I did, I was very intrigued by the family dynamics. A heartwarming read!

I was initially skeptical about the experimental formatting of this novel, as it is told by the protagonist, Luciana, through her phone calls with her sister. But we never hear Mari's side of the conversation. However, after the first couple of chapters (and finally getting over how whiny Luciana sounded in the beginning; she gets better, as the arc progresses), I realized it was a brilliant way to tell this story. Since all we get is Luciana's one-sided dialogue, interspersed with vignettes of conversations she had prior to relaying the family drama with her sister, Oye is 100% focused on these strong Latina women and their relationships with each other. And what strong characters they are! Each is very relatable in her own way. And of course the relationship between Luciana and Abue is beyond endearing, making the ending of this novel all the more bittersweet. This book is perfect for anyone who loves gossiping with friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

Luciana is peak teenage girl and i love her for it! Her story is told via one-sided phone calls to her older sister, Mari, who is away at college. Luciana has to deal with her sexuality, her stressful family, and her grandmother becoming sick and moving in with them. This is a story of family dramatics and dynamics, teenage frustration, and figuring out how to BE when you have to take on a bigger role in your life/family.

The phone call storytelling style was confusing at first, but I got used to it quickly. However, I didn't really love it--it made it harder for me to be engrossed in the story because we were just hearing it as Luciana recounts events. I really enjoyed her wild abuela (slay abuela!) and getting to learn about her past at the same time as Luciana does. This book brings up a lot of issues, but doesn't truly tackle a lot of them, in my opinion. It was still a good coming-of-age read, though!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Oye" by Melissa Mogollon is a wildly inventive and heartwarming debut novel that blends humor, family drama, and coming-of-age themes into a captivating narrative.

Luciana is the youngest member of her large Colombian American family, often overshadowed by her older sister, Mari. When a hurricane threatens South Florida, Luciana must navigate the eccentricities of her family, particularly her spirited grandmother, Abue, who refuses to evacuate. Abue's eccentric behavior takes a more serious turn when she receives a life-altering medical diagnosis.

The story unfolds through a series of phone calls between Luciana and Mari, with Luciana serving as the mediator and caretaker in her family's chaotic and unpredictable world. As Abue moves into Luciana's bedroom, their relationship deepens, and Luciana is thrust into the role of translator, confidante, and keeper of family secrets.

Melissa Mogollon's storytelling is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and insight. The novel captures the essence of family dynamics with authenticity, portraying the quirks and idiosyncrasies of each family member with vivid detail. Abue's character is a standout, with her larger-than-life personality and stubborn determination to live life on her terms, even in the face of adversity.

"Oye" is a unique and captivating exploration of the complexities of family relationships, cultural identity, and the transition to adulthood. Luciana's journey from being the family's overlooked youngest member to becoming a pillar of support for her grandmother is both relatable and inspiring.

The format of phone conversations adds an intimate and engaging layer to the storytelling, making readers feel like they are right there with Luciana as she navigates the ups and downs of her senior year and her family's turbulent circumstances.

Overall, "Oye" is a beautifully written and entertaining novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate heartfelt family dramas infused with humor and a strong sense of cultural identity. Melissa Mogollon's debut is a testament to the enduring bonds of family and the resilience of the human spirit.

Top level: WOW. This book completely took me by surprise and captivated me from the very first page. If you don’t read anything else in this review, just know this – OYE will make you feel every single emotion – joy, sorrow, glee, laughter, excitement, anger, pride, pain, anticipation, happiness, alarm, enthusiasm, delight, and at the center of it all…love. The love between a granddaughter and a grandmother. I have never rooted for two characters more in any book, TV show, or movie I have ever consumed.

