Conceptually, the writing style is really interesting. It feels very experimental, in a good way. The closest I’ve come to it before in my own reading has been slam poetry, although this doesn’t fall into that category. I wasn’t particularly gripped by the story and stopped after chapter 1 (6%), but I'd be open to reading other works from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

The premise of the book is what caught my attention and the writing style was certainly unique. However it fell flat for me, I kept hoping for more of those juicy bits and what we were given was a little lackluster.

This book was very confusing. I am not sure if it was just my copy or how it downloaded to Kindle, but the lack of punctuation made it hard to follow.

This book was written as a phone conversation which was hard to get used to. It also uses very teenage language and a lot of Spanish which could be hard to many adult readers. Despite these two things, I did find this enjoyable to learn the story of the grandma unfold. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Fantastic book! Were we ever that young? Wasn't that the best time ever? I loved this. Great debut filled with family, friends, and life lessons. Don't miss this one.


Thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Hogarth for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Who doesn’t love eavesdropping on interesting conversations? With Melissa Mongollon’s incredible novel, Oye, you can immerse yourself in some scandalous family history (and present), without fear of being caught.

In Oye, Melissa Mongollon has created a vivid, fascinating, and emotional world through several one-sided phone conversations between Luciana and her older sister, Mari. Mari has gone to college, leaving Luciana to navigate the drama of her Colombian American family.

Luciana’s Abuela, Abue, receives devastating health news, sending the family into a spiral. Abue heavily resists a visit from her sister, provoking Luciana’s interest in her family’s history. Years of heartache unfold, and Luciana reports back to an indifferent Mari. And at the same time, Luciana is dealing with her health-conscious mother’s jabs at her weight, and a crush on a cute bartender.

Once I started reading Oye, I could not stop. Luciana is a wonderful character, and the story keeps unfolding in a gorgeous way. It was like sitting down with one of my particularly animated friends. I can imagine the audiobook of Oye will be amazing. The ending made me weep; it is just perfect.

Oye is an utterly unique, incredibly special novel that brought me so much joy. I look forward to revisiting this one as often as I can.

This was my first book to read by this author but it won't be my last! This was a beautifully written novel that evokes so many emotions. Don't miss out on this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC. I really wanted to like this book since the premise was so interesting, but the tone fell flat for me. The constant frantic voice of the main character, Luciana was cloying by the end of the book. Luciana had such potential, too! She definitely has the opportunity to come of age, in multiple ways, but her voice stays consistently infantile throughout the text. I was also discouraged that the entirety of the book was in voicemails to her sister, but we never end up really getting much of the older sister's voice, everything is filtered through Luciana. For me, it was too one note.

“A coming-of-age comedy. A telenovela-worthy drama. A moving family saga. All in one phone call you won’t want to hang up on…”

Oye might be the most creatively structured novel I have come across yet! While the concept of a coming-of-age story isn’t new, Melissa Mogollon certainly figured out how to make it her own.

As the blurb says, this book really does read like a telenovela! Mogollon did an excellent job of writing a hilariously believable conversation between sisters; I even found myself laughing out loud at times. Oye’s plot and structure flowed so nicely that it truly felt like I was in on the conversation.

While the uniqueness of the format paid off in certain regards, I do think it worked against the plot just a tiny bit. Because everything was explained by one person in past tense, it distanced me from the characters little too much. Especially towards the end of the book, I just didn’t feel invested in the characters enough to be deeply affected by their experiences.

Overall, I gave Oye a solid 4/5 rating and highly recommend y’all pick it up when it releases on May 14, 2024! As always, don’t forget to check the content warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC of Oye!

Family dynamics, trust, and the aftermath of decisions are all accounted for in this book. I appreciate that the author explores these topics in the way that they are. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

The format of this book was unique, but to be honest it was really hard to follow. The juicy bits of story that I was able to pick up were tantalizing, but the "overhearing a conversation" needed to be balanced with a bit more substance.

A cultural ajiaco portraying la familia hispana with bittersweet moments, and lots of humor, the best medicine. I love the way it is narrated, and the use of Spanish and English, representing the way many of us, latinos who have lived in the US for over twenty years, speak with our family and friends. Me encantó!

Oye is a highly engaging, emotional roller coaster that will have you laughing, crying, and reflecting on your own familial relationships. This coming-of-age story is told through one side of phone conversations between Luciana and her sister, Mari, who is away at college. Luciana has to deal with school struggles, being the support person for an ill grandmother, navigating life as a first-generation American, and more. Throughout the novel we go with her as she learns to trust herself and value her uniqueness. This book was so easy to finish because the chapters are far enough apart chronologically that the story always feels like it's moving forward. Every chapter has highs and lows and twists that will have the reader eagerly turning the pages.

A fun intimate novel with a unique structure. It definitely takes a minute to get used to the structure - overhearing one side of a phone call between two sisters - but it was well worth the effort. An immersive experience.

Any story with a grandparent has me in pieces immediately and this was no different. I loved Abue’s fire and it is what kept me in the story. While the formatting concept was inventive, it kept me really disconnected for the story and the characters I felt. Part 1 also felt so incredibly long which made it tough to get started.

This was such a beautiful story! I'm not sure i loved the writing style, in which the main character is on the phone with her sister through out the whole book. But its on sided. The story is so unique and touching.

While reading this story, I found it overall very relatable. From the characters to some of the things that happened in this story, I definitely could find it relatable for people. The format did take a little bit of getting used to, but other than that, I loved this book. I really do like coming of age stories like this and this is definitely one I recommend.

My Hispanic and this book was like sitting at a family function. The formatting of the book is different and I was confused during the first chapter until I realized it's simply one-sided dialogue with the occasional italics of another character that you have to guess who it is.

Luciana's journey commences with the arrival of Hurricane Irma, prompting a mandatory evacuation of her Southern Florida residence. Alongside her mother, who hails from Colombia, she embarks on a lengthy car ride, maintaining contact with her elder sister, Mari, to relay their ongoing progress. Having skillfully navigated the natural disaster, their return home unveils a new challenge - the discovery of their cherished grandmother, Abue, in a state of illness. Abue is subsequently relocated to Luciana's bedroom, setting the stage for the unfolding family drama.

"To my grandmother and all grandmothers, for teaching me how to laugh." I am ugly crying @ the club.
"Just texted her that Jesus came to you in a dream..." Literally every older Hispanic woman in your family.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

1) ABUE IS THE BEST, MOST HYSTERICAL CHARACTER. LOVE.
2) I had many laugh-out-loud moments.
3) Considering the format was new to me, it took me some time to get used to, and definitely may not be for everyone.


Luciana leads a one-sided conversation with her older sister Mari with some anecdotal conversations between others thrown in. You can feel the tension but love in their dynamic. You can feel Luciana struggle through her emotions with each unfolding chapter. The struggle of her own identity is mixed into the experiences of her family that she is living through.

This book has intrigue, heartbreak, hilarity, and characters to love. It also provides a sobering reality that not all is as it seems, but a family can still come together.

Really funny and delightful, the voice here is compelling and sharp and enticing, and the characters really shine with personality. I went into this one without knowing what to expect and am so glad I took the ride.