Format and Plot: LOVED. After reading the first page, I immediately realized the book was told entirely from one side of a phone call. This book is described by the publisher as being told through a phone call, which was exciting to me, but I could not fully imagine what that would look like until I opened it. The main character, Luciana, is at home dealing with family crises and she calls her sister (Mari) who is away at college and sort of distant in order to update her on what is going on at home. As a reader, you only see what Luciana is saying. Based on what Luciana says in line after line of dialogue, the reader can infer what Mari is responding back and forth, and from there an entire world is born. It was very fun for me as a reader to kind of be an “active” participant in the entire experience. I have never read a book like this.

There are parts in the book that are in italics. To me, it symbolized something that occurred outside of the phone conversation, like a flashback to a previous encounter that Luciana had with a character or some previous conversation that occurred. Kind of like when you are talking to someone and telling them a story of something to happened to you, you might have a flashback to that event and surrounding circumstances in your head as you are telling the story. Basically, I interpreted the italics to be a way that Mogollon let us into Luciana’s head, the stuff Luciana thought but did not say out loud on the phone.

If you’re like me and love to overhear the gossip of the table next to you at dinner, or just love to sit down and get the tea, this book is for you. But this book is so much more than a girl just giving updates to her sister on the phone. Through these calls, we hear some of the most hilarious, bizarre, and sad stories that could occur in a family, all while following Abue’s medical diagnosis which is the central mover in the novel.

Characters:
From the beginning, I immediately felt a sort of sorrow for Luciana for having to be the one to handle so much and carry so much on her shoulders. Her voice is just so very captivating and everything coming out of her mouth is hilarious or scathing, rightfully so, that you immediately fall in love with her. I could see myself in her, I could see my friends in her, I could see how she could remind someone of their sibling, or of someone they love deeply. And there is no option but to root for her. Luciana would make a great character in a show.

Abue (the grandmother) is a spectacular force of nature. She is such a quotable icon. I actually never was able to meet my grandmothers but through this novel I still felt how incredible that connection between a granddaughter and grandmother could be. I spent the book pretending like Abue was my grandma I never got to meet. If you have/had a grandma you loved or that was just so absolutely iconic, I would bet that you will love OYE. I thought it was amazing how I could connect to the characters in the book, despite never having a relationship with a grandma like this or never having a sister. The feelings are just so universal.

The other characters in the book are just as important (the mom with twisted priorities, the absentee dad, the grandma’s estranged sister, Luciana’s ride or die best friend, etc.). Luciana’s relationships with them all shift and grow as Luciana becomes more empowered. It was beautiful to watch, and I felt like I had a front row seat.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. I would suggest going into with an open mind because this book is not your traditional literary novel with back and forth dialogue or third person narration, etc. (and for me, this was a very good thing!). This book was truly one of a kind.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Oye" was quite the adventure! 3.5 stars for the unique and winding storytelling, although there were a few aspects that deterred me personally as a reader.

"Oye" is told primarily from the perspective of Luciana Dominguez, a Colombian-American teenager living in Florida in 2017 - as Hurricane Irma prepares an oncoming path of destruction for her home. It's told completely in conversations to her older sister Mari, who's left home for college, as she recounts the difficulties of dealing with their mother Elena, and trying to get their grandmother Abue (Emelia) to evacuate. It's through these (mostly one-sided) phone calls that we learn about what Luciana is going through, the diagnosis that's given to their grandmother, and the truth underlying the complicated family dynamics. Most of the conversations focus on the present - Emelia's illness and treatment, Luciana's plans for the future as she graduates high school - but we also get a chance to learn the truth behind their ancestors, as Luciana comes to learn what happened generations before to her great grandmother Fernanda - and how these events shaped the family for years to come.

It took me a fair bit of time to get used to the writing style and voice, as there's plenty of slang and abbreviations I'm not used to seeing in novels, but it certainly brought to life Luciana's character and personality. I struggled as well with the lack of quotations - when other individuals are speaking, their parts are italicized, but I found it difficult at times to know who was saying what, and even what period of time it took place, since all of this is recounted by Luciana. I also wish there was a little more insight into her sister Mari's perspective; only one section is told from her voice where she tries to explain her experience at college and how she gets compared to her younger sister. Personally, I found the storyline about their great grandmother far more interesting than the one in the present, and would have been far more invested in a novel that was focused on it!

There are some touching moments especially in the later half of the novel as Luciana comes to terms with her own identity and her grandmother's final wishes, but I struggled with the overall cohesiveness and focus of the novel. Nonetheless an enjoyable read overall, filled with humor, wit, and emotion.

“But if Abue ever had a funeral, I think that it would look like a Pitbull music video. Yeah. Being shot at an all-white party during Miami Yacht Week”

3.5 Rounded up⭐️

If I am being honest, I COULD not get into this book. I picked up 3-4 different times but could not get past the writing style. Finally by chapter 6 I had then gotten past writing style and fallen in love. Best way to describe writing style is I felt like I was sitting a few yards away from the MC at the beach as she is on the phone catching a close friend/sibling up on family affairs. Due to me being self-admittedly nosy as hell, as soon as the story starts to pick up I found myself not wanting to put down.

As a 30 year old myself and having just gone through something very similar as the MC I found myself connecting deeply in regards to the big feelings that come with the idea of our grandparents wanting to pass away in a way they feel is best. Also alot of mentions to current day trends when it comes to fashion, love, politics, etc. Very very relatable.

Lost 1.5 ⭐️ because of how hard it was to get into. I really struggled to keep characters straight, understand the scene being set and find my curiosity being sparked.

This book was a delightful read. I did find it kind of confusing to follow at first, but once I got into it, I found myself enjoying it a lot more. I will recommend this book to my patrons for sure.

In theory, this book is my perfect book:
-It’s character-driven, with limited plot lines
-It’s about a big family, but focusing on two sisters
-It’s very informal, where you learn all the information through the conversations between the sisters

That said, it is difficult to follow because there are no quotation marks. The only indication between a phone call or in-person phone call is by use of italics, but it’s still very unclear, which made it hard for me to enjoy the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

I enjoyed this novel told through the lens of an 18-year-old Colombian American high schooler through conversations and phone calls to her older sister about the trials living with her mother and grandmother. As a child of an immigrant family, she lives with complicated home dynamics and expectations that come from generational trauma that she has no context for.

As a second-generation American myself, I loved this book - the story is paced perfectly so that you never lose interest, there aren't too many characters (and all of them have a purpose in moving the story along), and the personal growth of the main characters - Luciana (the 18 year-old, her grandmother, and to a degree, her mother - is really heart-warming. It never felt like Luciana's reactions to the events of the story were too immature or out of place, which I think is difficult when you have a character who's on the cusp of becoming an adult.

The format of the book was a little weird and it felt like it was originally planned to be a one-sided texting dialogue between Luciana and her sister and not a spoken dialogue because there was a lot of sentence fragments and text speech but once I understood the format, it was easy to lose myself in the book.

hands down - one of the best books I've read this year.

This being told through a one-sided phone call is so ... fun and innovative and cool. I was worried that a story told all in dialogue would get tiresome to read after a while but it was so engaging and the cadence of our protagonist is so natural and real - it was just a delight to read.

Luciana is such a funny complex girl and she's dealing with SO much in this book but it unravels and escalates and settles into something so life altering and beautiful - I just loved being on this journey with her.

I loved learning about this family’s background framed by conversations between two very-different sisters.

Complicated family dynamics and generational secrets are revealed in a heartbreaking and relatable way. This novel felt true to the experience of growing up in an immigrant household, and how the often difficult pasts of our family members are allowed to dictate our present and futures, even in completely different contexts.

Interesting format, it took some time for me to get into the story and the flow of the book, but once I did all I could think about was what was going to happen and when I would be able to continue reading!

Lively book! Beautiful cover. Talented author. I enjoyed the way the story came to life and the format the author chose to tell it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fun/ unique format and very relatable characters. This book has a lot of heart! I was surprised by how much emotionality and family history the author can expertly weave in with dialogue.